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Focus only on your own growth.
GapYear is a time for growth and happiness.
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What is my own uncharted world?
A few weeks ago I was impressed by a film about a real British geographer who explored the jungles of South America. Titled 'The Lost City of Z,' the film shows the protagonist, Percy Fawcett, as he searches for traces of ancient human history. After a grueling journey with fellow explorers, just as they are about to finally discover evidence of a great civilization, he is unfortunately forced to return home. He loses in front of him what he had so longed for and believes he will never be able to return. But he did not give up his dream, and eventually he dies in the jungle he had dreamed of.
Everyone is naturally curious about things they have not experienced. Especially when you hear the exciting stories of close friends, relatives, or people on the internet, your heart inexplicably flutters and you imagine their stories as your own. But the gap between real experience and imagined experience can never be ignored, no matter how small or trivial the experience may be.
Possible for anyone even without impressive credentials or connections
At some point in life everyone dreams of living abroad. I, too, have longed for life overseas because I thought I could feel free and diverse cultures, broaden my perspective on the world, learn a living foreign language, and above all develop independence through challenging myself. And I discovered that there is a way to make that dream a reality before it's too late to regret.
ONLY: A self-sufficient life possible only abroad
A working holiday (Working Holiday) isa program that allows young people (aged 18–30) from countries that have concluded agreements to stay in the partner country and experience the local culture and life while combining tourism, employment, and language study.Our country currently has working holiday agreements with 20 countries and regions and has a youth mobility scheme (YMS) agreement with one country. The countries that have such agreements with our country are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, France, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy, Israel, Belgium, Chile, and the United Kingdom.
The most popular country among working holiday participants is
Australia had the largest number of working holiday participants, with 21,854 per year (as of 2016), followed by Canada with 6,151 participants per year (as of 2016). Let's take a brief look at the working holiday programs in these two countries.
Australia, the land of Aussies
Australia issues working holiday visas year-round, and there is no limit on the number of visas issued, so you can apply whenever you want and receive a visa at any time. First, on the Australian Department of Immigration website (https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Appl/Working-holiday)After applying for a visa at the above website and undergoing a medical examination at a designated clinic, the visa is issued immediately. The visa fee is AU$440 (approximately KRW 390,000). The Australian working holiday visa can be extended for one year (Second Visa) for working holiday visa holders who have worked for at least three months in specified regional areas of Australia. For details, refer to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection website ( https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/417-#) on that site, please refer to "Visa applicants – Regional areas" and "Visa applicants – Specified work".
The proportion of Koreans in Australia is relatively high compared to other regions, which makes it easier to adapt to local life, and you can use English, the official language.A notable point is that geographically it is located on the opposite side of the world from Korea (Korea in the Northern Hemisphere, Australia in the Southern Hemisphere), so the seasons are opposite. Because Christmas in Australia is in summer, you can see Santa Claus wearing a swimsuit. Australia has a higher hourly wage than Korea (AU$17.70, approximately KRW 15,000), and because dairy farming is well developed, jobs on farms, in factories, and in meat processing are abundant.
Canada, a country with a thousand faces
Canada issues 4,000 working holiday visas annually by random lottery to people who apply during the application period. (See the Canada working holiday visa application method below.) Because the application period is announced on the Canadian immigration website, it is advisable to monitor related information through community resources. After completing the application, you must upload additional documents (family relation certificate, medical examination form, criminal record check, résumé, photo, passport copy) and pay the visa fee to receive the visa.
Canada, the second-largest country in the world by area (about 45 times the Korean Peninsula), has diverse characteristics and cultures by region. Among themVancouver and Toronto have relatively high proportions of Koreans and are the most preferred regions for working holidays.Canada is called a 'mosaic' because it is a country composed of immigrants, which symbolizes respect and consideration for multiculturalism. Therefore, although the official language is English, you can encounter a variety of accents and intonations, and in some regions (Montreal, Quebec) the other official language, French, is used. Vancouver has a mild climate year-round and frequent rain, while Toronto has four seasons like Korea but with lower average temperatures and a relatively longer winter. Vancouver's hourly wage is C$10.85 (approximately KRW 9,800), and Toronto's is C$11.40 (approximately KRW 10,200), and most jobs are in service positions such as food and beverage.
* Super-easy: How to apply for a Canada working holiday visa (as of 2017)
1. Create a Personal Reference Code
On the Immigration Canada website (https://www.cic.gc.ca/ctc-vac/cometocanada.asp)
2. Create a My CIC (GCKey) account
In simple terms, this is like signing up. On the immigration website (https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/e-services/mycic.asp)and then enterSet a username (similar to an ID) and a password, and create related security questions and answers in case of loss. Create the security questions and answers required when signing in (in other words, logging in).
3. Apply for and submit an IEC Profile
While logged into the My CIC account above, click the 'Apply for IEC Profile' button and submit to complete the Canada working holiday visa application!
4. Next steps
After receiving an invitation from Immigration Canada, within 10 days choose whether to proceed with or decline the working holiday, and within 20 days upload the required documents. Pay the visa application fee (C$226, approximately KRW 200,000).
Dynamic and vibrant vs. harmonious and relaxed
Just as every choice has criteria, to decide which of these many working holiday countries to go to you need your own standards. There can be various factors such as the geographic characteristics of the countries or regions described above, the proportion of Koreans, job opportunities, and foreign languages you can use. In addition, your personal disposition or the overall atmosphere and culture of the place you want to live in can also be important criteria.
A youthful city brimming with sights and activities
If you have to choose between Australia and Canada, the two most preferred countries?If you want to enjoy a dynamic and energetic atmosphere and culture, I recommend AustraliaAustralia, chosen by many working holidaymakers, boasts mild weather year-round, and you can fully enjoy various activities across the cities—shopping, sports, culture, food, and more. Australia is also popular with tourists worldwide, and each city has a lively, energetic atmosphere. Australians have a distinctive sense of camaraderie and a laid-back personality; the word "mateship" is said to represent Australians' generous and inclusive character. Also, leisure sports that let you enjoy your free time in many ways are well developed, so you can enjoy hot air ballooning, skydiving, bungee jumping, bushwalking, surfing, yachting, beach volleyball, and more throughout the year.
Melbourne, ranked number one as the world's most livable city, surpassing Northern EuropeIn Melbourne, various festivals unfold—food, film, art, and music festivals—and you can enjoy the Great Ocean Road, famed for its world-class coastline, and watch the penguin parade on Phillip Island, a wildlife paradise. In Sydney, known as Australia's second capital, you can cross or climb the landmark Harbour Bridge to feel the thrill while taking in the magnificent views of Sydney, and you can relax or enjoy leisure sports on the beautiful sandy Bondi Beach. In the Blue Mountains, older than the Grand Canyon, you can meet koalas and kangaroos or try the unusual sport of sandboarding.
A city that preserves unspoiled natural beauty
IfIf you want to fully enjoy the beautiful landscapes and the relaxed pace of the great outdoors, I recommend CanadaCanada offers a coexistence of major cities and vast nature, so you can enjoy living nature even in the heart of downtown. In national parks with diverse natural environments you can experience glaciers and Arctic ecosystems, and in the Rocky Mountains you can admire vast, beautiful scenery while enjoying hot springs and skiing. In Yellowknife you can also view the aurora mysteriously unfolding across the night sky.
Another advantage of Canada is that it is located geographically close to places that are difficult to travel to from our country,such as the United States or South America, so you can easily and inexpensively travel to famous tourist destinations like New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Cuba, and Cancún, Mexico.You can also try the unique experience of traveling across the border by bus.
Vancouver has a mild climate year-round, and convenient living facilities harmonize with nature. There are abundant natural attractions such as Stanley Park, English Bay, Capilano Canyon, and Grouse Mountain, and you can enjoy various activities like trekking and skiing. In downtown Vancouver you can feel a relaxed atmosphere where the old and the new blend exquisitely, such as Granville Island, which rose from former factory areas to become an arts hub, and Gastown, where a steam clock emits steam. In Toronto, Canada’s number one city, there is the special fun of watching ice hockey—the national sport—or MLB baseball games in person. Near Toronto you can admire beautiful natural scenery such as Niagara Falls, one of the world’s three great waterfalls, Algonquin Provincial Park, and the Thousand Islands in Kingston. At St. Lawrence Market, the Distillery District, and Kensington Market you can feel traces of time and history.
What it means to be a working holidaymaker
Living abroad for a year as a working holidaymaker is not easy. Living as a stranger in an unfamiliar land can give you a sense of liberation and freedom, but you may sometimes feel lonely because there is no one to rely on, and adapting to unfamiliar languages and cultures consumes a lot of energy. You have to pound the pavement to find a place to live and work and be mindful of others, and you must summon the courage to approach new friends first. What is clear is that all of this is an opportunity to gain life lessons and wisdom that cannot be bought with money and cannot be learned at any school. Whatever the choice, the value of the experience it brings is something special that those who have not experienced it themselves can never enjoy.
About three years ago around this time, I left for a working holiday in Toronto, Canada. My younger brother, who majored in German language and literature, went to Hamburg, Germany for a working holiday the following year. Looking back, among the people I know there are as many as eight who went to Australia for a working holiday; there is a friend currently enjoying working holiday life in Heidelberg, Germany; and there is a younger sibling who, following my advice, is preparing to go to Toronto, Canada for a working holiday this December. It shows that anyone can take on the challenge whenever they set their mind to it. How long will you live with only fantasies about an unknown world you haven't visited?How long will you keep blaming circumstances you weren't given and hoping someone else will provide everything? Go pursue your dreams yourself!If you earnestly wish for it and add a bit of luck, you can definitely experience whatever you want.
by Editor Bora
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