Working Holiday Visa

If you intend to apply for a Working Holiday Visa Program (WHP), here is some information about the terms and conditions of this exchange program.

If you want to acquire working experience in Canada, you can apply for the Visa Working Holiday Program (WHV). This will allow you to work for any employer in any Canadian province. It is an agreement on youth mobility signed by many countries with the Canadian government in order to further facilitate travel between the two countries, while making the process simpler.

Foreign students as well as Canadians students wishing to undertake part of their university studies in another institution, and also those who want to participate in the Student Guide Program can benefit from the program. Note that the validity of the WHV will be extended to 24 months as from the 12th November 2012 following an agreement between the French and Canadian governments. This should ease exchange programs and youth mobility between the two countries.

Some of the participating countries are Australia, France, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Spain and Netherlands among others.

Get a WHV
The WHV is a temporary visa that provides the opportunity for students aged 18 to 35 years to work on the Canadian territory. This visa is part of the International Experience Canada program (IEC) which allows students to gain work experience in Canada. You do not need a job to qualify for this program. However, the program is limited to 30 years old persons in some countries. You must wait until the opening of visa by the Canadian government, usually in late November in order to apply for the visa.

The government processing fees for work permits are $150 CAD. The length of validity of the permit will vary according to your country of citizenship.

Steps to follow
Make sure you have a valid passport when you apply for the visa. You must also have proof of funds for a minimum amount of 2100 euros issued by your bank. This will help you prove that you have sufficient funds to stay in Canada and cater for your daily needs. You should consider updating your resume and attach it to your application, as well as a letter to justify your stay in Canada.

You will also need to subscribe to a health and repatriation insurance for the length of your stay. You will have to provide proof of insurance to the immigration officer upon your arrival in Canada.

You may visit the following link if you need more information about this:
www.international.gc.ca