The working holiday visa to Canada gives young people between the age of 18 and 35 the opportunity to work in Canada for a year or two.
If you are a student, foreign worker or just a citizen of certain countries, and you meet these visa requirements, you can apply for an opportunity to work in Canada for up to two years.
The Canadian government designed this program for visiting youths who would like a Canadian work experience. So, if a Canadian work experience would look good on your CV, then the Canadian working holiday visa is for you.
The visa is relatively easy to obtain, provided you meet the minimum age requirement and can provide proof of citizenship, residence in your country of origin. Also, you shouldn’t have any criminal and medical issues that would cause inadmissibility.
What are the Other Requirements of the Working Holiday Visa in Canada?
First of all, it’s important to note that this visa is not available to all countries. Also, there are differences in age requirements.
Therefore, go through this list to see if your country is eligible and the specific age requirement.
| Country | Age Requirement | Country | Age Requirement |
| Australia | 18 – 30 | Korea, Rep. | 18 – 30 |
| Belgium | 18 – 30 | Latvia | 18 – 35 |
| Chile | 18 – 30 | Lithuania | 18 – 35 |
| Czech Republic | 18 – 35 | Mexico | 18 – 29 |
| Costa Rica | 18 – 35 | Netherlands | 18 – 30 |
| Croatia | 18 – 35 | New Zealand | 18 – 35 |
| Denmark | 18 – 35 | Norway | 18 – 35 |
| Estonia | 18 – 35 | Poland | 18 – 35 |
| France | 18 – 35 | Slokavia | 18 – 35 |
| Germany | 18 – 35 | Slovenia | 18 – 35 |
| Greece | 18 – 35 | Spain | 18 – 35 |
| Hong Kong | 18 – 30 | Sweden | 18 – 30 |
| Ireland | 18 – 35 | Taiwan | 18 – 35 |
| Italy | 18 – 35 | Ukraine | 18 – 35 |
| Japan | 18 – 30 | United Kingdom | 18 – 30 |
The other requirements for the visa are as follows:
- Possess a clean criminal record (the Canadian Immigration Authority will go through your criminal history for any major convictions or restrictions from entering foreign countries)
- Give proof of adequate funds (C$2,500) enough to support yourself while in the country.
- Have a return ticket or enough funds to purchase one
- Go through additional medical tests if you want to work in the health services field occupations, teaching or childcare, primary or secondary school.
- Provide biometrics (a photo and fingerprints) if you are a citizen of the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
How to Apply for the Holiday Working Visa in Three Steps
STEP 1: Check if you are Eligible
Is your country eligible for the Canadian holiday working visa? (refer to the table above) Are you within the age range stipulated for your country? Do you have a clean criminal record? Do you have all the required documents?
These are some of the questions you should ask yourself before commencing your visa application, but you can make sure it is much easier than getting a high Canada CRS score, which is a crucial part of the Express Entry process.
STEP 2: Create an IEC Profile and Submit to the Pool
Once you can confirm that you are eligible, the next thing to do is create an IEC profile. If you have applied for a Canadian visa before and already have a CIC account, you can still use it for this application.
After signing up, follow the prompts for ‘Working Holiday’ or ‘International Experience Canada’. Fill the provided form with all the required information accurately. You’d be given 60 days to complete the form but try to finish as soon as possible.
Once you’ve completed all the sections of the form, hit the submit button to get into the pool.
STEP 3: Wait for Invitation
For now, your part is done, and all you have to do is wait. There would be a draw that takes place at regular intervals. Only those selected in the draws would get invitations to apply for a visa.
Note that each country has a limit on the number of candidates that are selected. See the number of candidates allocated to your country here.
Conclusion
Due to the pandemic, the 2019/2020 IEC application was suspended in March 2020 and later closed officially in November.
However, it was announced on the 24th of February 2021 that some pools for the 2021 IEC open on the 1st of March. Hence, you can now send in your applications for the 2021 Canadian working holiday visa.
Visit the IEC website for more helpful information.
