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Book now with a €100 deposit

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USIT Work Canada

Work in Canada for two years

What’s big, white and full of seasonal jobs? Your USIT working holiday in Canada. Complete with visa support, travel insurance, bank account set-up and the option to pre-arrange a summer or ski season job.

On the fence? 

Let's talk

Early summer hiring opening in Nov/Dec

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Why do a working holiday visa Canada?

The scenery is next level – with turquoise lakes, snow-capped peaks and whale-filled waters. The cities are the most liveable in the world – cultural and foodie with a party scene that will leave you grizzly like a bear with a sore head. And just like the slopes, Canadian people are just cool. Dry like the ginger beer and down-to-earth. Plus, you can apply for a Canada visa until you’re 35, stay for two years, and pretty much work in any industry.

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Why do it with USIT

Canada visa support

Applying for a working holiday visa Canada can be confusing. There’s a pool for a start. We guide you through the process to ensure everything is submitted correctly.

Work it your way

Our independent Kickstart and 5-day Ultimate Canada working holiday packages mean you can pick the job and accommodation support that works for you.

Jobs before you go

Search and apply from hundreds of jobs in Canada on the USIT Job Hub. Apply before you go, when you land and for the whole of your working holiday visa Canada.

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Hiring news

That's a wrap on winter '24 ski jobs! Early summer hiring for Banff, Jasper and Waterton jobs with Apr start dates will open in Nov/Dec. If you don't have your ITA yet, book now to enter the visa pools and get ready for summer hiring. This is the quickest way to get out for spring/summer '25. Once the visa pools close, you'll have to wait for them to re-open - typically in Dec/Jan.

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18-35 years

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Stay for two years

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Visa pools now open

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Option to pre-arrange a job

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Earn CAD $15-24/hour

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24 months' insurance

From €430

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Conor's story

City or slopes? Why choose.

"You can be in the mountains and then half an hour south, you can be in downtown in the middle of one of the most vibrant cities in the world."

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Need to know

Work Canada | From €430

We set you up with everything you need to enter the IEC Canada visa pool, apply for your visa and start working in Canada.

There’s nothing like trying to de-code an IEC Canada visa application to suck all the joy out of your Canada travel plans. And then before you know it, the Canada working holiday pool has closed and you’re stuck waiting for another year to apply. Meanwhile, someone else is living the high life in Canada – carving up the slopes in Whistler or downing bottomless Caesars on a rooftop in Vancouver.

Our independent Kickstart package sets you up with all the Canada working holiday essentials – including two years’ travel insurance and guidance on setting up your bank account and Social Insurance Number (SIN). If you want to take the drama out of finding a job, a place to stay and new mates when you land – opt for our 5-day Ultimate starting in either Vancouver or Toronto.

Here’s the need to know on who can apply and what jobs you can do.

The visa pool The working holiday visa Canada (or IEC Canada visa) is issued by International Experience Canada – the immigration and citizenship department of the Canadian Government. There are a limited number of visas available each year, which is why you must first register your interest by entering the IEC visa pool. Names are then drawn at regular intervals until all the visas have been taken. If picked from the pool, you’ll receive an ‘Invitation to Apply’ (or ITA) for your Canada visa. The pool opens in Dec/Jan each year, and usually stays open until Sep/Oct. Applying early ensures your profile is exposed to the maximum number of name draws - increasing your chances of getting a visa.

Who can apply

  • Irish passport holders must be aged 18-35 (inclusive), meaning you must have received your ‘Invitation to Apply’ by your 36th birthday. For other eligible nationalities, click here.
  • All applicants must have a police background check, no criminal convictions from the last five years, and attend a biometrics appointment to have photos and fingerprints taken.
  • You must be able to show you have CAD $2,500 in support funds – usually in the form of bank statements.

How long for After receiving your ‘Invitation to Apply’, applying for your visa and submitting your biometrics, you’ll receive your ‘Port of Entry’ letter to work in Canada. You then have 12 months to enter Canada. Your visa allows you to work for two years, for the same or multiple employers.

How we help The IEC doesn't allow us to apply for your visa on your behalf, but we provide step-by-step guidance and webinars to ensure your application is submitted correctly. The visa costs (CAD $272) and is paid directly to the Canadian government.

Your working holiday visa Canada gives you the freedom to do casual or career work.

Typical jobs in Canada for backpackers jobs include working in tourism, hospitality, sales, labouring, childcare, retail and seasonal work in ski and summer resorts working as housekeepers, chefs, drivers, lift attendants, ski instructors and more.

The minimum wage differs per state or province, with Alberta, Ontario and British Colombia all around the CAD $15 mark. Most of our ski and summer season employers pay between $15-24 an hour, plus tips where applicable.

You can also work in industries related to your career, education or trade. Here your earning potential will be higher, with up to CAD $40 an hour for skilled workers and uncapped potential for other sectors – especially with a two-year visa to build up your experience and employability.

How we help (Ultimate only) We have a dedicated team that finds Canadian employers looking to take on working holidaymakers. They’re vetted to make sure everything is legit, and when you’ve paid in full, you’ll get access to the Job Hub where you can start applying for jobs.

We work with some of the top resorts in Canada to help you secure a 4-6 month ski season or summer job before you go. Depending on the resort, you’ll need to commit to the winter season (Nov-Mar) or summer season (May-Sep).

Almost all our seasonal employers include subsidised staff housing (around CAD $400-600 per month) and great perks such as discounted lift passes, gear hire and lessons.

If you’d rather wait until you land, your arrival support includes in-person job workshops and CV help. You’ll also have access to our Job Hub for your whole visa to apply for unlimited jobs.

The 5-day Ultimate runs weekly throughout the year and starts in either Vancouver or Toronto. Run by SWAP – our in-country partners – your arrival orientation, job workshops and sessions to sort your bank account etc will start on a Wednesday. Your first night’s accommodation will be on the Tuesday, but if you’re arriving earlier and need extra bed nights – just shout.

You can also use your four nights’ accommodations in Calgary and do your orientation and job workshops remotely.

Pick your package

Compare what’s included to find the right Work Canada option for you.

Good for... Independent travellers who want to work in Canada, but need some help navigating the visa pool and sorting all the dull-but-important stuff like getting a Social Insurance Number (SIN). A what now? Exactly.

Includes

  • Step-by-step guidance on entering the IEC pool, including visa webinars
  • Support with your Canada visa application
  • 2-year backpacker travel insurance policy
  • Canada bank account set-up (self-serve with full instructions)
  • Social Insurance Number set-up (self-serve with full instructions)

Good for... Arriving off a plane with your head in another timezone and wanting your first few days completely taken care of – with hostel accommodation and some fun humans to take you through finding a job/a bank account/a place to live (all of the above).

Includes all this awesomeness

  • Step-by-step guidance on entering the IEC pool, including visa webinars
  • Support with your Canada visa application
  • 2-year backpacker travel insurance policy
  • 2-year access to the Job Hub for unlimited working holiday jobs
  • Pre-departure handbook with advice on housing, jobs and more
  • Pre-departure group video call with live Q&A on moving to Canada
  • 5 nights’ hostel accommodation (Samesun hostel in Toronto or Vancouver, HI hostel in Calgary)
  • Job workshops to find available positions and get your CV Canada-ready (remote if starting in Calgary)
  • Canada bank account set-up (in-person – remote if starting in Calgary)
  • Social Insurance Number set-up (in-person – remote if starting in Calgary)
  • Monthly social events in Vancouver and Toronto
  • Access to SWAP’s resource centres in Vancouver or Toronto for your whole visa

Book now pay later • Secure your spot with €100 deposit • Balance due 12 weeks before you fly

What’s not included

Flights

We don’t recommend booking flights until your visa is approved.

Support funds (CAD $)

You are required to show proof that you can access CAD $2,500.

In-person biometrics appointment

This is a condition of your visa and currently costs CAD $85.

Visa fee Canada

This is paid directly to the Canada Embassy and currently costs CAD $272.

Canada police background check

You need to provide a police check for every country you have continuously lived in for 6+ months since the age of 18. The process and cost varies per country.

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Get your skates on!

The IEC visa pools are open!

Applying to the IEC Canada visa pool early ensures your profile is exposed to the maximum number of name draws - increasing your chances of getting a Canada working holiday this year.

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Where to live and work in Canada

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Cool spots

Summer or winter in Canada?

With its multi-entry two-year visa, Canada can be used for either a longer-term move - or to work abroad each summer as an alternative to an Irish J1. While we love our summer breaks, don't discount Canada in winter. With bluebird skies, snow-covered slopes, and plenty of seasonal work to keep you earning and exploring - a ski season job is a great way to earn money and have a blast. Press play for more.

Live and work in Vancouver

Read any travel guide to Vancouver, and it will famously say that you can ski in the morning and surf in the afternoon. And it’s that proximity to natural beauty and healthy attitude that pretty much sums up life in Vancouver. One of the most liveable and best looking cities in the world, Vancouverites have everything at their fingertips – a world-class farm-to-fork food scene, an arts scene that hosts everything from Shakespeare to slam poetry, and a milder climate to their East Coast cousin. But don’t be fooled into thinking Vancouver is all clean living, it has a definite edge – with a killer craft beer movement and underground music scene that rivals most big cities.

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Live and work in Toronto

Canada’s largest city, Toronto is a city for urbanites. Diverse and international – every food, language, culture and counterculture has a home here. You might be able to ski and surf in the same day in Vancouver, but in Toronto you can get an Aussie breakfast in the morning, a Korean BBQ on your lunchbreak and a Lebanese shawarma on your way home – all before or after watching a classical recital in the park, an unsigned band in a dive bar, or a drag show in a gay club. Eclectic and exciting, Toronto is definitely a place for city lovers. But it’s also not short on natural beauty – with sprawling green parks, waterfront cycle paths and easy access to Ontario’s ski slopes.

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Ask the experts

Book a call with USIT

Don’t call us, we’ll call you. All our USIT team have worked the world, so are here for real talk and authentic advice about where you can go and what you can do.

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More for your bucket list

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