How to Apply for the Working Holiday Visa in Australia from Santiago de Chile: Complete Guide
The months before my visa application, I was organizing everything to have the necessary documents for the application, which I didn't do!
I created a plan to be able to have everything in order, I searched online for the necessary documents for working holiday visa Australia and found a lot of information, with which I created a check list, so it would be much easier.
Web pages to organize yourself.
· Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) First Work and Holiday visa (homeaffairs.gov.au)
· Work and Holiday Program with Australia | Consulado.gob.cl
· Live and Work in Australia (Guide for Chile 2024) YoMeAnimo!
Having my list of things I had to do, I listed them by priority, just as I realized through talking to more people that my first priority was to have the English exam ready.
How do I prepare for the IELTS English test?
Taking the English test, I think, was the most stressful part of the entire process. First, because I didn't feel prepared for the test and I was afraid of failing, however, I got psyched up and got to work. The steps I used were the following.
1. Reserve a date to take the test in advance, remember that spaces go quickly and if you do not have the reservation it is most likely that you will not have time to take the test Dates and Prices of the IELTS Exam | British Council Chile
2. Know what type of test you are going to give academic or general English for the EILTS (in my case this is general English), you can also give other tests Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic , Cambridge C1 Advanced test
3. Know what your strengths and weaknesses are in English so you can focus on what you need.
4. Have a study schedule for example Monday focus on listening, Tuesday reading, Wednesday speaking, Thursday writing and so on.
5. Find things that you like to connect with the language, for example, if you like cooking, look at recipes in English so you will learn vocabulary, series, movies, podcasts, Instagram, everything works.
6. Hire an English teacher to guide you with the test since it has tricks (I only paid for four classes to review the four sessions of the test) luckily for me, my teacher was Australian and apart from helping me with the tips, she helped me gave useful information.
7. Practice with the material they give you when you book the test, this helps you become familiar with the test you are going to take.
8. Listen to different types of English to sharpen your hearing.
9. Supporting myself with YouTube, these teachers helped me a lot
How do I translate my documents?
One of the things I had to do was translate my degrees and the documents required for the visa, in my case I used the translation service at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Online Translation Request , however, there are other places where you can translate your documents like Entrelingo, with them I have had a very good experience.
How do I prove I have sufficient funds for the visa?
I made my decision to come to Australia in 2018 with a friend, from that date I started saving for almost a year, I put my savings in a term deposit, I also requested a loan to be able to have the necessary amount that they asked of me, I put the credit in a term deposit, I also did not use it, I left it to show that I had money in my account so I was paying it, while I earned a little interest. Once I had prepared the documentation, all the money was ready.
Once the documents are complete, the online application is managed where you must pay in Australian dollars, I used my Falabella card, however, you can also get the Wise card, where you deposit Chilean pesos and then this visa converts the amount to the currency you are canceling.
If you want to have the step by step you can follow the Australian government page First Work and Holiday is the most reliable source and is also being updated regularly.
Medical insurance
Traveling to another country for a long time you must take into account taking good insurance that covers you in case of emergency, for the working holiday it is not mandatory, however, it is important to have one, the second week I arrived in Australia I I got very sick, change in climate, food, schedule, air, everything influences, going to the doctor in Australia is expensive, about 80AUD for a private consultation, more remedies, I recommend that you always have insurance that covers you in case of emergencies, check the policies well.
Embarking on the adventure
My friends took that photo, it makes me emotional to see it was me and my two backpacks, embarking to a country I didn't know, with a totally different language.
recommendations
Researching where you want to live will allow you to know the climate and what to pack in your suitcase or backpack.
Having some type of experience in hospitality is an advantage or if you know how to make coffee with the machine, these are the first jobs that are usually done, in addition to English vocabulary or phrases.
Make a list of the things you think you will need: water bottle, shopping bag, adapter for your chargers
If you are in your 30s, travel as soon as possible to see if you can do your 88 days before turning 31 and apply for the second year.
Have a credit card that allows you to make international purchases, for example Falabella, Wise (you can read more about what it is, how it works and what services it offers in Chile. I leave you my link in case you want to join Wise. So far this card has not failed me, I send I constantly pay money to my Chile account and I have traveled with it to Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Chile, Peru without problem, I also use it within Australia.
Leave all your bank cards in order so that you can access them easily.
If you have accounts in Chile, leave a power of attorney to a member of your family in case you need them to process any paperwork for you.
Start listening to Australian English before traveling, it will help you a lot.
And finally, the best recommendation is that you review different sources of information so you prepare in the best way, remember that knowledge is the best tool to get what you want.
Leave me your comments, I'll read you.
