If there’s nothing better than racing down the ski slopes, doing sick tricks and trying to avoid brain freeze because you’re travelling so fast and the wind is seriously in your face, a working holiday to Canada might be right up your alley.
Canada is fast-becoming a favourite with young travellers. Not only are there heaps of seasonal jobs available every winter, Canada is also home to some of the most incredible scenery on the planet (second, of course, to New Zealand). Towering mountains, crystal blue lakes, unique wildlife and friendly locals make the country in the North feel like an exotic getaway while still feeling a bit like home (just beware of the bears).
Not a fan of the cold? Don’t worry: from travelling the breadth of the country and soaking up the sun to leading at a kids’ summer camp, there are plenty of opportunities available for summer-lovers too.
So how do you make the jump to Canada easy and memorable?
Working Holiday Programmes
One of the easiest ways to make the jump to Canada is to apply to join a working holiday programme like Global Work and Travel Co or STA Travel. These kinds of companies make all the tricky things like visa applications, booking flights, finding accommodation for when you first arrive, and prep your CV to give you the best chance of landing a job that little bit easier.
Visas
Before you can start working (and playing!) in Canada, you need to get a working visa. To be eligible for a Canadian work visa, you must have a New Zealand passport that’s still valid for at least two years, be aged 18-35 years, have no criminal convictions or serious medical conditions, have travel insurance, have no dependents travelling with you, show that you’ve got enough money to support yourself when you get there, and either have a return ticket home or the money to buy one (there are a few other things too — click here to see them all). Once you’ve got your visa, you’ll be able to live and work in Canada for up to 23 months.
Accommodation
If you travel to Canada with a working holiday programme, they’ll sort you out with accommodation when you first arrive. From there, though, you’re on your own. Your best bet is to stay in a hostel until you find somewhere more permanent. You’ll probably meet people in your hostel, not to mention locals through your job. The more open you are to opportunities and the friendlier you are to everyone you meet, the more likely you’ll naturally find somewhere more permanent to stay like a flat.
Finding Work
Obviously, the point of a working holiday in Canada is to work, and your best bet is to have something lined up (or at least a few interviews scheduled) before you arrive. In saying that, you might be more successful on the job-hunting front if you hit the ground running when you get there and simply turn up and ask for work. Working holiday programmes will help you refine your CV to give you the best chance of getting the best job; they’ll even give you exclusive access to job advertisements. Seasonal jobs tend to revolve around the service industry, including ski instructors, wait staff, bar attendants, chefs, retail assistants, housekeeping, kitchen hands, customer service and ski resort positions. If you’re looking for something more aligned with your career, try a job search website like Workopolis, Canada Jobs or Indeed.
Consider summer camps in Canada too. Similar to Camp America, Camp Canada offers summer camps for kids aged roughly 6-17 over their school holidays. Becoming a camp counselor won’t make you rich (you’ll earn at least $1500 CAD for the duration of a camp), but accommodation when you land in Canada, accommodation for the duration of your camp, food, health insurance, airport transfers and many, many memories are included in the cost of attending. You have to pay your own way to get there and have a fair bit of savings to call upon on the weekends, but Camp Canada is one of those experiences that is definitely worth it and you’ll never forget.
What to Do in Your Downtime
When you’re not working, there are plenty of memorable things to do while you’re in Canada. Explore national parks by foot or train, learn to ski or snowboard (or ski or snowboard some of the best powder in the world), or wander around world class cities like Vancouver, Calgary or Quebec (you’ll need to know a bit of French for the latter). You can even nip down to the border with the US to visit Niagara Falls, plus many people tag on a longer, more thorough trips through Canada and further afield into America.
Moving to Canada? Crown Relocations Can Help
Whether you’re heading away on Camp Canada, working in Calgary for the winter, relocating the whole family for work, or moving offices from New Zealand to Canada, international mover and removalist Crown Relocations can help. Furniture moving, office moving, storage, shipping and just about everything in between … ask the Crown team how we can help make your move smoother today. Call our friendly team on: 0508 227 696 or get a FREE quick quote online.
