help with working holiday visas?

Hi there,

My girlfriend and I are planning backpacking trip through Western Europe in the fall! We are looking into the possibility of extending our stay past our two months we are planning. Our first thought was to look into getting a working holiday visa in France or the UK. Does anyone have any tips or advice on how to go about getting working holiday visas? Any help is greatly appreciated :)

Thanks!
Galen

Galen
Friends have found great positions on working farms and chateaus at the Worldwide Organization of Organic Farmers.
You work some hours a day in return for room and board.
Some of the locations in the Dordogne are fab.
You can only stay in France 90 days unless u I have an EU passport

You fill in the form, for a WHV and that's kinda it.

Note re #1 that you cannot WWOOF on a tourist visa.

capttim's friends may have found jobs on farms but....for most of the countries in the Schengen Area (see post, top of the screen on Schengen) it's against the law to work while traveling under a tourist or visa-waiver entry....
If you...or capttim....looks up the site for WWOOF, you'll find that they won't discuss the legality of wwoofing on a tourist visa...they tell you that it's between you and the farmer and they can't advise you. or you should research the matter with the individual Schengen members.
And you'll find you'll pay for the privilege of WWOOFING....not sure what the membership is, but there is one...

Thorn Tree forum and its members will not encourage or advise people to break any laws or regulations; if you read the Lonely Planet guidelines they're quite specific about it. If you want to go look on other forums for more information, that's up to you but if you read the post I mentioned above, you'll know the real situation.

There are other major concerns:
If you have travel insurance (and you certainly should) if you're injured while working, the insurance is void

If caught working on a tourist visa, you are subject to deportation...asap...at your own expense.
While the farmers may sound wonderful, it's very easy to post something on a website but even easier to not deliver on promises made. What if the 'lodging' turns out to be a sleeping bag in the barn? And the food minimal and of poor quality? Most farms are not close to transportation so if you want to leave...and the farmer doesn't want to arrange a ride, you'll have to walk.
Other jobs (restaurant, etc.) ...if you get paid, it definitely won't bring in enough money to pay for lodging...if you get paid...there's a lot of scammers out there...

Since you're from Canada you should have studied French in school but do you speak and French, really? Have you read about the huge influx of refugees into southern Europe? Don't you think they're looking for work also?

I appreciate the fact that you're willing to work so you can extend your vacation but don't plan on it...

If capttim can have his friends provide info on where they worked, he could send you a PM with that...IF...

Add to which the huge unemployment in many European countries so there are probably lots of people looking for work...and perhaps not the most congenial people to be around.

I hope you can come up with a way to travel and not have to work...whatever your final choices, I do wish you good travelling, and good luck

For the UK it is, as you most probably know, a well trodden path to get your Tier 5 / WHV as a Canadian.

Details on the link here.

https://www.gov.uk/tier-5-youth-mobility/overview

The only hassle can be the processing time and that you need to apply whilst you are in Canada. Once you get to the UK you'll have the hassle of setting up a bank account so look into getting that set up, it possible, before you get to the UK - I think HSBC can do something. Also you will be on emergency tax in the UK until you get your national insurance number - a hassle to get this and takes forever. Happy travels.

Hi Galen,

To go to France on a working holiday, you need to get a long stay visa. Are you Canadian ? A French-canadian explains here what you have to do to get your visa if you're Canadian : http://pvtistes.net/forum/obtenir-son-pvt-france/122605-dossier-les-demarches-pour-obtenir-son-pvt-france-visa-3d-pour-les-canadiens.html

This forum is dedicated to French people going abroad on a working holiday so if you have any question about France, feel free to create a thread on it (in English if you prefer), all the members will be happy to help.

Good luck !

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