Can I apply for a UK Working Holiday visa while in Italy?
September 10th, 2008
The chat sessions would be very valuable for you, if you intend to travel around Europe and you need to obtain several Working Holiday visas. The client below wants to travel to Italy and the UK. She is from New Zealand, and it seems that she need s to go through a lot of planning before she can take the plane to Europe 
.
- Manesha: Hi Louise.
- Louise: Hi, how are you?
- Manesha: You are supposed to apply for your UK working holiday visa from New Zealand.
- Manesha: You can try contact the British High Commission in Italy and see if they can process it from there for you. They should be able to do this but it is will be more difficult.
- Manesha: We can get you an Irish working holiday visa.
- Louise: Okay, sorry. I’ve been trying to sort this all out for some time now …
- Louise: So to get a UK visa I am going to have to go back to NZ to get it??
- Manesha: That is the recommended procedure. The British High Commission recommends you apply from home. How long are you in Italy for?
- Louise: I know if I apply for an Italian visa, I have to go back to New Zealand to apply, but I was under the impression to get a UK visa I can apply from Australia. I have been living here for nearly 4 years now, but I hold a NZ passport.
- Manesha: NZ passport holders can apply from Australia and vice versa.
- Louise: Well, I was going to try get an Italian visa also. Basically I want to travel all over Europe, and work as well.
- Manesha: Are you currently in Australia? When are you looking to go?
- Louise: Yes, I‘m currently in Australia, have been here for over three years now.
- Louise: I‘m planning on leaving end of November … 20 Jan 2009 at the latest.
- Manesha: I would recommend that you get your UK visa ASAP as it can take a while to get this visa.
- Louise: Once I get the visa it has to be in use within three months of receiving it, yes??
- Manesha: How long are you intending on being away for?
- Louise: Well, at lest two years, with a two year visa.
- Manesha: It is very hard and expensive to get work visas for a number of countries in Europe so most people get UK visas so they can earn the pound and then travel through Europe. If you wish to work in Italy and the UK then you should apply for these from Australia before you leave.
- Louise: Okay, so basically this is the list of it all. On the 30 November 2008 I am going to try and get to Europe at the latest I will be flying out the 20 Jan 09. I want to go to Italy for a little while as I have friends to visit and things to see, so I ‘m wanting to get a working visa for there. I can get a visa for Italy for a year and work 6 moths of that year. I also wanted to go to the UK for the same reasons, and get a two year visa there. I planned to work for 12 months.
- Louise: To get my Italian visa I have to fly back home to apply for it, I thought I could do that and than apply for my UK one when I get to Italy.
- Manesha: I wouldn’t recommend applying for your UK visa from Italy. You should do that from Australia or NZ. You can try but after a year the visa processes could change so it’s a gamble.
- Louise: Yeah, but I thought maybe applying for it when I get to Italy, work there for 3 moths, than go to UK, work there for so many months, cause you can only work at one place for a certain amount of time. I thought that might be a good idea to do? You think, no?
- Manesha: If you are looking to work in Italy for only 3 months then you should definitely apply for your UK visa before you go. If you go to Italy and can’t get your visa then you will be stuck and you visa may take up to 3 months to come through.
- Manesha: UK visas are hard enough to get from NZ and Australia, so it would be even harder to obtain from Italy.
- Louise: I understand what your saying : ), thank you. So next question… sorry about this, honest, i just want to really understand everything properly before I do anything. With the UK visa I have to show a certain amount of money in my account as well as holding a return ticket, or can it be either??
- Manesha: You need to show you have enough money to support yourself and a return ticket or you have enough money to support yourself and enough money to buy a ticket outside of the UK (so this can be an extra few hundred dollars).
- Louise: So a return ticket and roughly how much to support yourself in AUD.
- Manesha: AUD$5,000 would be sufficient.
- Louise: Oh, okay, so what if I have a non return ticket and enough funds to support myself, however much that may be, but my ticket is to Italy or somewhere else within Europe would that work?
- Manesha: You need a minimum of AUD$3,000 + a return airfare, or AUD$3,000 + the money to get you to the UK so the extra cost of a flight and money to get you out of the UK.
- Louise: Sorry if I’m being a pain, I understand what your saying. Would I be alright having 3000 with a one way ticket to the UK and then getting a forwarding ticket to somewhere else while I’m there??
- Manesha: You would need to have more than AUD$3,000 so I would say about $3,500 if you don’t have a ticket out of the UK.
- Louise: Okay, well, that’s not bad. So I’ll just get a one way ticket and have 3500-4000 in my account, move on from there. You see I’m planning on traveling for a while, not sure where after Europe : )
- Manesha: Go to Canada! Do you have our UK applications pack?
- Manesha: When are you going to NZ to get your Italian visa?
- Louise: Yeah, I was originally going to go to Canada, I have some friends there as well. Gosh, come to think of it I have friends in all different country around the globe, that’s cool : ).
- Louise: No, I don’t have a UK applications pack. How do i get it?
- Louise: not sure might try get back to NZ round October or something, depending on when I do leave. Your great, I really appreciate all this help your giving me : ). So do you think I should get my ticket yet or wait for my visas???
- Manesha: I would wait till you get your visa if you can.
- Louise: Yeah, that’s what I thought cause you have to show proof of a ticket, that part didn’t make sense to me.
- Louise: So what is this UK applications pack and how do I get one?? : )
- Manesha: I can email you the pack.
- Louise: I would like that very much, please.
- Louise: Thank you so much : )! I’ll let you know when I get it. So I’m not sure if there is anything else at this stage. It will all be covered in this thing you’re sending me?? So would you advise me to apply for it now??
- Manesha: Yes I’d apply today and get this done ASAP as it can take a couple of months.
- Louise: I will get onto it today or tomorrow at the latest, I just got the stuff you sent I will check it all out. Thank you so much for all your help
- Manesha: That’s ok. Thank you for using Live Chat!
- Louise: I hope you have a wonderful day, again thank you so much for everything, you have been a great help … tell your manager I said top points for you, you have been a gem : )
- Manesha: Thanks, you have just made my day. Have a good afternoon!
- Louise: You to.
I hope the chat session asnwerd at least a few of your questions. Obtaining multiple visas can be a bit tricky, however nothing is imposible if you plan ahead and plan smart.
