Everything You Need to Know About a Working Holiday Visa for Italian Citizens in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand

Introduction 

What if you could travel and experience living in another country without spending thousands of dollars to fund your trip? Sounds dreamy, doesn’t it? Well, it doesn’t have to be just an unfulfilled desire. A working holiday visa can turn your dreams into a reality. Read on to learn more.  

What Is a Working Holiday Visa?

A working holiday visa is a visa scheme that works on the principle of reciprocity. This means that usually, two countries enter into a mutual agreement that allows people of a certain age group (usually 18-35 years) to travel, work and sometimes even pursue higher education in the country they have an agreement with for a specified period. 

A working holiday visa is a great way to promote and facilitate cultural exchange. It also negates the requirement of obtaining expensive work sponsorship or exchange programs. Thus, it makes travel more accessible without burning a hole in your pockets. 

Let us now look at the concept of a working holiday visa focusing on Italian citizens. 

Which Countries Have a Working Holiday Visa Arrangement With Italy?

Italy has a working holiday visa arrangement with Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. The eligibility criteria and the conditions for each of these working holiday visas for Italian Citizens vary from country to country. Let’s look at the policies governing the working holiday visa between Italy and Australia, Japan, and New Zealand in detail. 

Working Holiday Visa for Italian Citizens in Australia

The Governments of Australia and Italy have signed a memorandum of understanding in relation to a working holiday visa for Italian Citizens in Australia and vice versa. 

This type of visa is available for 12 months and costs 510 Australian Dollars. The processing time of a working holiday visa can vary from as little as 1 day to 44 days. 

Eligibility Criteria

1. Valid passport holder of Italy. 
2. 18 to 30 years old. Subject to certain conditions, the age criteria can be extended to 35 years of age. To avail this benefit, an Italian citizen must ensure that they have not previously entered Australia via a working holiday visa in subclass 417 or 462. In addition to this, they are required to have sufficient funds, pay off their debts to the Australian government, and meet the health and character requirements also. 
3. Apply online from a territory/nation that lies outside Australia.
4. Should not have entered Australia previously on subclass 417 or 462 visas. 

 Conditions/Benefits

1. With this visa, a person can avail the following benefits:
2. Work short-term. 
3. Cannot work with one employer for more than 6 months without the written permission of the Secretary. 
4. Can study for up to 4 months.
5. Can travel to and from Australia multiple times.
6. Can do the specified type of work for 3 months to become eligible for a second working holiday visa. 
7. Dependent children cannot accompany you. 

Working holiday visa for Italian citizens in Japan

A working holiday visa for Italian citizens in Japan is a relatively new development. On May 2, 2022, the Ambassador of Japan to Italy and the Director General for Italians Abroad and Migration Policies signed an agreement between Japan and Italy to formalize a work-vacation visa policy. This will help strengthen cooperation between the two nations and provide opportunities for the dissemination of the culture and languages of both countries. 

Eligibility Criteria

The country should be entered with the primary purpose of spending a vacation. 

1. Should be between 18 to 30 years of age. 
2. Should not have any criminal record. 
3. Should have sufficient funds for sustenance as per the national regulations in force.
4. Should not have previously availed the benefit of a working visa from that country. 
5. Should meet the health insurance and medical requirements that have been imposed by the country. 

Conditions/Benefits

1. Can stay in the country for 1 year.
2. Are allowed to engage in a professional activity without obtaining a work permit. 
3. Dependents cannot accompany you unless they are themselves in possession of a working visa or any other visa issued by the country in question. 
4. Passport should have a validity of at least 3 months more than the intended period of stay, and one should have no intent to overstay or alter their status of residence. 

Method of Application

You are required to apply for a working holiday visa at the embassy/consulate of the country you would like to visit located in the country of origin. 

Working holiday visa for Italian citizens in New Zealand

A working holiday visa for Italian citizens in New Zealand can be availed via the New Zealand-Italy working holiday agreement which is available to Italian citizens 18-30 years of age. A unique feature of this working holiday program is that there is no limit on the number of times Italians can avail it. 

Eligibility Criteria

1. Should be between 18 to 30 years of age. 
2. It is mandatory to apply for a working holiday scheme online. 
3. Should have medical insurance during the entirety of your stay in New Zealand. 
4. Must have funding of at least 4,200 New Zealand Dollars for your stay in the country. 
5. Should have a travel ticket out of New Zealand or sufficient funds to buy one in addition to the living expenses. 

Conditions/Benefit

1. Can stay in the country for 1 year.
2. Can work in the country for 12 months or alternatively study or train for 6 months in total. 
3. Can neither accept a permanent role nor work for the same employer for more than 3 months. 
4. Dependents cannot accompany you unless they are themselves in possession of a working visa or any other visa issued by the country in question. 
5. Are required to enter New Zealand within 12 months of being granted the visa. 
6. Have the option of entering and exiting the country as many times as you want. 

Limitation on Entry 

You may be denied entry when you enter New Zealand. Let us look at a few reasons why that could happen:

1. You do not meet character requirements. 
2. There has been a change in circumstances since the time you were granted a visa
3. Refusal to provide biometrics, like a fingerprint or an iris scan, when stopped at the point of entry. 
4. Inability to comply with point 5) of the eligibility criteria above, meaning that you are unable to show proof that you can fund your travel out of the country. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Procedure for Applying for Working Holiday Visa to Australia?

Step 1: The first step is to organize health exams and determine if you would require any help with your application. 

Step 2: Collect and organize documents, including the ones related to your identity, character, and proof showing sufficient funds for your stay. 

Step 3: File the visa application online by providing accurate information. 

Step 4: You may be asked to provide biometrics, additional information, or health examinations if you did not provide them in step 1. You are also required to rectify any mistakes you may have made by completing Form 1023 online. 

Step 5: The visa application outcome will be communicated to you in writing. In the event your application has been rejected, you will be informed of the reason for such refusal and if you have a right to get the decision reviewed. 

Note of Caution: You should avoid booking your tickets to Australia until your visa has been confirmed. 

Conclusion

A working holiday visa is a great way to fund your travel desires. It not only provides a cost-friendly alternative to the traditional methods of obtaining expensive sponsorships and exchange programs, but it also encourages the youth to get an international experience and learn the culture, language, and way of life in other countries. 

As seen above, though it is a wonderful way to visit and temporarily live in another country, a working holiday visa involves a fixed process, and its terms and conditions are extremely nuanced. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the fine print carefully to get the best deal. You are just a few clicks away from unlocking the key to your dreams. You can get in touch with a lawyer from LegaMart to help you with any queries that you may have regarding the whole process of a working holiday program or any other legal query. For this, you may visit the LegaMart Directory or simply drop your query on our community page.