Applying for a Working Holiday Visa for Canada
Did you know, you can qualify for a working holiday visa this year? Canada working holiday visa is a temporary resident permit that allows immigrants to work or study in Canada for a period of two years without having to go through the rigorous procedure of finding work sponsorship or obtaining admission prior to applying for a visa.
Applicants can submit an application for a working holiday visa through the International Experience Class Program. International Experience Class provides an opportunity to work, live, and gain some Canadian work experience in Canada. The duration of stay depends on the status and class of visa that you have received.
How to obtain a Working Holiday Visa for Canada
It is essential to mention that if you want to get a working holiday visa, you must meet certain requirements such as: ·
The passport should be valid for 6 months beyond your return date from Canada.
You must have an interest in learning about Canadian culture and society, even if you do not intend to apply for any further immigration programs in Canada.
You must not have resided in Canada before or be currently residing in Canada.
You must not have worked or studied in Canada before or since obtaining your student visa. · You must have adequate health insurance coverage while in Canada.
How to apply for Working Holiday Visa?
Applicants can apply for the working holiday visa by applying online at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/iec/wv/apply.asp or they can visit their nearest immigration office for guidance.
The whole process takes 3-4 months and it involves various steps such as submitting all required documents, including proof of medical insurance, paying the applicable fee, providing biometrics, filling up form W8BEN-G with complete information about yourself, etc.
It is vital to note that applicants are also required to provide a police certificate along with other documentation if they are intending to travel by land from one province to another in Canada. It is worth mentioning that those intending to travel by air are not required to provide any police certificate as per the new policy introduced by the Government of Canada.
However, those who wish to enter Canada via air will be required to submit a police certificate and some other documents along with a passport at their nearest airport office. There are several criteria that an applicant has to fulfill in order to get this type of visa. Some of them are: ·
The minimum age should be 18 years for most programs and 20 years for Quebec’s specific programs. In case you are traveling on a youth mobility program, you must be between the ages of 18-30 years old at the time of arrival.
All applications should be submitted through authorized representatives only. If you choose to do so on your own, you may face delays and increased chances of rejection.
Applications must be accompanied by proper documentary proof that will support your application and clearly show your interest in going on a working holiday in Canada. This could be either proof of work experience a student’s degree or a letter from your university stating that you have secured an employment offer or financial support to study in Canada.
Your application will be evaluated based on whether or not you meet the requirement set by the Government of Canada for each province and territory. Visit the official website for further details on Canadian working holiday visa requirements and criteria.
Can I get a working holiday visa if I am already working in Canada?
The rules governing the issue of working holiday visas differ depending on which province or territory you wish to work in. Working holiday visas can be granted only if you are under the age of 30, have no more than 12 months left on your current passport, are planning to travel alone, and do not plan to extend your stay beyond six months.
If you already have a job offer from a Canadian employer, then you may apply for a working holiday visa without needing to return to your home country first. However, this option is not available to citizens of India.
Also, this method will not work if you wish to work in Quebec or New Brunswick. Visit the official website for further details on Canadian working holiday visa requirements and criteria. How do I get a working holiday visa? For most Canadians, obtaining a working holiday visa is easy.
First, check with your provincial government website to see if they require any other documentation before processing your application.
Next, contact the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate in your home country and provide them with the required documents.
Lastly, once you receive a confirmation letter from the embassy or consulate, visit their website to complete the online application form. You will then be contacted with further instructions and required documents for processing your application. Visit the official website for further details on Canadian working holiday visa requirements and criteria.
How much does a working holiday visa for Canada cost?
There is no fee for applying for a working holiday visa, although many international student exchanges charge an application fee to process their applications. In some cases, applicants may also be required to pay a health assessment fee or cover certain costs associated with obtaining their health coverage in Canada.
It is important to keep in mind that exchange programs are responsible for collecting these fees from their student participants. This means that there is no cost to apply for a working holiday visa for Canada. However, exchange programs often add additional charges to the tuition fees of students participating in their programs.
It is important to note that some exchange programs may require participants to pay extra fees and submit specific documents before receiving their grants. This information can be found on each program’s website.
Eligible Countries to apply for a working holiday visa are as follows:
A citizen of a country listed in one of the countries below can apply for a working holiday visa to Canada: Argentina Australia Belgium Brazil Chile Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Hong Kong Ireland Israel Italy Japan New Zealand Norway Portugal South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan UK Thailand Uruguay U.S.A.