A "working holiday" is a program that gives you the chance to travel and to work at the same time. It's a good way to stay longer than you normally would if you were just coming for a vacation - it also allows you to experience the country and live it. Working Holidays can last as little as 12 weeks and as long as 2 years. Wish Canada's job is to place people like yourself in working holiday jobs, prepare your temporary housing in Canada and provide you with an arrival orientation.

Requirements

To join this program you must meet visa requirements for citizens of your country. You will find visa information on our site or your can visit www.cic.gc.ca (Immigration Canada site).

You need to:

• Speak English at a high intermediate level
• Be available to work for at least 16 weeks
• Have a positive attitude and be interested in experience a new culture and travelling

If you meet these requirements, you can apply to WISH Working holiday program.

Fees

Our fee include arrival orientation and in Canada support through Vancouver and Toronto office, job arrangement and housing arrangement. Ask us about the working holiday program fee. If you level of English is not sufficient to work in Canada right after arrival, we will recommend you with language training programs. 

Working holiday jobs usually change every season, but popular jobs are:

• server (avg. pay $9/hour)
• shop clerk (avg. pay $9/hour)
• supermarket clerk (avg. pay $9/hour)
• hotel housekeeper (avg. pay $11/hour)
• food counter attendant (avg. pay $9/hour)

Please note that the working holiday program does not include office jobs or 'professional' level work. For those interested in Professional work experience - please see our internship programs.

If you are going to work or study in Vancouver or Toronto, Wish can arrange homestay for you. If you are working outside of one of these cities, resort employers offer staff housing usually.

Homestay
With homestay you will live with a Canadian family. You will have a private room with bed and bedding. You will share the rest of the home - include kitchen and bathroom, with the family. Homestay typically costs between $750 and $800 per month and includes meals.

Staff Accommodation
Staff accommodation is usually shared housing near your place of work. You will be sharing with other young workers from your hotel or resort. You will share a bedroom with one or two other people (same gender), and you will also share a kitchen and common area with other staff members in the same lodging. Staff accommodation typically costs between $60 and $100 per week. it does not include meals.

You will need a work permit to join the working holiday program. If you are from some countries you will need to also study before you work.

If you are from one of these countries, you can join the program directly and you do not need to study first. Click on the country name for visa requirements.

IMPORTANT NOTE: There are a limited number of working holiday visas for each of the countries listed above. If there are no remaining visas for citizens of your country, you can still come to Canada with a study and work permit.

If you are not from one of those countries - you will need to apply for a study and work permit. This allows you to work for as long as you study. Scroll down for more information.

Many summer jobs are available in Banff and the Rockies. This video from Banff Life, introduces you to the city and the region.

In the Winter, most students choose to work in and around Whistler. Whistler is site of the 2010 Winter Olympics. This video from Tourism Whistler, shows you the mountains and 'the Village'.

While most students spend their Working Holiday in the resorts - some choose to stay in the cities. They might have made friends in the city, or they might be crossing the country from Vancouver to Toronto or vice versa. As you can see from the videos - Vancouver and Toronto are very different places.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Toronto, Ontario