New Zealand Working Holiday Visa for Malaysian (2017)

It has already been 5 years since I joined the working holiday scheme in New Zealand. Time flies, sigh. (I feel old… 😱) Till now, I still pay a lot of attention to the news about New Zealand working holiday visa for Malaysian each year. Perhaps this is because it has changed my life so much.

Last year I wrote a post about this, and I think I should write something this year too.

A few people messaged me and asked me for advice in the last few weeks.

If there is only one advice I can give, it would be:
Just do it.

 

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My Journey to New Zealand 👣

At that year, I came to New Zealand with the backpack that I only just bought for this journey. I did not have any experience travelling by myself, let alone to work and live for a period of time in an unfamiliar country.

I was very shy and passive (I still am), yet I had one of the most beautiful memories in my life. I was a poor but happy farmer. It wasn’t my plan to live in NZ, but somehow I did.

I really miss the feeling – that I don’t know what I will experience and who I will meet in the journey. I still remember my smile on the plane. It was the excitement and passion that I will never forget in my lifetime, and I so hope that I can experience it once again. I was so young. (for me, young or not is not a matter of age, but rather the experience and feeling)

Although I am now away from New Zealand temporarily, I am already starting to miss New Zealand’s fresh air, farms, hiking trails, snow mountains, sausage roll, my horse ‘honey’ (though I always think its size was too small for me). Surprisingly, I even miss my jobs although it had caused me much tears.

 

If You Got It… 🛫

If you have the chance to stay in New Zealand, be grateful and appreciate every moment in New Zealand including the downfalls, for that it may be the most beautiful memories of your lifetime.

If you have received two job offers, choose the one that you can give the most instead of the one gives you the most.

If you have met someone who you really like, please let him/her know – adding Facebook and sending messages are not enough. Because if you let it goes, you may not have the chance to meet the person again. Who knows what will happen? At least you tried… If he tried, maybe our life is different today.

Do not wait. Sometimes when you miss the chance, it may be forever.

Just do it. Life is short, why think too much? Be brave. 🙂

 

Working Holiday Visa for Malaysian in 2017 🔖

Yesterday someone told me that the application will re-open on 25 Jan (the initial open date was 20 Jan). It was very unusual. Does that mean the application is full or the website is just experiencing technical issues? I don’t know. But if it was me who wanted to apply this year, I will try again. It just depends on how much you want it.

The New Zealand working holiday visa is getting harder to apply each year for Malaysian. It was easy back in 2012, but now there are too many people applying the visa (the quota is only 1150 people each year).

In the past, it was easy to get the visa but hard to find information. Today, you can get all the information online and consult many ex-WHers (to make your life easier in NZ), but it is so difficult to apply the working holiday visa. Many of them woke up before 5 am to apply, yet did not even have the chance to fill up the application form. It must be very disappointing to see the application status changed from “Open” to “Close”.

I am glad that I came to New Zealand at the most beautiful age of my life. I am extremely lucky that I found a good job so I was able to travel to 20 countries in last year with the money I earned in New Zealand. And most importantly, I met my love in New Zealand. This country has given me so much. I can’t express how much I love New Zealand.

If you are so lucky enough to get the working holiday visa, enjoy your time in New Zealand. You won’t regret it. 🙂

 

Update @ Feb 2017 ‼️

The NZ Immigration deferred the application date of Working Holiday Visa for Malaysian twice to 25 Jan and 10 Feb 2017 respectively. Many people posted the successful application on Facebook on the latter date. I feel happy for them. 🙂

The application status from the official NZ Immigration website – click to enlarge the image

By the way, this is the first year that NZ Immigration close the visa application temporarily and re-open at the same year (historically the status was only ‘open’ and ‘close’ when it reached quota). Maybe this is because of the new NZ immigration website which was just renovated in 2016.

However, many people were disappointed and gave up when the NZ Immigration announced to close the application temporarily, so they missed the opportunity. Therefore, the important lesson is: never give up trying because chance favours the prepared mind.

 

My Blog Posts About New Zealand ⭐️

I wrote many blog posts about New Zealand before. Here are some of the popular posts:

• New Zealand is the Most Unexpected Journey in My Life
• New Zealand Working Holiday Visa for Malaysian in 2016
• How to work and live in New Zealand permanently