Working Holidays

Article by: Alexandra Collier, January 2008

If you think the words 'work' and 'holiday' don't fit into the same sentence then you've probably never found yourself penniless in a youth hostel far from home. But desperate times call for desperate measures and the good news is, if you're a citizen of the UK, the US or Australia, and you can tick various boxes, there are ways to work and holiday in any dice-roll combination of the three countries.

Travelling to Australia

UK Citizens

Sick of all the Aussies in Britain moaning about the cold? Head to the sunburnt country to see what they're pining for. The Working Holiday Maker Program allows you to stay in Australia for 12 months and work for up to six months with any one employer. The Australian Department of Immigration calls this 'incidental employment' - yes, it sounds like you fell into an office cubicle when you meant to go to Bondi Beach - but it actually means you can support your holiday with temporary work. In order to qualify you have to have to be between 18 and 30 years old. And the bonus is, if you hook up with some seasonal work for only three months and fancy more orange pickin', you can apply for a second Working Holiday Maker whilst still in Australia.

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How to apply ›

US Citizens

Did you know that Aussie is actually pronounced 'Ozzie'? You can now learn the language from the good-natured locals over a beer, thanks to the recent reciprocity agreement signed between the US and Australia that allows students or graduates to head Down Under. If you fall into the golden 18-30 years-of-age category and are tertiary-educated (or currently enrolled in a tertiary institution), you can apply for a 12-month Work and Holiday visa. No book cracking is required while you're lying on the beach, but you can train or study for up to four months if you fancy. On this visa you can only work for a maximum of six months for any one employer - and then in between all the hard yakka (Aussie speak for hard work) you can do what the Aussies do best: relax and travel.

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Travelling to the USA

UK Citizens

Unfortunately, there's no specific working holiday visa for Brits aiming Stateside. The closest option for temporary employment is the J1 exchange visa, which applies to a range of people (usually with an 18-plus requirement, unless you are a high school exchange student). There are also a number of work exchange programs for young people through the J1 - check out summer exchanges, internships and au pair programs. A J1 visa requires a sponsoring organisation, which works as an intermediary between you and Homeland Security and can help you find your employer, university or training program.

Australian Citizens

Reciprocity works both ways. Since the recent Work and Travel agreement between the two countries was inked, Aussie students between 18 and 30 get a shot at travelling and working in the US. This visa is so newly minted that the rules are still being finalized but is works as an extension of the current J1 exchange category. The bonus is that, unlike the regular J1 visa, it doesn't compel you to return home at the start of the academic year. In order to qualify you need to have completed your first year of a degree or have graduated within the last 12 months. You can work for up to four months but there is an option to extend this to 12. To apply for this visa, you need to hook up with a sponsoring program that can also help you find work.

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Travelling to the UK

Australian Citizens

Having the Queen on the coin pays off - you can get a two-year Working Holidaymaker visa to the UK. And for Aussies, heading to ol' Blighty for a working holiday is practically a rite of passage. Working Holidayers need to be between 17 and 30 and can work for a maximum of 12 months in the two years - this includes all types of work, excluding setting up your business or being a professional sportsman. Unfortunately, drinking is not considered a professional sport.

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How to apply ›

US Citizens

Ever fancied pulling a beer at a bona fide British pub? It's not officially a working holiday option, but full-time US students are eligible for a Blue Card, which entitles them to work in the UK for up to six months. The card can be issued through British Universities North America Club (BUNAC) if you are of (British) drinking age - 18 - and have proof of full-time status at your accredited US university or college. There's no chance of slacking off before you go either - you have to tally up 8 credits in the semester before you leave. You can work for up to six months and the program's Work in Britain handbook can help find a job.

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Parting Advice

As a rule of thumb for all visa applications: apply early, apply from outside your country of choice, have enough money to show you can pull it off, make sure you have proof of travel insurance and a return ticket, look slick for interviews (for all US travel) and avoid getting arrested before you go (the Aussies may ask for a character check!) And if your mother asks, yes, you packed enough woollies.