Working Holiday Visa For Canada

What is Canadian Working Holiday Visa

Working Holiday Visa for Canada provides an exciting opportunity to work and travel overseas. You can work part-time, explore the Great White North and live in some of the best cities of the world like Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. International Experience Canada (IEC) provides the young to boost their resume with international work and travel experience and an experience to remember.

Working Holiday Visa is part of the International Mobility Program which allows Canadian employers hire international workers on a temporary basis. Like other Working Holiday Visa programs, Working Holiday Canada Visa is a temporary open work permit which means

  • you don't need a job offer beforehand to apply for the visa
  • you can work with more than one employer
This visa is quite popular among young travelers and you need to be aged 18-35 to be eligible for Working Visa Holiday Canada.
NOTE: The age cut-off for certain countries is 30 years.

Who Can Apply for the Working Holiday Visa Canada?

Following are minimum eligibility requirement.

  • A valid passport from an eligible country
  • Age between 18-35 years (the cut-off is 30 years for certain countries)
  • No dependents
  • $2, 500 to cover initial expenses
  • Round-trip ticket or enough funds to cover one
  • Health insurance for the duration of stay

Note that above are minimum requirements to be eligible and does not guarantee that you will be invited to apply for Canadian Working Holiday Visa.

Eligible countries

Many countries like Australia, Austria, France, Ireland, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom have agreements with Canada under International Mobility Program. Passport holders of following countries are eligible in the International Experience Canada (IEC) program.

How to apply for Working Holiday Visa for Canada

Canadian Working Holiday Visa is an extremely popular visa amongst young travelers and has fixed quota for each country per year. Assuming you have met the eligibility, you need to go through the following steps:

  • Step 1: Create an online profile where you will be asked eligibility-based questions. After submitting the profile, you will be in a pool with other candidates from your country.
  • Step 2: This is followed by a draw and you wait for an Invitation to Apply (ITA). With a bit of luck once you receive ITA, you need to complete the profile within 10 days.
  • Step 3: Lastly, you must submit the application for Working Holiday Visa for Canada within 20 days of ITA.

Click here to learn more and apply for Work and travel in Canada with IEC

Since there is strict and limited quota for most countries, it is imperative that you submit your profile as soon as possible. For example, the United Kingdom has a quota of 5000 for 2021 and by the time you apply only 4000 spots may be available. If you are passport holder of former Commonwealth countries like Australia, then you are in luck as there is no quota or cap limit.

Make sure to check your emails frequently to know if you have received Invitation To Apply as you only have a fixed number of days within which to submit your application.

Documents and evidence required for visa application

The Working Holiday Visa for Canada is relatively straightforward compared to other some other visas.

  • you are required to upload a photograph
  • furnish police certificates from all the countries where you have spent more than 6 months since your 18th birthday
  • you may also be required to provide biometric data, including electronic fingerprints at a designated location in your home country

Coming to Canada on a Working Holiday Visa

You should receive an outcome on your Visa application within 4-6 of weeks of submission. After receiving your Visa and before coming to Canada, it is important to keep the following documents in order

  • Print Out of the Visa Confirmation Letter - you should be able to print this from the website where you created your profile
  • Proof of health insurance and it must be valid for the whole duration of stay
  • Original copies of the police certificates
  • Proof of funds to be able to support yourself
  • A return ticket or sufficient funds to be able to buy one
In general, keep a copy of all the documents that were required for submitting the Working Holiday Visa application.

Where can I work in a Canada while on a Working Holiday Visa?

Since Working Holiday Visa is an open work permit, you are free to work for any employer in Canada. Canada is a big country and depending upon the time of the year, there is a lot of seasonal work in Canada in regions. During the summer months, there is a lot of requirements for temporary staff at the large outdoor resorts for summer activities. Example, summer camp guides and instructors.

In the winter, Ski resorts are a mecca of activities and offer instructor positions or hotel work;

Or during fall, there is massive harvesting going on in farms and ranches in regions like Ontario which have heavy fruit growing industries.

How long is Working Holiday Visa valid for?

Working Holiday Visa is valid for 12 to 24 months (23 months for former Commonwealth countries).

If you do not have a Working Holiday Visa and instead are looking to just travel in Canada, then you will need to apply for eTA Canada Visa. You can read about Canada eTA Types here.

Check your eligibility for eTA Canada Visa and apply for eTA Canada Visa 72 hours in advance of your flight. Singapore citizens, Australian citizens, Spanish citizens, and Lithuanian citizens can apply online for eTA Canada Visa. Should you need any help or require any clarifications you should contact our helpdesk for support and guidance.

eTA Canada Application