Canada and Mexico have recently established a student work abroad – working holiday program. Mexican students who would like to spend up to a year in Canada working are eligible to apply for a visitor visa and a one-year work permit.

Having the opportunity to visit and work in Canada provides a wonderful chance to see the country and gain some valuable Canadian work experience at the same time. It may also lead to opportunities for strategies to obtain permanent residence in Canada subject to obtaining an appropriate job offer and federal or provincial approvals for a further work permit.

It is critical to get good information and assistance with respect to any work permit for permanent resident application. Contact McCrea & Associates with respect to any Canadian immigration or citizenship related matter and we would be happy to discuss options.

For more info, visit the Canadian Embassy in Mexico website.
Eligibility Criteria
This category is designed for Mexican citizens, who are registered students at a post-secondary education institution in Mexico, who intend to travel in Canada and who wish to obtain temporary paid employment in order to supplement their financial resources (maximum 12 months).
To be eligible for the Working Holiday category you must:
1. Be 18-29 years old inclusive at the time your application is received. Your application must be stamped as received by The Embassy of Canada in Mexico City on or after your 18th birthday, and before your 30th birthday;
2. Be a Mexican citizen holding a Mexican passport that remains valid throughout the period of stay in Canada. This means that at the time of application your passport should be valid for approximately another 26 months to account for the application processing time of 8 weeks, the one year validity of the Letter of Introduction, and the normal stay of 12 months. When the work permit is issued upon arrival in Canada, it will not be longer than the validity of the passport.
3. Have, prior to departure, a round trip ticket or sufficient financial resources to purchase such a ticket;
4. Have proof of the financial resources necessary (CAD $2,500) to provide for your needs at the beginning of your authorized period of stay;
5. Not be accompanied by dependant(s) under your IEC application;
6. Purchase, prior to entering Canada, insurance for medical and health care, including hospitalization and repatriation, for the entire authorized period of stay;
7. Be registered at a post-secondary education institution in Mexico;
8. Pay the Program Participation Fee in Mexican pesos; and
9. Not have participated in the Canada-Mexico Youth Mobility Arrangement in the last 3 years.