For parents and guardians

Note: if your child has booked onto a specific program, it’s best to check the program page for specific inclusions and timelines. This is a rough guide on what they can expect.

When your young person goes to pay their deposit, they will create an online JENZA account. This will have all the information they need about their trip – key dates for visa application, payment deadlines, travel documents needed.

Depending on the program booked, we will sort out the visa for your child or guide them through the process. An advisor will be on-hand any time should they want to talk. When the visa is approved and program payments made, we will agree arrival dates and your child can book flights.

Before flying there will be an online pre-departure orientation to help your child get ready for their trip and ask any final questions. Depending on the program booked, there may also be hiring events and job support should your child want to explore options before arrival.

Depending on the program booked, your child may get an airport transfer to accommodation on arrival. If that’s not part of the package, we can suggest options.

If they’re on a working holiday, we will include arrival orientation when they land, which can include job workshops, accommodation advice, bank and tax number setup, social resources for meeting people – everything they need to start finding their feet in a new country. Please check the specific program page for more detailed inclusions.

Internships don’t include arrival orientations but we do include plenty of resources and options for regular checkins from our team on the ground to ensure their placement and training plan is on track.

You know your child best so talk with them about how they want to be supported while they’re out there. They will tell you how often they want to be sent photos of Auntie Margaret’s sunburn. Let them know you're available to talk but avoid putting too much pressure on them to call home regularly.

They may appreciate you helping with their travel insurance policy before travelling, checking the terms are valid for their trip. If they're open to it, keep a copy of the insurance at home, along with any other important documents, just in case they can't access them abroad.

All of our programs have a 24/7 emergency line that will help your child in an emergency.

Process??

This will depend on the program and destination.

For example, Australian Immigration requires you to have at least AUD $5,000 to enter the country. Cost of living can be high in Australia and this gives them a safety net while looking for jobs.

Different countries have different policies but it's worth looking into the cost of living abroad and budgeting for expected weekly costs. Where there is no pre-arranged job, we will help them find a job as quickly as possible, but it's important to have some savings to help fund the first few weeks.

We advise young people to get an eSIM before travelling. This is something you can set up before you go and it will allow them to tell you when they've landed, order a taxi from the airport, find their first night accommodation – all with a pre-arranged plan and minimal fuss.

If they're staying away for six months or more, it probably does make sense for them to get a local number. They will be able to decide what's best for them.

This will depend on the program and destination.

It will need to cover the full duration of their trip, all countries on the itinerary and all expected activities. A comprehensive travel insurance is essential so it's worth doing a bit of research.

This will depend on the program and destination.

Many of our programs come with pre-arranged accommodation for the first few days or more. This gives them a chance to meet other people on the same experience, who then go on to being flatmates. We can advise the best places to find accommodation and what areas are popular with young people on working holidays.

There are risks to travelling, of course, but we make sure your young person is not going it alone. Through pre-departure orientations, arrival weeks and ongoing support, we foster a community of young people all sharing the same experience.

Whether they're on a working holiday in Japan or an Internship in the USA, they will make friends quickly and we will help with all admin, so they don't need to worry about navigating a new country on their own.

It depends on where they're going – check the weather, make sure they're prepared for the extremes. For example, if heading to Canada for a year, they'll want warm winter socks and summer swimwear. If they're planning on buying ski equipment out there, just make sure they've budgeted for that.

Other useful things to pack could be a lightweight powerbank, First Aid Kit, secure day bag. But tell them to leave room for all the goodies they'll bring you on the return trip!