Work and Travel Canada

Would you like to live and work in Canada for a limited amount of time? Then a work and travel programme might be ideal for you. Even if you do not qualify for permanent residency, this can be a great way to experience life in Canada for a little while. If you are still unsure if emigrating to Canada is the right move for you, a work and travel opportunity will help you find out.

In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about work and travel in Canada, how to apply and which documents you need to do so.

Canada’s work and travel programme is called International Experience Canada (IEC for short). You can qualify if you are between 18 and 35 years old. This programme allows you to live and work in Canada for up to two years. You have the option of participating in this programme twice for different categories. The categories are: Working Holiday, Young Professionals and International Co-op (internship). Find out which of these three categories makes sense for you.

A “Working Holiday” allows you to spend 12 months exploring Canada and earning some pocket money along the way. Your “open work permit” is not tied to any specific employer so you can work for several employers in different locations. This type of work permit eliminates the need for you to look for a job in advance. A Working Holiday is one of the best ways to get an open work permit, as you would usually need an employment contract before starting to work in Canada.

If you have just graduated or completed an apprenticeship and are ready to gain international work experience, the “Young Professionals” option might be perfect for you: it lets you live and work in Canada for 12 months to kick-start your career. In this category, you will get an employer-specific work permit, which allows you to work for one employer during your stay in Canada. You will also need a job offer or employment contract in advance. Your job in Canada has to serve your professional development and fall under the TEER categories 0, 1, 2 or 3 according to NOC (National Occupation Classification). Under certain circumstances, you may also qualify for a TEER category 4 job. To do so, you will need to submit your diploma, certificate or degree. Please note that these documents must be in either English or French, which means you will need to have them translated and certified.

Find out more about applying for jobs in Canada in our article “Working in Canada”.

Are you currently studying or undertaking an apprenticeship and would like to do an internship in Canada as part of your education? An “International Co-op (internship)” allows you to live in Canada as part of an internship for up to 12 months. In this category, you will also get an employer-specific work permit that allows you to work for one employer during your stay in Canada. You will also need an offer for an internship beforehand. Each province or territory has its own guidelines when it comes to paid or unpaid internships.

By now you should know which of these categories you qualify for and which ones suit you best.

Please keep the following basic criteria in mind as well:

• Your passport must be valid for at least the duration of your stay in Canada.
• You will need to prove that you have at least CAD 2,500 (approx. €1,650) to cover your living expenses for the first few months of your stay.
• You will also need proof of overseas health insurance for the entire duration of your stay (you might be asked to present this upon entry).
• Outbound and return flight tickets or proof that you have enough funds for a flight back home.

Do you meet the application criteria for one of Canada’s work and travel options? Then you can go ahead and start your application process. The Canadian government recommends that you apply about 12 months before your desired date of entry. That is because your profile will first go into a pool of applicants, from where it might take some time for you to be selected.

Start by setting up a profile in a free online account. This is a good opportunity to double-check that you meet all the requirements. It also gives you a better idea of which applicant pools make sense for you. Each country has one applicant pool per category (see above); Germany has three. Based on your details, you will receive suggestions for which of these pools make the most sense for you.

Next, choose the pool you would like to submit your profile for. You also have the option of submitting your profile to several pools at once.

Now you have to wait and see. Here you can find out about the so-called “Rounds of invitations” as part of the profile selection process. If your profile is chosen, you will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA). You then have ten days to either accept or decline the invitation. Either way, you should respond. If you fail to do so, you will have to resubmit your profile. If you decline the invitation, your profile will remain in the applicant pool and may be selected again at a later time. If you accept, you have 20 days to submit your work permit application.

To apply, you must fill in the form in your online account.  You should also have the following documents ready:  

• Certificate of good conduct (no older than 6 months)
• Resume/CV
• Passport
• Passport photo
• eTA (electronic Travel Authorization)
• Registration certificate (if applicable)
• Medical records (if you have visited certain countries within the last 6 months or if you will be working in healthcare, education, childcare or elderly care upon entering Canada)
• For “International Co-op (internship)”:
  • Proof of enrolment
  • Proof that you are required to complete an internship (issued by your educational institution)
• For “Young Professionals”:
  • Proof of education
  • For TEER 4: diploma, certificate, degree
  • “Volontariat International en Entreprise” or ICEX Vives letter (if applicable)

The Canadian government will give you a detailed list of required documents upon request. Because you will have to apply for some of these (mandatory) documents beforehand anyway, you can go ahead and do that first. Please note the Canadian government requires all documents in either English or French, so please have them translated and certified well ahead of time.

Once you have completed the form and uploaded your documents, you will need to pay the applicable fees. Then you are ready to submit your application.

Now you wait again. If your application is approved, you will receive a “Port of entry letter of introduction”. With that, you can plan your entry to Canada. Congratulations! Please note that the entire application process takes place online so make sure you check your online account for any messages and updates.  

If your application is rejected, your profile will remain in the applicant pool for the following selection rounds.

When entering Canada for your work and travel programme, you may have to present the following documents:

• Financial records: You will need to prove that you have CAD 2,500 (approx. €1,650) to cover your living expenses for the first three months. At the time of entry, this document may not be any older than one week.
• Proof of overseas health insurance: You will also need to prove that you have health insurance for the entire duration of your stay.

Your application documents need to be either in English or in French so you will need to have them translated and certified for the Canadian authorities to understand and accept them.

Please have your documents translated well ahead of time as this can take about a week. Also, please check to see if you need an apostille for your documents. If so, you will have to have that translated as well.

• Living in Canada
• Working in Canada
• You want to emigrate to Canada? All information on in emigrating to Canada and Visa for Canada.

Please note: All the above information applies to German citizens. If you are not a German citizen, please do the necessary research to find out which regulations apply to you.