Requirements to get the Working Holiday Visa for Canada
The Working Holiday Visa is always one of the most coveted visas from countries like Canada . Why? Well, because it offers you the chance to work and study during your stay in Canada. However, you must meet certain minimum requirements in order to obtain the Working Holiday Visa for Canada.
If you get it, it could be one of the most fun years of your life, that’s why we give you all the information you need to start planning your stay in Canada.
And do not hesitate to write to us whenever you need it. If you still do not get along very well with English and would like to study with this visa, send us a signal and we will accompany you throughout the entire process. That’s easy!
What is the Working Holiday Visa?
The Working Holiday Visa is a visa offered by the Canadian government to international youth to stay in the country for one year , although there is the possibility of extending your stay through another mobility program. You have 1 year from when they give it to you to activate it and then you will have 1 year of work permit.
The main advantage of the Working Holiday Visa is that, if you want to go to Canada to study a language course , you will be able to work without problems.
If you prefer to travel with the Student visa, remember that to work legally in the country, as a student, you will have to enroll in higher education courses , which in turn requires a fairly high level of English or French.
How does the Working Holiday 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 the invitation to arrive if you have been chosen in the draw.
The visa application system consists of registering for the lottery that the Canadian government opens on January 17, 2022. If you meet the requirements, you will enter the pool of candidates known as the 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.
Entering Canada as a student
Canada allows the entry of international students and you could be planted in the country in a jiffy.
What we advise you is very easy: you can enter the country first with a student visa, since by doing this the Working Holiday would not be cancelled, but would remain in force (Canada allows you to apply for a study permit and the Working Holiday Visa the time). Once the course is over, you will be able to activate your Working Holiday visa, since by then, you will surely have a job.
Regarding the working conditions with the student visa, you will be able to work 20 hours a week studying a Vocational Training course during the theoretical part of the course and full time during the co-op (practical part of the course) if the course includes it.
What study options are there in Canada?
There are options for all tastes and pockets. To be able to work legally, it is necessary to study a course of at least 6 months duration and 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 start practicing the language and improve it as soon as possible and, in addition, it will add value to your professional profile.
- Once the course is over, by activating the Working Holiday, you will already know the country, you will have contacts, and you will have done a lot of networking. Therefore, you will be able to take much better advantage of the working conditions of this visa from the beginning.
How should the Working Holiday Visa for Canada be activated?
Time flies and more when you find yourself living an experience like this abroad. By the time you least expect it, your student visa will be about to end and you will be able to activate your Working Holiday visa. But be careful, because to activate it you will have to leave Canada.
The best of the Working Holiday Visa for Canada
- It allows you to study and work during your stay in the country . You can study any course of up to six months duration. This visa is compatible with language courses. If you want to work and perfect a language , this is your visa!
- You can work full time, if you wish . Other visas limit the hours you can legally work within the country, not this one!
- One year permit to stay in Canada . They will grant you twelve months of stay in which you can leave and enter the country when you need it. In addition, depending on your nationality, you may be eligible for other types of visas that are included in the International Experience Canada.
Limit of visas and nationalities for the Working Holiday for Canada
As we have already mentioned, the number of Working Holiday Visas that the Canadian government is issuing is limited.
In addition, the only possibility of obtaining the Working Holiday in Canada is by applying for the visa and waiting for the invitation to arrive if you have been chosen in the lottery .
Unfortunately, not everyone is eligible for these visas. Right now, 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 except if you come from Chile, you can only apply for this visa once.
This does not mean that these restrictions will not change in the future, but for now, for the year 2022, these are the nationalities with which Canada has signed mobility agreements to promote cultural exchange between young people.
If you have a nationality or passport from one of these countries and you want to study and work in Canada, we recommend that you start the process as soon as possible, since the available visas are running out and there is a great demand.
If you have any questions, you can consult it on the official page of the Canadian government. You will only have to enter your nationality and the type of visa you would like to apply for.
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 , both inclusive.
- Do not have dependents in your charge . You cannot have dependent children during your stay in the country. You will also not be able to apply for a partner visa.
- Valid passport . Not only do you need your passport to be valid when you arrive in Canada . To save paperwork and travel, we recommend that, if your passport has a few months left to live, you renew it just before starting your trip. Traveling to an embassy in your country or having to obtain another type of visa are situations that you can avoid if you travel with your passport fresh from the oven.
- Justify sufficient economic funds. In the case of this visa, you will be asked to justify a minimum of 2,500 Canadian dollars through a bank statement . In addition, you must also prove that you have the necessary money to be able to buy a plane ticket back to your country when your permit expires.
- Medical insurance . It is an essential requirement to obtain a visa. When you enter the country you will be asked for documentation that proves that you have contracted this insurance. You must take out private medical insurance that covers your entire stay in the country. Normally, there are several rates and depending on them you will have more or less services covered. Take a good look at what services are included in the insurance you choose.
- Curriculum vitae. You must have a resume in English or French and in Canadian format, that is, without photograph, nationality, age, etc.
- digital photography You will need a 45mm x 35mm color photograph to apply for the visa.
- Family Information. In the application process you will have to complete a form with questions about your family.
- Criminal record. No worries! We already know that you do not have a criminal record but it is a requirement that they will ask you if you have lived more than 6 months in another country. If, for example, you have been living in Australia, you must fill out this online application .
- Biometrics. They are the taking of fingerprints and the photograph of it. It can only be done in the offices designated by Immigration .
- Pay for the visa. Remember that this visa costs $250 CAD and $85 CAD for the biometrics.
step by step request
- First of all, you must make sure that you can apply for the Visa to be able to venture into Canada. When you enter the link, you must click on “check your eligibility” and you will be asked 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 conditions and create a username and password for your profile.
- Create the account. When you have already 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 that will appear during the process.
- And ready! You will receive a confirmation email and your ‘ MyCIC ‘ account will be updated. Now you just have to wait and once you receive the confirmation you will have 10 days to reject or accept it.
Status of Working Holiday Visa applications for Canada in 2022
For now, registrations for this year are open, we recommend you check the situation on the official website:
- Spain: 800 places
- Chile: they will announce it soon here .
- Costa Rica: 80 places
- Andorra : 25 places
After a year of adventure, what if you want to stay longer?
Well, you’re in luck, since the requirements to request an extension of your stay are not too demanding. What you really have to do is apply for another cultural exchange program offered by the Canadian government.
If you want to stay, you just have to show that you have a job offer that helps you develop professionally and you must work for the same employer for the extra year you want to stay in Canada.
For these cases, the Canadian government has a program called Young Professional Visa . So if one year you knew little, you can repeat.
If you are thinking of traveling to Canada with the Working Holiday Visa and want to study an English or French course, we can help you find the best course for you.
If you do not get this visa this year, we will help you with the student visa, with which you will also be able to work at the same time that you study a professional training course.
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