Working Holiday Visa in Canada (IEC 2022)

A working holiday visa is an opportunity offered by the International Experience Canada to enable young people to work temporarily to make a living.

This offer is eligible to citizens of about thirty-five countries with consensual youth mobility arrangements with Canada.

The working holiday visa is a temporary open work permit valid for a year or two, depending on Canada’s terms with your country.

The working holiday visa is primarily beneficial for youths who have not decided on a career path.

It is also beneficial for youths who want to tour while earning some money to cover their expenses. 

When you work with people who are diverse in ethnic and cultural backgrounds, you will have a different perspective and probably be more efficient in the labor market.

By doing this, you stand to add the priceless Canadian work experience to your ranks, which will undoubtedly put you in a better position to thrive in the global economy.

Eligible Countries For Working Holiday Visa In Canada (IEC 2022)

There are about thirty-five countries eligible for the IEC 2022 program, as explained earlier.

A comprehensive list of these countries includes:

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Chile
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hong Kong
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Korea, Rep.
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Mexico
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• San Marino
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Ukraine
• The United Kingdom.

Suppose you are a citizen of any of the countries mentioned above, you are automatically eligible to apply for a working holiday visa in Canada.

Read also:   Visas: Treaty Trader and Treaty Investor

Eligible Criteria For Working Holiday Visa In Canada (IEC 2022)

There are specific criteria that applicants must meet to be eligible for Working Holiday Visa in Canada. These criteria include:

• Applicants should be citizens or passport holders of one of the thirty-five countries in a “bilateral youth mobility agreement” with Canada. In other terms, one of the countries participating in the International Experience Canada participating (IEC).
• Applicants should possess a valid passport that will be valid throughout their stay in Canada. The validity of the passport is always longer than the work permit issued to you. 
• Applicants should be between 18 and 30 or 35 years of age when they decide to apply. Although, the upper age limit varies with each country on the International Experience Canada list.
• Applicants should have a minimum of $2,500 on arrival to prove they can cover their initial expenses.
• Applicants should be able to get health insurance for the entire duration of their stay in Canada. Applicants may be required to show evidence of this insurance immediately when they arrive in Canada. 
• Applicants should be admissible to Canada.
• Applicants should have a round-trip ticket or the financial resources to purchase a departure ticket for the end of their authorized stay in Canada before departure.
• Close family or friends should not follow applicants.
• Applicants should pay the due fees.
• Some applicants are also required to be residents in their country of citizenship when they apply for their Working Holiday Visa in Canada.

How To Apply For Working Holiday Visa In Canada (IEC 2022)

On arrival, you must open an account with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on their official website.

IEC program is always in high demand. Therefore, periodically, draws are taken. After that, applicants are chosen at random to get an invitation to apply for a work permit.

It entails that you can apply after creating a profile, but you must do this as soon as possible to have a higher chance of being selected.

They will close the application window for the year when it is deemed necessary.

Each country has a particular work permit category and its respective pools. You can choose to enter more than one pool if you wish. An example of such a pool includes:

‘United Kingdom: Young Professionals’

Before the final batch of invitations for each country and their unique category, IRCC gives a five-day notice that sends a clear message of its intent to close the pool for the year.

Step By Step Guide To Become An Applicant For Working Holiday Visa in Canada (IEC 2022)

To become an applicant for a working holiday visa in Canada, you must follow these steps:

• Read and fill accurately the ‘Come to Canada’ questionnaire. It confirms if you are eligible for an IEC work permit. If you meet the criteria, you will get a personal reference code.
• To create an account, you will be required to enter the code.
• Set up your IEC profile.
• Submit your IEC profile and choose the pool(s) you want. However, some candidates are only eligible for one pool, while some are eligible for more than one.
• To continue at this point, you will have to wait to get an invitation to apply (ITA). When the number of applicants in the pool is more than the number of work permits available, it will significantly reduce an applicant’s chances of receiving an ITA. 
• When you get an ITA, you will have ten days to start applying for a Working Holiday Visa in Canada or decline the invitation. 

Steps To Apply For A Work Permit

When you enter the ‘Start Application‘ button to accept the ITA formally, you will have 20 days to submit your work permit application and pay the due fees. You will be required to do the following to apply for a work permit successfully:

• In other IEC categories like a Young professional and International Co-op, before the 20 days acceptance period, your employer must pay a $230 employer compliance fee via the employer portal. 
• On receiving the Offer of Employment number, they will have to send it to you so you can put it in your application.
• Gather and upload all the documents like police or medical certificates requested by IRCC. If you do not have it at the moment, you can upload proof that you have applied for a police certificate or medical exam. To possess a working holiday visa in Canada, you will have to pay a participation fee of $150 and an open work permit holder fee of $100.
• IRCC will process your application and probably ask for additional documents.
• If your application is successful, they will send a letter of introduction (LOI) to your account. 

You must be with that letter on your arrival to Canada as you’ll need to present it to an immigration officer at a Port of Entry (POE) such as an airport or border crossing. After the confirmation, they will hand you your work permit.

Also, endeavor to carry all the documents required to arrive in Canada.

Read also:  The Start-up Visa Program: Canadian Immigration For Entrepreneurs.

Other IEC Categories

There are other IEC categories. Some of these categories include:

Young Professionals

The Young Professionals category is for youths from foreign countries, particularly post-secondary graduates, who want to further their careers via professional work experience in Canada.

Applicants must have received and signed an employment offer letter or employment contract with a Canadian employer before applying.

International Co-op (Internship)

The International Co-op (Internship) category is specifically for youths from foreign countries who are currently in a post-secondary institution in their country. 

There must be registered students for an internship done in Canada.

The permits issued in this category are valid for 12 months, though some candidates’ duration varies depending on their countries.

.