In my travels using the working holiday visas there have been two that I haven’t I been able to get.
Peru
It is common for countries that have recently agreed to a working holiday scheme to not always have processes sit up straight away. It can take a couple of years to include in immigration law and then to set up the processes.
Working Holiday visas are neiche, and if the country only has an agreement with one or two countries, then applicant numbers are usually low too. One can expect the embassy or immigration staff aren’t always aware of the new visa. However if asked they usually come back with an update on when you will be able to apply, or perhaps your application will just take a little bit longer if it’s one of the first to do.
In late 2016, I approached the Peruvian consulate in Sydney about how to apply for the Peru working holiday visa (which has only been announced by New Zealand government, but not by Peru!).
At first the response was there was no visa, then when I shared the NZ govt information, the response was positive. But 6 months later, queries about how to apply have been left unanswered.
Conclusion: I think it’s fair to say that any normal (and eligible) person trying to apply for the Peruvian working holiday visa will not be successful. The effect is Peru has not yet enacted the working holiday visa for New Zealanders under the New Zealand and Peru working holiday scheme agreed in 2008.
Malaysia
Malaysia has stopped granting working holiday visas for New Zealanders. While one can still apply with the Malaysian high commission in Wellington, are applications are passed on to immigration and never return.
I applied in mid 2016, and was told by an administrator at the embassy that some people had already been waiting over a year without answer. I applied anyway, and after a year of chasing up I think it’s fair to say that the visa will never arrive.
If my application has been declined, I would have accepted it, and almost been happier. But there was no answer at all.
Why this has happened one can only speculate. Perhaps its a response to a Malaysian diplomat being convicted, or a response to a badly behaved kiwi in Malaysia.
There is still information on the Malaysian High Commission website for Canberra, which may indicate that the Malay working holiday visa for Australian citizens is still being processed.
Conclusion: The Malaysian working holiday visa is no longer available under the New Zealand-Malaysia working holiday agreement.
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