Location

Canada
- Ontario
- Calgary
- Toronto
- Vancouver
- Victoria
- Montreal

Length

26 - 52 weeks

Program Tags

Adventure Travel After College Cultural Immersion Working Holiday

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Program Details

Timeframe

Year Round

Primary Language

English

Age Min.

Age Max

Pricing

Starting Price

720

Price Details

*Visa guidance and assistance
*2 resource centers in Canada available to you for the duration of your stay
*Job finding and assistance through job databases, posting boards, fairs, etc.
*Comprehensive arrival orientation covering taxes, banking, cell phones, jobs, accommodation, adjusting to life abroad and much more!

What's Included

Some Accommodation Some Activities Airport Transfers SIM cards

What's Not Included

Airfare Domestic Airfare Travel Insurance Visa

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BUNAC: Work in Canada

Name: BUNAC: Work in Canada
Brand: BUNAC
SKU: 72058
Rating: 10 (3 reviews)

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About

Your Canadian working holiday will have you living in a picture-perfect postcard, close enough to home to be in a similar time zone yet far enough away to meet a ton of new people in a ton of new places. With Canada's majestic landscapes and vibrantly diverse cities, our friends to the North definitely know how to serve up a working holiday dream, and we know what it takes to get you there.

We'll help you with visa applications, arrival accommodation and even opening a bank account, leaving you to spend your winters on the slopes and summers on the beach. We can just hear you saying 'pass the maple syrup' now...

BUNAC's 2020 Work Canada program is now CLOSED.

Questions & Answers

Is this only for Americans?

Hi Leah! Our Work in Canada program is open to US, UK and Irish citizens.

By BUNAC on February 27, 2020

Reviews

10 Rating

based on 3 reviews

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Gap Year

Housing 7.3
Support 10
Fun 8.7
Value 9
Safety 10

Showing 1 - 3 of 3

BUNAC was so helpful all the way through the whole process. They were more than happy to answer any questions that I had and made things very clear and easy. They were also very quick and everything in total took about 2 months overall to complete. I am extremely happy and impressed with how everything turned out and how comfortable and happy I was with this whole experience. I can't recommend them enough they took such a huge weight off my shoulders and were so kind through it all. It was by far the easiest and most painless experience I've had with any kind of immigration or traveling service out there and they gave you such easy access to everything so I didn't have to worry at all when I got to Canada. They even answered the questions that I had as quickly as they did before I arrived. I can't suggest them enough, they really are amazing and know what they're doing.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?

By far going to the border to have my visa approved but it's kind of their job to be a little intimidating I think.

Read my full story

I was so lucky to be able to use this program to experience life in Canada for 18 months! I worked with Lubka Jacobs to coordinate my visa, who was incredibly responsive and helpful every time I reached out to her. After traveling for 3 months throughout 4 different provinces, I chose to work in Montreal for the unique & fascinating culture. I had originally planned to live in Vancouver because of the incredible scenery, but ended up choosing Montreal after falling in love with the romantic architecture, the young & urban vibe, and the fact that almost everyone in the city is bilingual!

Don't let people tell you you can't live in Montreal without speaking French! There is a thriving Anglophone community here and there are plenty of job opportunities for both English-only and bilingual speakers. I worked as an English/Spanish bilingual debt collector, an En/Sp bilingual travel agent for a start up app, and an engineering technical drawer for an architectural lighting company during my time in Montreal. The work I did here improved my Spanish immensely and also allowed me to gain experience towards my career.

I was able to live a very urban lifestyle right downtown and took the Metro to get around the city (I rarely even took Uber because the Metro system is so easy and efficient!). I took French classes for a couple months et maintenant je peux parler, lire, et écrire un peu français :) Montreal is one of the most multicultural cities in the world and I have had the pleasure of working with people from all over the world: Ghana, Iraq, Mexico, Iran, Argentina, Egypt, China, Venezuela, the UK, Cameroon, the Philippines, France, Nigeria, Russia, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Guinea, and the list goes on - as well as from all over the US and Canada! Due to the incredible diversity, Montreal is a Foodie's dream city; you will never run out of new restaurants and cafes to try and you will never tire of poutine avec viande fumée! Montreal is in a great location so during my time living here I've also been able to easily visit New York, Maine, & Vermont. A note on the weather: I am from Georgia, so I'd never experienced real winters prior to living in Canada, and I loved it! Winter was beautiful and so much fun; even when it's freezing there are always people out and about skiing, ice skating, etc. If you're looking for a North American experience with a European twist that you cannot find anywhere else, come check out la belle province.

What would you improve about this program?

The program itself was great - they provided a lot of support and were always sending out job boards, social events, etc. The only improvement would be to offer more support in Montreal & the province of Quebec - there is no SWAP/BUNAC presence here as far as I know and most of the jobs and events on offer were in Toronto or Vancouver.

My position was unique as I was seeking to finish my final internship in order to complete my Master's in Social Work at Florida State University in Vancouver, Canada. I worked with Lubka Jacobs at BUNAC, who provided me excellent advice and recommendations in getting my work visa for Canada. She and all the staff I dealt with are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. The help documentation that they provide is very user friendly and to the point.

BUNACs prices are better than the other similar service providers and having this opportunity led me to getting a job in clinical counselling after finishing my internship!

There are lots of opportunities for jobs in Vancouver. My one recommendation would be to start looking for jobs and making connections before you arrive so that you are able to maximize your time in Canada upon arrival.

What would you improve about this program?

I found it to be beyond expectations. No trouble what so ever. To keep it this way, keep Lubka on the BUNAC team! She was so responsive and really knows her stuff!

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program because last year I moved to Canada and was here on a visitor visa, but I wanted to do something else, as well as extend my time here before my fiancé and I could get married and apply for a spousal sponsorship. I also really wanted to do something with my spare time other than just waiting and I wanted to get a job to help with finances, so we were introduced to this program and applied right away.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

The program provider was very helpful with answering any questions that I had about the visa and the process leading up to the activation. They were very clear about all of their instructions and were very quick to get back to us as soon as possible. I had to work on my resumé on my own, as well as submitting the documents that were required to submit to the government, as well as to make an account on their website on my own. The things that I had to do alone were very easy and straightforward, nothing that was confusing, and if I was lost on anything, I could simply just ask and they were happy to help.

We also had to go to a border crossing and activate my visa ourselves; since I was already in Canada, we had to drive 6 hours down to a land crossing to circle back around and activate it.

View Entire Interview

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Be very, very organized. Triple check everything that you have; this will make your process as fast and painless as mine was.

Don't try to skimp out, and if you think even for a moment that you'll need a document but aren't 100% sure, bring it anyway. My fiancé and I had a binder for all of my paperwork that I need that we organized and made very neat and easy to find any paperwork that was asked for right away. You're never too organized or too careful when it comes to these things.

I didn't think I was going to need my divorce papers because I didn't think they would matter, but I brought them anyway when we went to activate my visa, and I ended up needing them, so bring whatever you think you might need.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

It doesn't look any different than a normal person's week/day. I'm sure others in this program would say differently, but their headquarters are based out of Vancouver and Toronto, which I'm sure, if you were there, you'd have more to do with their scheduled meet ups and what not, but I live in Edmonton, Alberta and am nowhere near there, so I don't participate in those. Other than that, life is pretty much the same for me since I already lived here before I'm just able to work now.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear has and always will be the border. The people who work there can be pretty intimidating at times, but that's because it's their job to be: they're trying to catch you off balance to make sure you're not lying about something. I overcame it because it had to be done and we were so organized and ready that I wasn't really that scared of them and they were pretty nice and quick this time, so we were in and out fairly quickly.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

What position do you hold at BUNAC? What has been your career path so far?

Hollie: I'm the Marketing & Sales Manager here at BUNAC. Myself & my team reach out to potential BUNACers to let them know how awesome it is to work, volunteer & intern overseas!

I started my career with BUNAC as a university rep on my campus, helping to spread the word & have since progressed into a management role.

Did YOU study/work abroad?! If so, where and what inspired you to go?

Hollie: I worked as a lifeguard at an American summer camp for 4 summers & they were without a doubt the best 4 summers of my life! I made friends from all over the world & travelled through America & Canada after my time at camp too.

What does the future hold for BUNAC - any exciting new programs to share?

Hollie: We're always looking for new & exciting opportunities for young people to broaden their horizons by working abroad. As South East Asia is such a hot spot, we have volunteer program in Thailand being launched very soon - watch this space!

What about the future of the industry? How do you think study/work abroad and international education will change over the next 10 years?

Hollie: I definitely think that the trend towards meaningful & worthwhile experiences will continue. Young people are keen to stand out from the crowd and add an experience to their resume which makes lot metal employers think twice. The growth in our internship programs demonstrates this further.

What country have you always wanted to visit?

Hollie: New Zealand is top of my list! I've heard such fantastic things about the thrill-seeking activities on offer as well as the beautiful, tranquil surroundings.

About BUNAC

Since 1962, BUNAC have enabled hundreds of thousands of young people to go out and explore the world through global Work Abroad, Intern and Volunteering experiences.

All BUNAC programs include step-by-step support. Spend six months interning in London on our popular Intern in Britain, or 2 years working and living it up in down under in New...

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BUNAC: Work in Canada

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