Work and accommodation

During your stay, you have the freedom to work as and when you wish. If you are on the Working Holiday Visa, you can work for 12 months maximum. This can be for a consecutive time for one employer or interspersed with your travels. There are no work restrictions for the IEP Work Exchange Visa.

Pre-arrange work before you leave the UK or job hunt on arrival, as most participants do. It’s relatively easy to find casual work in New Zealand and typically takes most participants up to 21 days to find their first job.

Typical jobs include:

• Shop assistant
• Waitressing/bar tending
• Hotel staff
• Telesales
• Ski resort work
• Fruit/crop-picking or other agricultural work.

You are not restricted to this type of work. It’s possible to find work in an area linked to your studies or career but this usually requires a little more research and forward-planning.

Participants who plan to stay in New Zealand for a shorter period of time tend to live in backpacker/hostel accommodation. Those staying for longer often share apartments or houses with other travellers. Many agricultural, ski resort and hospitality type jobs provide accommodation.