When should I apply for Work Canada?

You can book onto Work Canada year-round. However, Canada working holiday visas operate via a visa pool system, so you can’t apply for your visa until the pools open. They usually open in Dec/Jan, and close Oct/Nov - or earlier if your country's allocation runs out. However, the IEC (International Experience Canada) make this decision, so exact dates can change from year to year. Due to the competition for Canada visas and Canada jobs, we recommend booking Work Canada as soon as they open. You can check the current quota of visas left for your country here(https://ircc.canada.ca/english/work/iec/selections.asp).

Who can apply for a Canada working holiday visa?

You can find the list of nationalities eligible for the IEC working holiday visa here(https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec/eligibility.html). Depending on your nationality, you must be 18-30 or 35, and will be granted a 12-24 month visa. To find out more about how the visa and pool system works, check out our nerdy Canada visa guide(/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-iec-canada-working-holiday-visa/)

I’ve been to Canada on an IEC visa before, can I go again?

Many nationalities (including Australian, New Zealand, British, Irish and European passport holders) can apply for an RO Letter (Recognised Organisation) or Young Professionals visa. These visas allow you to go back to Canada for a second time if you’ve already used your IEC working holiday visa. Check for eligibility and how to apply on our Canada Returner page.(/experiences/working-holidays/work-canada-ro/) UK passport holders who had an IEC after 2015 can now enter the pools for a second 12-month visa without needing to use an RO Letter. Check out this Canada blog(/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-iec-canada-working-holiday-visa/) for the new rules for British passport holders. Confused? Call us and we’ll talk you through it!

Do many people travel on their own?

Yes! The ski and summer resorts we work with can recruit for up to a hundred positions through us, so you’ll likely be working alongside 18-30s from all over the world. If you’re travelling solo, we suggest applying for jobs that include staff accommodation so that you have a ready-made friendship group to go. Your in-person arrival orientation in Toronto and Vancouver is another great way to meet others. Likewise, we have Discord groups set up for different regions in Canada so that you can connect with travellers heading out to the same cities or resorts as you.

What accommodation is included?

Depending on the option you choose, we include either 2 nights or 5 nights of hostel accommodation. This is in either a 4 or 6-person dorm in either the Samesun hostel in Toronto or Banff, HI Downtown for Vancouver, or the HI hostel in Calgary. If you’re flying straight to your resort to start your summer or ski job, you can do your orientation remotely and use your hostel nights at any other time in any of the above locations. (subject to availability). For example, for a weekend trip to Vancouver or a ski trip to Banff. Many of our ski and summer employers also include subsidised staff housing, which is filled on a first come first served basis. We advise booking Work Canada early to ensure you get your preferred choice of job and accommodation. SWAP also include access to their accommodation listings for the whole of your visa.

How does JENZA help me find a job?

If you book ‘JENZA Job’ you have the option to arrange a 4-6 month summer or ski season job or year-round construction job before you go. Once you've paid in full, you’ll get access to the JENZA Job Hub where you can search, apply and video interview for jobs. For winter positions: we also have virtual hiring days each year where our ski employers will bulk recruit for their staff over 1-2 days. We also try to have an in-person hiring event each year where you can meet and interview with our winter employers face-to-face. If you book ‘Own Job’ you’ll have a shorter number of hostel nights (2 nights instead of 5), but still have access to the same job workshops and arrival orientation when you land. You’ll also get access to SWAP’s job database for two years.

What kind of jobs can I do?

You can do almost any type of work on an IEC visa. A lot of travellers opt to do casual work, e.g. working in retail, restaurants, hotels or resorts. However, it’s also possible to independently find a more career-related job, e.g. if you are a qualified teacher, tradesperson or professional. Typical jobs with our ski and summer resort employers include working as a server, housekeeper, cook, chef, front of house, retail assistant, barista, rental technician, lift attendant, ski instructor, snowmaker and more. Unless you’re working as a chef, instructor or front of house, you typically don’t need previous hospitality experience – although this can help you to get hired. If you opt to pre-arrange a construction job, these roles include skilled and unskilled labourers, carpenters and carpenter’s helpers, and labour foremans. Many of these are skilled roles, and so are suited towards both qualified tradies and those who have completed their vocational training. For the unskilled roles, it’s a great opportunity to do a physical job and work as part of a team.

Which ski resorts does JENZA work with?

We have long-standing relationships with 20+ of Canada’s leading ski resorts - including Four Seasons Whistler, Pan Pacific Whistler, Westin Whistler, Whistler Blackcomb, Fairmont (Whistler, Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper), Panorama Mountain Resort, Big White, Banff Sunshine Village, Cypress Mountain, Asessippi, Grouse Mountain, Blue Mountain and Vista Ridge to name a few.

Does booking 'JENZA Job' guarantee me a job?

We have hundreds of jobs available on our Job Hub each season, so we’ll definitely be able to secure you interviews. However, whether you get hired is ultimately down to the employer and your interview on the day. We always recommend being open-minded about the resorts you apply to, e.g., jobs in popular resorts like Whistler and Banff will be more competitive. Also, if you are only looking to work in specific resorts and roles you MUST apply early. Winter hiring opens in May/Jun but as early as Dec/Jan, you can put down you preference for employers – getting you in-front of those employers as soon as hiring opens.

How long can I work for in Canada?

The Canada IEC visa is flexible and allows you to work anywhere in Canada for up to 24 months (depending on your nationality). It’s also multi-entry, so many travellers choose to head over for consecutive winters to work the ski season. Equally, there are no restrictions on how long you can work for any one company, so you can stay in the same job for the full duration of your visa.

Do I need a police background check?

A police background check will be required for every country you have continuously lived in for 6+ months since you were 18 - the cost and process varies per country. You can find out more in your online account.

What travel insurance do I need?

You may be asked for your policy documents at immigration, so you must take out comprehensive travel insurance to cover you for your whole stay. For example, if you book a six-month policy to save money, you run the risk of your visa being stamped for that duration – not the full duration of your visa. If this happens, there is no way to extend your stay. Also, ensure that you are covered for all the wintersports and activities you plan to do while you're away. We're busy working on an insurance partner for all our global JEN-setters. If you're a UK passport holder, why not get a quote from our friends at Go Walkabout(https://www.go-walkabout.co.uk/jenza/?tapa=157903-003e15&taps=2529157-de4807)

What’s the difference between BUNAC and JENZA?

Nothing! We’ve always been the same team running identical programs, just with different brand names in different countries. As you can imagine, this got crazy confusing. So in 2024, JENZA became the new name for all our working holiday and intern programs, and BUNAC went back to its 1972 Americana roots, and became our summer camp brand.

How do I apply for the Canada winter hiring event?

Here's all the intel so far on our 2026 Canada winter hiring event! What are the dates? 12, 13, 14 June 2026. Where will it be held? As soon as we have the location, we'll let you know – but it will be in Central London. Which Canada employers are attending? Four Seasons Whistler Fairmont Whistler Panorama Mountain Resort Blue Mountain How many positions are they hiring for? From lifties to servers, our employers are hiring for 160 winter and ski jobs across three days. Is it a drop in fair or do I need to be registered? Unfortunately, this is not a drop-in event. This is because in order to interview with one of our employers, you need to have your ITA (Invitation to Apply for your visa) by the time the fair comes around (you don't need to have it when you book an interview slot). This is so that our employers can be sure that you're able to work in Canada. How do I register for the event? We're busy doing some work behind the scenes, but you should be able to sign up via your online account by the end of Feb. More info coming soon. What if I’m from Australia or New Zealand? Are the interviews in person only? No – you're all good and won't miss out. It's a hybrid event, so we also have video interview slots for Aussies and Kiwis. These will be scheduled across the three days at times that work for the Southern Hemisphere. Spots are limited and are only for our customers based in the Southern Hemisphere. Once these are full, more virtual slots will be confirmed at a later time when more employers confirm their hiring dates.