UK WHV - how is 12 months work calculated/regulated?

[Kevby88]

Hi there,

This is my first post but hopefully not my last. I've searched the forums high as low to find and answer but no luck.

I am coming to NZ with my boyfriend in March (3 weeks!!! - very excited). At this point we have the 12 month WHV but are anticipating extending to the 23 month once we know more about our plans. We'll be looking for work once we land and I'm really keen to understand how the 12 month work allowance is calculated.

I know as a UK resident I don't have to use the whole 12 months in one go but can split this across the length of our stay - so long as it doesn't exceed 12 months. But how is this calculated/regulated:

• Is it calculated according to how many actual days you work - i.e you can work up to 365 days?
  Or
• Is it calculated per calendar month - so if I got a job mid March and ended Mid April, is this 1 month or 2? Is part of a calender month counted as a whole month?
  Or
• Is is calculated based on a working week - so if I work 5 days a week for 1 month, that's still 1 month's work as opposed to 20 days? So I can aim for 52 weeks of work?

I hope this makes sense, there doesn't seem to be any documentation available about how it's calculated and I don't want to end up breaching the terms of our visa, and will want to know who to go to, to check how far through my allowance I am.

Any help anyone could offer would be great - I rang immigration in the UK yesterday and she didn't seem to be able to answer at all. She kinda implied that I could work to 365 days and would be fine, but then kept contradicting herself saying it's 12 calendar months - very confused.

Thanks in advance.

Katy

[Twunky]

Isn't 12 calendar months 365 days?

Anyway, you can certainly work as much as you want on the 12 months WHV. Although it's against the principlal of it being a working HOLILDAY, you can work as much or as little as you want within that 12 month period.
As far as I know there are limitations of how much you can work on a 23 month visa but you can cross that bridge when you come to it.

[Mamee & Co]

I think that you might find it relates to the period stated by an employer on the Inland Revenue records for you start and end date. It is the only means of cross checking and it is probably based upon 365 days of employment...a year! To work 365 days you would have to work weekends too!

[Karen Phillips]

This one has me fascinated because I don't know the answer. I am trying to find out and will let you know. The other possibility s that if you get offered a permanent contract for a skilled job for more than 30 hours a week and you have the right qualifications and/or experience for that job, you could apply for an Essential skills Work Visa instead - then there wouldn't be any restrictions on how long you could work.

[Kevby88]

Thanks for helping out guys - it's a really tricky one to explain what I'm asking well and I see where you're coming from Twunky about the 365 days is 12 months.

It only really matters when I extend to the 23 month visa because then I will need to ensure I don't breach my visa.

I suppose it's really a case of knowing how I should be regulating my work. Because, say I get lots of smaller contracts during my 23 months in between travelling am I counting the number of days I've worked or the duration of the contract? And I read somewhere (on a forum with no reference to check against) they literally look at the calendar months, so if you've worked across two months (July-August) this would count as two months but in actuality you could have only worked 2 weeks in this time.

I might be over thinking it and confusing myself but I know I may well need the full 12 months work over the 23 months in NZ so want to make sure I'm not breaching my visa - don't fancy being deported

Thanks though guys - really appreciate the responses so far.

[JandM]

Karen Phillips is a licensed immigration adviser, and has contacts within INZ, so whatever information she can come up with will be valuable.

[Kevby88]

Karen Phillips is a licensed immigration adviser, and has contacts within INZ, so whatever information she can come up with will be valuable.

Wow that will be such a help. Thanks to you both.

[Karen Phillips]

Hi. The answer is that there is no hard and fast rule. It is calculated on a weekly basis. The evidence will all be based on IRD (tax) records.You probably are overthinking it - relax and enjoy your time in NZ. Remember that if you get offered the right permanent job you can apply for a work visa while you are still in NZ and then you don't have to worry! All the best. Karen

[Kevby88]

Hi. The answer is that there is no hard and fast rule. It is calculated on a weekly basis. The evidence will all be based on IRD (tax) records.You probably are overthinking it - relax and enjoy your time in NZ. Remember that if you get offered the right permanent job you can apply for a work visa while you are still in NZ and then you don't have to worry! All the best. Karen

Oh wow thanks so much Karen. This is so helpful and I really appreciate you looking into this for me. I can't wait to get over there now and I will certainly take your advice and relax and enjoy myself.

[neddrick98]

Remember that if you get offered the right permanent job you can apply for a work visa while you are still in NZ and then you don't have to worry!

I was just wondering, Karen, what exactly constitutes the 'right permanent job'? I assume this would mean a job with an accredited employed, or work that's on the skills shortage list?

Thanks!