Working Holiday Visas for Canadian Citizens
What is a working Holiday Visa?
Let’s break this down quickly for anyone who doesn’t already know. A Working Holiday Visa (WHV) gives young Canadians the chance to live and work abroad for a period of 12 – 24 months in a specific country.
The opportunity to work within the country is mostly intended as a way for the holder to fund their trip within the country. The age requirements for each visa varies depending on the destination but are always between 18-30 or 18-35 years of age. (inclusive)
In this article I will be referring to these visa schemes as “Working Holiday Visa” or “WHV” but the visas may have different names depending upon the country. The name doesn’t necessarily matter, they are all essentially the same thing.
As a Canadian citizen you can choose from over 30 countries offering the Working Holiday Visa schemes.
Why should you apply for a Working Holiday Visa?
These visas allow young Canadians to fund their travels by working abroad rather spending years building up your savings account to afford long-term travel. This is an incredible opportunity to travel to far off destinations while gaining real life experience. Learn about different cultures and environments from the inside out.
The WHV is perfect for anyone looking to do a Gap Year, 20 to 30-somethings wanting to travel for extended periods and young professionals looking to get some work experience abroad. You can read all the blog posts in the world but there is nothing like experiencing life long-term in another country.
I am currently on my third Visa, and I highly recommend it to anyone even slightly interested in living abroad! But hey, maybe I’m a little biased…
What types of work can you get?
The ability to fund your adventures without having to sit at home saving every penny until you feel your financially secure is an absolute blessing. Now of course many of the countries that offer the Working Holiday Visa Scheme to young Canadians will allow you to work in just about any job that you would have worked here in Canada. So, just like in Canada it all comes down to your experience and your qualifications.
Having said that, there are certain countries who have rules regarding the types of work that can be done in-country. This limits the visa holders job opportunities to specific sectors. The most popular job sectors tend to be hospitality, tourism, or seasonal work. (i.e. - Fruit picking or jobs on a ski resort)
Visas can, and do, differ from country to country, therefore:
The official name for the visa may differ.
Application processes will vary slightly.
Visa lengths may vary.
Visa Requirements may vary.
Types of work allowed in-country may vary.
Need to be a Canadian Citizen.
Need a valid Canadian Passport.
All the below information is up to date and was gathered from the official International Experience Canada section from the Government of Canada website.
If you would like to view the information for any individual country you can do that HERE
Eligible Countries
Andorra
Age: 18-30
Length: Up to 12 months
Australia
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: 2nd visa possible after working 3 months of “Specified Work” while on your first WHV.
3rd Visa possible after working 6 months of “Specified Work” on your second WHV.
(You may also be sponsored by an Australian Company to extend)
Austria
Age: 18-30
Length: Up to 12 months with an entry permit.
Note: Info is for the WHV specifically - Other visa options available with a job offer.
Belgium
Age: 18-30
Length: Up to 12 months
Chile
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months. No extension.
Costa Rica
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can participate twice but second term must be in a different category and there must be a three month break between visas.
Croatia
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can participate twice with a mandatory 3 month break between visas.
Czech Republic
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can participate twice as long as second visa is within a different category and there is a mandatory break between the two visas.
Denmark
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can only work for 6 months and study for an additional 6 months during the 12-month period.
Estonia
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can participate twice as long as your second stay is in a different category.
France
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to a maximum stay of 24 months.
Note: Visas are valid for 4 to 12 months but you can extend or change your visa as long as your still eligible for the program.
Germany
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can participate two times as long as your second visa is within a different category.
Greece
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can participate twice as long as second visa is within a different category.
Hong Kong
Age: 18-30
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: No extension, you can only participate once.
Ireland
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 36 months if you use both available visas.
Note: You can get 24 months under the Working Holiday Authorization and another 12 months under the International Co-op Internship Authorization.
Italy
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can participate in the visa twice. (In any category)
Japan
Age: 18-30
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can only participate once. No extensions.
South Korea
Age: 18-30
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can only participate once. No extensions.
Latvia
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can participate two times as long as your second visa is within a different category.
Lithuania
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can participate two times as long as your second visa is within a different category.
Luxembourg
Age: 18-30
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can only participate once. No extensions.
Netherlands
Age: 18-30
Length: Up to 12 months (each)
Note: 2 Visas are available, both are valid for 12 Months and you can participate in both programs once.
New Zealand
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 23 months
Note: You can only participate once.
Norway
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can participate two times as long as your second visa is within a different category.
Poland
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can only participate once, no extensions.
Portugal
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can participate two times as long as there is a break between the two participations.
San Marino
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can only work for an employer for a maximum of 6 months. You can participate twice.
Slovakia
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can participate two times as long as your second visa is within a different category and there must be a three month break between the two participations.
Slovenia
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can participate two times as long as your second visa is within a different category.
Spain
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can participate two times as long as your second visa is within a different category.
Sweden
Age: 18-30
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can participate two times as long as your second visa is within a different category.
Switzerland
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can participate twice but the maximum duration of both participations must be less than 18 months.
Taiwan
Age: 18-35
Length: Up to 12 months
Note: You can only participate once. No extensions.
United Kingdom
Age: 18-30
Length: Up to 24 months
Note: You can only participate once.
How do you apply for a Working Holiday Visa?
It can be difficult to find the proper information to get through the application process for some of these visas that are somewhat less popular, but this should provide a great starting point. Some of the more popular visas, such as New Zealand or Australia, are far more straightforward.
All of the information is available online for each specific visa with a quick Google search or by heading directly to the destination country’s government website. (Use the Canadian Government’s links HERE to find info for each country.) You may need to go back and forth with the foreign government to ensure you are providing the proper documents but it can be easily done.
Alternatively…
If you don’t want to deal with it all yourself, there are companies that specialize in helping you secure your visa and holding your hand through the entire process. I have used one of these services in the past for my Australian Working Holiday Visa but, looking back, it was purely for the convenience and wasn’t entirely necessary.
However, personal experiences aside, these companies can be incredibly helpful if you are completely lost in the application process. They will generally pop up in your initial search regarding your visa of choice. So you shouldn’t have to look too far. Also depending on who you hire, they will help you set up your local bank account, sim card, and more upon arrival. This can be a huge off of your shoulders and may be worth your consideration in your application process.
I truly hope you take advantage of at least one of these incredible opportunities, and I wish you the best of luck on your next adventure with one of Canada’s Working Holiday Visa Partners!