Work and Leisure Goes Hand-in-Hand with Canada Working Holiday Visa

The International Experience Canada is a program designed for those who want to travel to Canada and work there during their period of travel.

One of the visa programs under the IEC is the Working Holiday Visa. It’s a part of the IEC that’s available to nationals of 34 nations. These nations have a YMA (Youth Mobility Arrangement) drawn consensually with Canada.

The Working Holiday Visa is an open work permit issued with a temporary validity for a period from 12 to 24 months. The validity of the visa depends on the visa holder’s country of origin.

If you are a young adventurous traveler wanting to work part-time while traveling in Canada, this visa is a great choice to make. This visa is ideal for those who are yet to settle in a career and is keen to experience some opportunities abroad.

With a Canada Working Holiday Visa, you can earn money that will help you to meet your expenses of traveling in Canada and your stay there.

Also, if you are looking for Canadian work experience, taking a Work Holiday Visa is a great choice to make. Your Canadian experience will improve your career goals while you get to experience diverse cultural backgrounds in Canada.

Are You Eligible to Apply for a Working Holiday Visa?

If you are a citizen of any of the following countries, you may apply for a Working Holiday Visa:

Australia
Chile
Czech Republic
France
Hong Kong
Japan
Lithuania
Netherlands
Poland
Slovakia
Sweden
Ukraine
Austria
Costa Rica
Denmark
Germany
Ireland
Korea
Luxembourg
New Zealand
Portugal
Slovenia
Switzerland
The UK
Belgium
Croatia
Estonia
Greece
Italy
Latvia
Mexico
Norway
San Marino
Spain
Taiwan

To participate in the visa program:

your territory or country of which you are a citizen must have drawn an agreement with Canada that lets you apply for an IEC work permit or
you could use an RO (Recognized Organization)

It will also be necessary for you to meet the requirements of eligibility for your territory or country of which you are a citizen as well as the pool you’re filing an application for.

There are few countries that let their citizens participate in this program only once. Few others let you participate 2 times, in different pools. It’s up to you to check your eligibility according to your country.

Even in case you are issued an ITA (Invitation to Apply), you can’t take part in the program any more times than allowed by your country.

Eligibility of Dependents

Under the IEC program, your dependants can’t accompany you to Canada. They may file separate applications for a Canada study visa or Canada visit visa.

Scope of Canada Working Holiday Visa

It has to be noted that owing to travel restrictions currently in force in Canada, candidates applying for Working Holiday Visa must provide proof of a job offer deemed valid to get an ITA for the 2021 season.

You can fund your vacation with temporary work done during your travel in Canada. You can:

Work for more than one Canadian employer
Work in more than one location in Canada

Procedure to Apply

It’s mandatory that you have to receive an ITA from IRCC to be eligible to apply for a Working Holiday Visa under IEC. From the date you accept an ITA, you have 20 days to file an application for the Working Holiday Visa.

Step 1: Complete the online application form

Fill in all mandatory fields in the form.
Give true and complete answers to all questions.
Never leave a gap in time when mentioning your work and educational history.
Give the necessary information about your job offer

Step 2: Collect and submit all required documents

The documents required include:

Proof of financial support
Results of medical examination done by a doctor approved by IRCC
Health insurance with sufficient coverage, taken before you arrive in Canada
Police certificate
CV/Resume
A valid passport
Digital photo
Family Information (IMM 5707) form completed

Step 3: Pay the fees

IEC participation form of CAD156
Biometric fee (if biometrics is required to be submitted)
Open Work Permit holder fee of CAD 100

Step 4: Submit the completed application

Application Processing

The standard time for processing the application is 8 weeks. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, applications may not be processed normally. Hence, no accurate processing dates can be provided as of now.