The Work and Holiday Visa is always one of the most coveted visas in countries like Canada. Why? Well, because it offers you the chance to work and study during your stay in Canada. However, to be able to get the Working Holiday Visa for Canada, you must meet some minimum requirements. If you succeed, it could be one of the most fun years of your life, which is why we’ll give you all the information you need to start planning your stay in Canada.
Please do not hesitate to write to us whenever you’d like. If you still don’t have a good grasp of English and would like to apply for this visa to study in Canada, let us know and we will walk you through the whole process. It’s that easy!
What is the and Holiday Visa?
The Work and Holiday Visa is a visa offered by the Canadian government that permits young international people to stay in the country for 1 year, although there is the option of extending your stay through other visa options. Once your working holiday visa is approved, you have 1 year to activate it. You will be authorized to work in Canada for 1 year from the date you activate the visa.
The main advantage of having the Working Holiday Visa is that if you decide to travel to Canada to take a language course, you will also be legally authorized to work during your stay.
If you prefer to travel with a student visa, remember that to work legally in the country as a student, you will have to enroll in higher education courses courses, which requires a fairly high level of English or French.
How Does the Work and Holiday Visa Work in Canada?
The number of Working Holiday Visas being issued by the Canadian government is limited. Once you have applied for the Canadian Working Holiday visa, all you have to do is wait for confirmation that your application was selected from the draw.
The visa application process for this particular visa consists of enrolling in a draw that the Canadian government opens on January 17, 2022. If you meet all the necessary requirements, your application will join the other qualifying candidates’ applications in what is known as a pool. A very important requirement is to be fully vaccinated.
If you are not vaccinated, you will need to submit a job offer to enter Canada. You will not receive an invitation until you have sent the job offer to Immigration.
Updated January 14, 2022:
Canada will be accepting applications for the Working Holiday Visa as of January 17, 2022. You can read all the information here.
Entering Canada as a Student
Canada allows international students to enter the country. You could be in Canada in no time.
We suggest that you simply: enter the country first with a student visa of student, since Canada allows you to hold both a Student Visa and a Working Holiday Visa simultaneously. Once you complete the course, you will be able to activate your Working Holiday Visa, since by then, you will surely have a job.
With a student visa, you can work 20 hours a week while taking the theoretical part of a Vocational Training course, and full time during the co-op (practical part of the course), if it is a course requirement.
What study options are there in Canada?
There are options for all preferences and budgets. In order to legally work in Canada, it is necessary to take course that’s at least 6 months long. The cheapest ones range between $4,000 and $7,000 Canadian dollars.
What benefits can you get with this alternative that we recommend?
- You will have the opportunity to quickly start practicing the language and improve your language skills, while adding value to your professional profile.
- Once the course is over, you will already know the country, you will have contacts, and you will have done a lot of networking. By the time you by activate the Working Holiday Visa, you will be able to take much better advantage of the working conditions of this visa from the date of activation.
How should the Working Holiday Visa for Canada be activated?
The weather happens flying Y plus when tea you find living a experience What is abroad. When you least expect it, your student visa will be ready from Finalize Y you can Activate your Working holidays visa . But careful, because for activate it you will have what go out from Canada.
Time flies, especially when you find yourself living an experience like this abroad. Before you know it, your student visa will be about to end, and it will be time to activate your Working Holiday visa. Plan ahead, as you will have to leave Canada in order to activate your visa.
Benefits of getting the Working holidays Visa for Canada
- It allows you to study and work for the duration of your stay in the country. You can take any course up to six months long. This visa is compatible with language courses. If you want to work while perfecting the language, this is your visa!
- You will be able to work full time, if you wish. Other visas limit the hours you can legally work within the country, but not this one!
- 1-year permit to stay in Canada. This visa grants you permission to leave and enter the country as you wish throughout your 12-month stay. In addition, depending on your nationality, you may be able to opt for another type of visa that is included in the International Experience Canada.
Limited visas and nationalities for the Working Holiday for Canada
As we have already mentioned, there is a limited number of Working Holiday Visas that the Canadian government will issue. In addition, the only way to obtain the Working Holiday in Canada is to apply for the visa and wait to see if you have been chosen in the draw.
Unfortunately, not everyone is eligible for these visas. At this time, the only Spanish-speaking countries that have open processes to apply for this visa are Spain, Chile, Costa Rica and Andorra. Also, keep in mind that, unless you come from Chile, you will only be able to apply for this visa once
Although these restrictions might change in the future, these are currently the only nationalities with which Canada has signed mobility agreements to promote cultural exchange between young people.
If you have a passport or nationality from one of these countries and wish to study and work in Canada, we suggest that you start the application process as soon as possible, since there is a very limited quantity of these highly demanded visas.
If you have any questions, you can check the Canadian government’s offiicial website. Simply enter your nationality and the type of visa for which you would like to apply.
Requirements to apply for a Working Holiday Visa for Canada:
- At the time of processing the visa you must be between 18 and 35 years old.
- Not have any dependents under your care. You cannot have dependent children during your stay in the country. Nor will not be able to apply for a partner visa.
- Have a valid passport. You not onlyneed your passport to be valid when you arrive in Canada. To avoid unnecessary paperwork and travel, we suggest that you renew your passport just before starting your trip, if your passport is a few months away from expiration. You can avoid having go to an embassy in your country or needing to apply for another type of visa if you travel with a recently renewed passport
- Justify sufficient financial funds. To apply for this visa, you will be asked to provide a bank statement that shows you have a minimum of $2,500 Canadian dollars. In addition, you must also prove that you have the necessary funds to buy a plane ticket back to your home country when your permit expires.
- Health insurance. This is a mandatory requirement to obtain the visa. When you enter the country, you will be asked to show documentation that proves that you have taken out private medical insurance that will cover your entire stay in the country. Normally, health insurance companies offer several policies with different rates reflect the amount of coverage provided. Take a good look at what is covered under the insurance policy you select.
- Curriculum vitae. You must have a resume in English or French and in Canadian format, i.e. without including your photo, nationality, age, etc.
- Digital photograph. You will need a 45mm x 35mm color photograph to apply for the visa.
- Family Information. During the application process, you will have to complete a form with questions about your family.
- Criminal record. Don’t worry! We already know that you don’t have a criminal record, but this is a standard question if you have lived in another country for more than 6 months. If, for example, you have been living in Australia, you must submit this online application
- Biometrics. Taking your fingerprints and photograph. This can only be done in designated offices.
- Pay for the visa. Remember that this visa costs $250 CAD, plus $85 CAD for biometrics.
Application: Step by step
- First of all you, must make sure that you can apply for the visa to venture into Canada. When you follow the link, you must click on check your eligibility and answer a series of questions about your intentions in Canada and your country of residence.
- Open a profile on the visa application page. To do this, you must accept the terms and conditions, and create a username and password for this profile.
- Create an account. Once you have created a profile with a username and password, you must enter your personal data, choose 4 security questions to access the account, and accept all the terms and conditions that will appear throughout the process.
- You’re done! You will receive an email confirmation and your MyCIC account will be updated. Now you only have to wait. Once the confirmation is received, you will have 10 days to reject or accept it.
Status of Canada Working Holiday Visa Applications in 2022
This year’s registrations are now open. We suggest you check the current status on the official website:
- Spain: 800 places.
- Chile: They will make the announcement soon here.
- Costa Rica: 80 places.
- Andorra: 25 places.
After a year of adventure, what if you want to extend your stay?
Well, you are in luck, since the requirements to request an extension of your stay are not too demanding. All you’ll have to do is opt for another cultural exchange program offered by the Canadian government.
In order to stay, you have to prove that you have a job offer that will help you develop professionally, and agree to work exclusively for this employer for the entire extra year that you will stay in Canada.
For these cases, the Canadian government has a program called Young Professional Visa. So if 1 year was too little for you, you can request another.
If you are thinking of traveling to Canada with the Working Holiday Visa and wish to take an English or French course, we can help you find the best course for you. If you don’t get approved for this visa this year, we will help you apply for a student visa, with which you can work while you take a vocational training course.Contact us
