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If you are young and consider relocating, check out the International Experience Canada programs, which provide lots of opportunities for working abroad and more. The most popular program from IEC Canada is the holiday working visa, which is seen as a preview of life in this amazing country by many people.
How the holiday working visa Canada works
The holiday working visa Canada is one of the most attractive opportunities for people aged 18-30 who are willing to live, work and travel across Canada. Depending on your country of citizenship you might be eligible to apply to IEC even if you are 35 years old, so it’s best to check your eligibility by filling out an IEC assessment here. Many Canadian citizens came to the country with an IEC visa and decided to stay forever. The visa is given for 6 to 24 months and allows you to see how working and living in Canada feels like.
IEC Canada visa program opens the applications in November or December, ending in September-October. The program opens generally around the same period each year however it does fluctuate.
The visa is granted based on a lottery system to people from the pool. Each year only a specific number of visas are available for each eligible country and therefore its best to start your application a few months before you travel as it could take anything from 3-12 months.
When you are lucky and you get the invitation to complete your application for the visa you have to submit additional documents. These include a police certificate, medical certificate, biometrics, family information form, passport, resume and a photo. You also need to pay for the Open Work Permit Holder fee. All these documents need to be submitted within a specific time. The next step is receiving a Port of Entry after 8 weeks, which is your final approval.
Not all people in the IEC Canada pools receive an invitation and those who do receive it usually wait a very long time, so you need to have patience.
Where to work in Canada
After receiving your IEC visa you need to decide where you want to work in Canada. The most popular locations are Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. Many people who come to Canada head to the mountain towns around Vancouver and Calgary, which offer picturesque backgrounds.
Canada weather is often difficult, which is why flights frequently are cancelled, so you need to book your flight a couple of days or a week in advance, to make sure you are going to meet your deadlines.
If you want to work abroad and see how it is to live in Canada, the holiday working visa is going to be a valuable experience, as it will allow you to visit an amazing part of the world, while living like the locals. After getting a working holiday permit, many young people decide to stay in Canada for longer, while others decide they want to live abroad or become digital nomads. Either way, it will be a once in a lifetime experience!