Working Holiday Visa to Canada
The Working Holiday Program provides an excellent opportunity for people between 18 and 35 (depending on country of origin) to explore Canada, and experience what life in the country has to offer.
On a Working Holiday visa, you can choose to travel to Canada and engage in short-term work or internships to supplement your travel expenses. This helps young people not only explore Canada, but also gain valuable Canadian work experience, and earn money while vacationing.
Canada is an extremely diverse country, and temporary employment can be unique to particular provinces and regions. For example, if you are interested in skiing, the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia and Alberta, or the Laurentians in Quebec would be the best choices.
If you are interested in working and holidaying in a large urban environment with room to explore, then Toronto or Montreal would be two excellent choices.
Working in Canada
Every year, over 90,000 foreign workers enter Canada to work temporarily to help Canadian employers address skill shortages. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) ensure that these workers will support economic growth in Canada and create more opportunities for all Canadian job seekers.
Work Permit
In almost all cases, you must have a valid work permit to work in Canada. These steps must be followed before you apply for a work permit:
- An employer must first offer you a job.
- HRSDC must normally provide a labour market opinion or "confirmation" of your job offer. However, some types of work are exempt from this process.
- After HRSDC confirms that a foreign national may fill the job, you apply to CIC for your work permit.
Temporary workers must also meet the requirements that apply to all temporary residents in order to come to Canada. Find out what you must do before working in Canada.