Young Professionals Visa for Canada

If you’re thinking about packing your life into a suitcase and traveling to Canada to spend a year working and studying, you’re in the right place. Today we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about one of the most popular visas: the Young Professionals Visa.

Keep reading or fill out our contact form to receive personalized advice from a Dingoos Guide. Let’s get started!

It’s a permit to work in Canada, allowing you to work full time for 12 months and study for a maximum of 6 months. It’s one of the most popular visas among young people, very similar to the Work and Holiday Visa, but easier to obtain because more spots are offered and there is less demand.

It’s usually less sought after because to access it, you must first have an internship or job offer from a Canadian company.

However, there is a limited number of spots for each country that has an agreement with the Canadian government, a total of 20 including Chile, Costa Rica, and Spain.

The Young Professionals Visa is part of the IEC (International Experience of Canada) agreement and will allow you to work or intern at Canadian companies so you can work while studying English (remember, only for 6 months).

As mentioned in the previous section, the YP allows you to work full time for 12 months and study for a maximum of 6 months, but if you meet the requirements, you can extend its duration to continue enjoying your stay in Canada for another 12 months.

During this time, you can also come and go from the country as many times as you need, allowing you to easily visit neighboring countries, making your experience even more complete. This way, you can explore the country while gaining work experience and learning the language.

However, if you’re looking to make Canada your home for a longer period, we recommend other types of visas, such as the Post Graduation Work Permit (if you’ve studied at a Canadian public institution) or the student visa (if your goal is to study full time).

The Young Professionals Visa is aimed at young people between 18 and 35 years old (inclusive) from countries that have agreements with the Canadian government. Specifically, Chile, Costa Rica, and Spain.

It has many advantages as it allows you to work while you study, so you can save money to pay for your stay or travel around the country.

It also offers you the possibility of working full time in any city in Canada, so if your goal is to have an international work experience while discovering an amazing country, the Young Professionals Visa is what you’re looking for.

Important: if your plan is to travel with children or with your partner, you should know that the visa application is individual; each person will need their own.

Many young people who apply for the Young Professionals Visa already have a job because they have spent some time in Canada with the Work and Holiday Visa or are qualified professionals looking to continue their professional career in Canada.

There are several requirements to apply for the YP, but we’ll summarize them so you can see that they’re not so complicated.

• The first is to have a job offer signed and certified by a Canadian company. A certificate or contract for a temporary project related to your profession.
• Be between 18 and 35 years old.
• Be a national of one of the 20 countries within the IEC agreement. Spain, Chile, and Costa Rica are the Spanish-speaking countries included in this agreement.
• Have no dependents and demonstrate it by completing the Family Information form, where you inform about your family situation.
• Have a valid and current passport, preferably with at least a couple of years of validity, in case you decide to extend your stay.
• Have no criminal record and, if you have lived in another country for more than 6 months, fill out an online form confirming that you have no criminal record.
• Have purchased medical insurance that covers your entire stay in the country.
• Since 2019, be vaccinated against Covid-19.
• Have a minimum of $2,500 CAD in savings to ensure that you cover your initial weeks in Canada.
• Have a Canadian CV.
• Along with the application, you’ll need to attach a passport-sized color photo.
• Include your biometric data, which includes your fingerprints and photos of your face. To provide this data, you’ll need to visit one of the official offices listed in this list.

Timing is crucial; we recommend that you learn these steps so that when you apply, you can do it as quickly as possible. It’s important to be attentive to when the registration period opens to ensure that you don’t miss it and end up without the opportunity to apply for your visa.

The process is very similar to the application process for the W&H Visa, the only difference being that you’ll need to include that you have a job offer from a Canadian company.

1. Fill out the form and get the code you’ll need in the next step.
2. Create an account on the IRCC website, the page of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada. Then, log in to your account with your username and password.
3. Click on the section “Apply to come to Canada” and enter the code you saved in step 1.
4. Fill out your profile, and once your account is created, select the “Young Professional Visa” option.
5. Make sure all your profile details match those on your passport.
6. Wait for your invitation; it will arrive in your email in the next few days (don’t despair; it may take several months).
7. Once you receive the invitation, you have a maximum of 10 days to confirm it.
8. After accepting it, your company must post the job offer on the immigration page and pay the $230 CAD fee. Upon doing so, they will be provided with a code that they must share with you to approve your visa.

Do you have any questions? Don’t worry; you can contact us, and a Dingoos Guide will advise and assist you with all the procedures.

At Dingoos, we have extensive experience helping young students live the experience of studying and working in Canada. That’s why we can help you apply for your visa, advise you on finding a job, and make all the paperwork for applications as simple as possible.

If you also want to study, our Dingoos Guides will advise you at all times and help you with the procedures to enroll in school.

With Dingoos, you’ll be accompanied from the beginning of your decision to the end of your experience. That’s why we’ll not only help you with the preliminary procedures but also with your arrival at the destination, booking your accommodation, picking you up at the airport to welcome you, and supporting you throughout your stay in your new home.

Let us guide you and start your adventure in Canada.