Japan — Working Holiday Visa
Japanese citizens are able to travel and work in Canada under International Experience Canada (IEC). Due to Japan having a reciprocal youth mobility agreement with Canada, Japanese citizens can apply for a Canadian Working Holiday Visa.
Description: The Working Holiday Visa is designed for Japanese citizens who intend to travel in Canada and who wish to find temporary paid employment to help pay for their trip (up to 12 months).
Note: As a Japanese citizen, you may participate in IEC only once. You cannot extend this visa. However, if you find a supportive employer during your one-year stay in the country you may be able to apply for permanent residence if that is your goal.
Working Holiday Visa Requirements
To be eligible for a Working Holiday Visa, you must:
- be a Japanese citizen,
- have a valid Japanese passport for the duration of your stay in Canada,
- be between the ages of 18 and 30 (inclusive),
- have the equivalent of $2,500 CAD to help cover your expenses in Canada,
- be able to take out health insurance for the duration of your stay,
- be admissible to Canada,
- have, prior to departure, a round-trip ticket or demonstrate that you will have the financial resources to purchase a departure ticket at the end of your authorized stay in Canada,
- not be accompanied by dependents, and
- pay the fees.
Application process
The Application process involves two distinct stages. The first is to submit an Expression of Interest where you will detail your work and education history and other background information.
You will then be invited to apply for a work permit and have 10 days to decide if you will accept the invitation. From the day you accept the invitation, you will have 20 days to apply for a work permit and provide all of the necessary supporting evidence. You will also have to provide more information about your background and the type of work you intend to do in Canada.
Please note that the 20-day deadline for submission of work permit applications will not be extended under any circumstances so you should start to gather all of the necessary evidence well in advance. For example, in some countries, it can take a long time to get police certificates. If you did not start the process to get one before you were invited to apply, you may not meet the deadline.
If you are not able to get a police certificate before the deadline to submit your application, you may upload a copy of the receipt proving you have requested one. You can upload the receipt in place of the police certificate. You must have the police certificate ready to submit to IRCC, when an officer later requests it.
Note: Japanese citizens do not need to provide a police certificate from Japan. However, you do have to provide a police certificate from countries where you have lived for six months or more.
Medical Exam
Depending on the work you intend to do in Canada, you may need a medical exam.
Next Steps
If you are a Japanese citizen living in the UK and would like to transition to Canada then the working holiday visa could be ideal for you. For more information schedule a consultation.
