How I Got a Working Holiday Visa: Canada

My application for a Canadian Working Holiday Visa began at the end of August 2021 and I arrived in Canada successfully on the 21st November 2021. The process I took was for a Working Holiday under the International Experience Canada (IEC) route as a UK citizen. Out of all three Working Holiday Visa’s I’ve applied for, this process was definitely the most administrative and involved a lot of patience. I was also applying towards the end of the global pandemic, so there were some steps I needed to take that are no longer required.

Contents:

1. Are you eligible?

2. How the Covid-19 global pandemic affected my application.

3. Once you’re in the pool.

4. Once you’ve accepted your ITA.

5. Once you’ve submitted your application.

6. Once you’ve completed your biometrics.

7. Useful pages

8. Want to know more?

Are you eligible?

Firstly, in order to be accepted, you need to be a British Citizen with a valid UK passport; be between 18-35; have a minimum of 2,500CAD; have health insurance to cover the length of your intended stay and not be accompanied by dependants. When I applied back in 2021 you were only entitled to a maximum of 24 months, but this has recently changed along with the age increase, to a further 12 months on top of this. If you are eligible, the next step is to create an IEC account and receive a personal reference number. Once you have created an account, the website will show you which pools you can enter. There is one pool of eligible candidates per country per category. Once you are in the pool, individuals are selected at random and sent an ‘invitation to apply’ (ITA).

How the Covid-19 global pandemic affected my application.

The main difference the covid-19 pandemic made to my application was that I had to have a job offer in order to apply for an invitation in the first place. The job offer criteria is no longer applicable, however I think it was actually really beneficial to me as it allowed me to have some security when arriving in the country that I did not need to search for a job. It also meant I had a team of people I could ask questions to and even help me look for accommodation. I sent an email to IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) with my job offer attached on the 28th August 2021, to request to be entered into the pool.

Once you’re in the pool.

Once you’re successfully in the pool, it really is a waiting game. I received my ITA on the 2nd September, just 5 days after submitting myself into the pool. This is completely case dependent and there are definitely cases of people waiting months or not being invited at all and having to wait for the next years’ pools. After receiving your ITA, you have 10 days to accept. Following your acceptance, you have 20 days to submit your application. Therefore, it is a good idea to use the first 10 days to get together as much documentation as you can as once you accept it is a quick turn around to get everything submitted.

Once you’ve accepted your ITA.

As mentioned, as soon as you accept your ITA you have 20 days to complete the online form and submit the supporting documents. Documents that I had to submit included a family information form, a scan of my passport, a passport style photo, police certificates from the UK and New Zealand (anywhere you’ve spent more than 6 months since turning 18) and my CV/resume (any gaps need to be explained in a letter of explanation). Some people also need to have a medical exam done if they have visited certain places or plan to work in certain fields. As soon as you have completed your personalised online checklist, you can submit your application and pay the fees. The fees for the 2024 IEC season is CAN$172. If you need to give biometrics, which mostly everyone I know did, you also pay the biometric fee of CAN$85. Finally, there is a CAN$100 open work permit holder fee for anyone applying for a Working Holiday. The lengthiest part for me was waiting on my police certificates. My New Zealand one could be applied for online and emailed to me within 24 hours for free! My UK one however, cost £65 with a 20 working day turn around! This is obviously an issue when you only have 20 days to submit, hence why it’s best to apply for this as soon as you make the decision to try and get a Working Holiday. Luckily, the IRCC allows you to submit proof of application for both your medical and police certificates if they have not arrived yet, and then you can submit the actual document once you receive it.

Once you’ve submitted your application.

Because I’m an administrative girlie and I already had most of my documents prepared, I submitted my application within 24 hours. About 1 week later I then received my Biometrics Instructions Letter. Biometrics is the process of collecting your fingerprints and photograph for IRCC as part of their Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). Most applicants will have to provide these at a biometrics collection point abroad before they travel to Canada, which was the case for me, however I have known individuals to be able to provide these upon arrival. The letter outlines how to book your appointment at your closest Visa Application Centre (VAC) and that you have 30 days to submit them. In the UK, there is one VAC and that is of course in London. The closest appointment I could get was the 29th September. I was living in Sheffield at the time so this also involved booking a day off work, and getting a train down to London. The process was pretty quick though, you simply go in and have all your fingerprints scanned and recorded and have a picture taken. The VAC then submit the biometrics to IRCC for you. As you have already paid the fee for this along with your application fees, nothing needs to be paid on the day.

Once you’ve completed your biometrics.

I received an email the following day to say my biometrics had been submitted and once again it was a waiting game. Generally, IRCC will come back to ask for something if it is missing or incorrect before completely denying your visa. For me, I received my Port of Entry (POE) on the 10th November. This letter does not guarantee entry into Canada or a work permit. You must show your POE to the Canadian Border Officer when you arrive, and they will decide if your visa is granted or not. This is obviously incredibly nerve wracking as by this point you are already in the country. I had a folder full of documents, basically everything I had had to submit up to this point. It is also important to make sure you have some form of health insurance to cover the entire length of your stay. If you arrive with only 12 months’ worth of health insurance, it has been known that you will only be granted a 12-month visa and this cannot be extended.

At this point though, the hard part is over and the fun begins! Receiving your POE means it’s time to book flights. Although as mentioned it doesn’t guarantee your entry, it is unlikely at this point that you will be refused on entry unless there is an exceptional circumstance. As long as you are prepared and thorough you should be fine. I set off for Vancouver 11 days later ready for an incredible winter season in Whistler.

Useful pages

·       The Canadian Immigration website is incredibly helpful and thorough, I would recommend having a play on here if you are thinking about applying.

·       The Facebook page ‘O Canada! IEC Working Holiday Discussion & Support’ group is also invaluable. With almost 40K members, you can ask a question and almost guarantee a response. People also post helpful timelines of their experience which will be more up to date than mine.

Want to know more?

Feel free to email me with any questions regarding my experience. Of course I am not an immigration advisor, but I would be happy to answer anything related to my experience. I have also written a blog on Setting Yourself Up In Canada and plan to write much more Canada related content so make sure to subscribe along below!