Jobs are for the North American winter ski season, which start in late October or December and last for around 5 months.

To be eligible you need to be able to leave Australia in October or November and employers usually only hire applicants who can commit to 5 months of work.

To be eligible for the Australia International Experience Canada (IEC) visa to Canada you must satisfy in full the criteria listed below:

• Hold an Australian passport valid for at least two years at time of application (contact IEP for advice if your passport is not valid for the next two years)
• Be aged between 18 and 35 years inclusive. (Your application must be received by Citizenship Immigration Canada prior to or on your 36th birthday)
• Have no criminal convictions, including serious traffic convictions. Minor offences may be admissible. If you have any convictions or serious traffic offences please contact the IEP office prior to application.
• Be travelling on a return/onward passage ticket, or have additional proof of funds to show you can purchase such a ticket
• Provide documentary evidence on arrival in Canada of access to approximately CA$2,500 (i.e. traveller’s cheques, cash, current bank statements or term deposit certificates) to cover your initial support costs
• Have an insurance policy for the duration of your stay

If you have a question about your eligibility for the visa please give us a call on 1300 797 702 or  email us at [email protected]

Application time: You should allow at least 8-12 weeks for the complete process from submitting your initial application to having your visa issued; however it can take longer depending on if you have a criminal conviction, medical or background issues or if the processing time increases.

Citizenship Immigration Canada require a criminal record form to be included with every visa application. This means all participants on the Work Canada and Work Canada Winter Jobs Program will have to submit this document with their visa application. The Australia Federal Police (AFP) check can take 15 days to be processed from the date it has been received, and effectively adds several weeks onto the application process. Please take this into consideration when selecting your desired departure date.

When you apply for the Work Canada Winter Jobs program we provide you with all the information you need to start the visa process and also assist you with submitting your visa application. So as soon as you apply it is the right time to get the ball rolling! There is no disadvantage in sorting it out early as you have 12 months from the date of visa approval to activate your visa for a full 24 months in Canada.

Please note that before you can apply for your work permit you will need to obtain an Australian Federal Police check. The official AFP processing time is 15 working days. We advise that you at least apply for your criminal record as soon as you apply to our program, even if you are not ready to submit your visa application. We will provide you with instructions on how to obtain the correct police check. If you are considering going to Canada but won’t be able to apply with us until close to the Job Fair then it might be a good idea to get your criminal record in advance so you won’t have a big delay before you can apply for the visa close to your departure.

Once you have submitted your visa normal processing time is 8 weeks until approval. If you have any criminal, medical or background issues the processing time can be considerably longer – contact us with details of your situation for advice.

As long as you are eligible for a working holiday visa to Canada and are either in the process of getting your visa or plan to apply right after your interview then that is fine. The employers do like to know you already have the visa sorted though, and because of the time involved in applying for the visa we recommend you apply well before the job fair.
If you have any criminal or background issues you must obtain the visa before the job fair.

No! In fact this could be a great opportunity for you to learn during your time off. Some jobs will require you have to have a certain ski ability such as the roles of Lift Operators or Instructors but the majority don’t require any ski/boarding skills.

The employers that we work with come to Australia because of the hard work and enthusiasm that Aussies bring to their resorts. Attitude is everything, and personality is worth just as much as direct experience in these roles. In saying that, it is valuable to have a CV that demonstrates that you have transferable skills from past employment that will help at the resort. There is no need to have actually worked at a ski resort before though.

If you have not had any jobs before then you will probably find it difficult to be placed at the job fair. We recommend that you find employment in Australia (part-time if studying is fine) to improve your skill set and help show off your employability!

If this is your last year at university then it is a perfect time to plan a working adventure overseas! However if you are planning on returning to study you must be willing to work the entire 5 month ski season in Canada. This may mean you’ll miss part of Semester 1 and will need to wait until Semester 2 to return to study. The employers may ask to see proof of deferment if you are a current student.

With Work Canada Winter Jobs you get a job interview with two Canadian employers. They will advise on the day whether they are offering you a job. We guarantee a job offer or you get your program fee back.

PLUS All the benefits of Work Canada program

Not only do you get a job sorted before you go but you also get all of the benefits of being on our fully supported Work Canada program. This means you get expert advice on visas, insurance and planning prior to departure, and you have access to the resources of SWAP (our Canadian partner organisation), when you get there.

Before you leave we provide:

• Assistance with obtaining your Working Holiday Visa (24 months)
• Work Canada handbook full of invaluable advice
• General advice including budgeting
• Great flight deals through STA Travel

When you arrive you receive:

• One nights’ of accommodation including breakfast
• Comprehensive orientation including employment, tax number and opening a bank account
• Free or subsidised ski pass
• Discounted ski rentals
• Subsidised housing and food
• Great resort staff events to kick start your Canadian social life
• Access to SWAP’s exclusive listings of jobs and employment contacts
• Free access to SWAP’s resources in Toronto and Vancouver, including computers and Internet, phone and fax
• Great social events where you can meet like-minded travellers
• Mail holding and re-direction
• 24 hour, 7 day support if something goes wrong!

As soon as you are able! We assign interviews based on when people sign up to our program, which means first applicants get first choice over who they interview with. So the earlier you apply the more likely that you’ll get your preferred employer interviews and times!

No, however it is part of our agreement with the employers to ensure you are on a comprehensive insurance policy that covers both winter sports and working holidays. IEP offer discounted policies to our participants  that are designed for working holiday makers. It is also compulsory that you have insurance for the entire duration of your stay when you enter Canada.

IEP have two very comprehensive policy options that cover a working holiday in Canada and can be tailored to fit any traveller. You will find information and a quote for option one here and the Product Disclosure Statement for option two here. If you would like to obtain a quote for insurance please email [email protected]

IEP regularly hold information evenings in major cities around the country. You can find times and dates of these here.

If you have a few more detailed questions then just give us a call on 1300 797 702 or contact us here.

You can sign up here. We take applications for Work Canada Winter Jobs year round but Interviews are held in August/September. If you apply after those months, your application can be help until the following year.  We will give you a call within 2 days of receiving your application to have a quick 10 minute interview with you and get an idea of your plans. At this stage we’ll also be able to answer any initial questions you might have. From there we will send you your first information email and the planning begins!

Interviews will be held in Melbourne, and Brisbane. The Melbourne hiring fairs are on the 28th and 29th of July and the Brisbane hiring fair is on the 27th of July. If you’re worried about travelling from outside of Melbourne or Brisbane for a face to face interview don’t worry, we will ask for your time preference and let you know the interview times in advance so that you can get time off work or book flights!

If you can’t make it to Melbourne and Brisbane for a face to face interview then you are welcome to attend our Virtual hiring fairs on either the 13th or the 27th of August. Interviews will be conducted over Skype with two employers of your choice.

It is worth noting that a lot of the positions available with each of our employers will be filled during the face to face interviews held in Auckland, Melbourne and Brisbane at the end of July. That means a lot of the more desirable positions will be filled by the time the virtual interviews roll around. Additionally – a face to face interview is the best way for the employer to see you for all your worth and also so you can see if that employer is going to be the right fit for you. Our recommendation is definitely to come to our in person hiring fair – but if thats just not a possibility for you, we will get you along to one of our virtual hiring fairs!

Our employers for this year are:

• Panorama Mountain Resort (BC)
• Cypress Mountain Resort (BC)
• Grouse Mountain Resort (BC)
• Whistler Four Seasons (BC)
• Big White (BC)
• Asessippi (Manitoba)
• Marmot Basin (Jasper, AB)
• Banff Jasper Collections (AB)
• Vista Ridge (AB)

Once we have received all of these details from the employers we collate them into the Work Canada Winter Jobs Handbook. We send this out to all participants closer to the interview booking stage to help you decide who you’d like to interview with. The following are examples of the types of jobs we have hired for in the past:

• Bar/wait staff
• Cashiers
• Custodial Engineer
• Check-in representative
• Lift attendant
• Rental attendant
• Receptionist/Front Desk
• Snow/ski Instructor
• Ticket sales
• Parking attendant
• Shop staff
• Ski patrol
• Barista
• Mountain Maintenance
• Sleigh operator
• Boot fitter
• Dishwasher
• Cook
• Bartender
• Room attendant
• Phone/radio operator

There are a great variety of positions but please note that most vacancies are in the areas of lift attending, rentals/retail and hospitality.
Pay rates range from about Canadian $10-$16 per hour depending on whether the position also gets tips and the responsibility/skill involved in the job.

In the past we have had many couples and friends travel together on the Winter Jobs program. However we cannot absolutely guarantee that you will be placed at the same resort as all interviews are individual and the employers will hire you based on your own merits.

We will make sure that you are all scheduled in with the same employers – just let us know that you are travelling with someone else. Our advice from there is to be extra flexible with the types of jobs you are willing to accept and remember you will have at least two chances to get a match!

In this circumstance you will be offered a full program fee refund. Fortunately this situation is very rare! Please note that if you are offered a job but choose not to take it then you will not receive a refund.

Yes you will be required to provide an up to date CV, contact details of at least 2 references and 2 written references. The CV will need to be organised before the interview so that the employers can review your application. IEP will help out with templates and a CV review before the interviews.

Canadian employment interviews are similar to interviews you may have had in Australia. You should be prepared to answer questions about yourself, your skills, experience and also your strengths and weaknesses. The interviews are formal and you should act professionally throughout. While ski resorts may be more casual workplaces than your average office you will still need to make an effort to dress nicely and show your best manners!

An extra copy or two of your CV and references are good to bring just in case! We will let you know if there are any extra requirements for your chosen employers closer to the interview.

The employers will have come all the way from Canada to interview you in person so although its not necessary to come to Melbourne or Brisbane to meet them, its is definitely the best way to show your enthusiasm. If you can’t make it to Melbourne or Brisbane for a face to face interview then you are welcome to attend our Virtual hiring fairs on either the 13th or the 27th of August. Interviews will be conducted over Skype with two employers of your choice.

Yes definitely! We recognise that it is much easier to arrive in a new country with a familiar face or two so we do organise ways for you to meet other participants.

First of all, the job fair is a great time to meet other participants for the first time. We find that people are eager to meet others interviewing for the same resort.

Group flights are also on offer through the friendly team at STA Travel. They negotiates the rates for peak flight dates in advance so the fares are great deals even if you are booking closer to departure. On the group flights you’ll be travelling with a bunch of other participants who are starting work at a similar time to you. In conjunction with the group arrival dates we also have fun transport package run by Moose Travel. This is a great opportunity to ride with the rest of the IEP group to your resort over a few days doing a bit of a tour and having a bit of a party on the way!

As part of the IEP Winter Jobs program you get one free nights’ at a central Vancouver hostel, conveniently located close to your SWAP support office. Your first stop the next morning will be to SWAP for your orientation! In your orientation you’ll learn all that you need to know to have a successful working holiday and get help applying for your Canadian SIN (tax) number and bank account. After orientation the next step is up to you! You’ll probably find yourself sightseeing in Vancouver, jumping on the Moose Transfer, making your way to your resort or sitting in the SWAP office asking lots of questions and using their internet to update Facebook and make all your friends jealous!

This is negotiated between you and the employer, however the usual minimum term is 5 months, or the duration of the ski season.

These positions are seasonal so, to some degree, your hours depend on the snow. The majority of our positions are full time (30-40 hours) seasonal roles. Your hours will be made clear to you when you are offered a job so it won’t be a surprise. You will probably find that if the snow isn’t falling then work will be slow and you can expect to work fewer hours. On the flipside, during busy times and on holidays there may be the opportunity for overtime! We recommend having some back up savings for emergencies and to put aside some wages from the super busy weeks to tide you over if you have some slow weeks.

Once you accept your job you’ll be informed of any special uniform requirements by your employer. In general it is a good idea to make sure you can bring black shoes, pants and a white shirt for indoor positions as a base for the uniform. For outdoor positions you would usually be provided with the outer layers you need to survive in the snow but it is a very good idea to bring plenty of warm layers to wear underneath.

Each resort is a little bit different but they all expect tidy and wholesome grooming. You may need to cut off dreads or dye your hair a natural colour if you have a more alternative style. Piercings may or may not be suitable for their policies depending on how visible they are. At the interview they will let you know if there are any special requirements that you need to know about

This depends on your resort and accommodation situation. Common ways of getting to work are catching public transport or walking/catching a staff shuttle from staff accommodation. You should not need to buy a car while you are over there as many of the resort staff will be temporarily living in the area like you and there is infrastructure in place for staff without personal transport.

Many of the resorts we work with offer accommodation for staff. This type of accommodation is usually close to the workplace with shared apartments or houses. The price for this is generally cheaper than renting privately and it will be deducted from your wages automatically. The price of the accommodation depends on the location and other factors like whether or not you share your bedroom.

Another popular option is to band together with other staff, or IEP members to rent a house for the season. Your employer will give you information about where to start in finding local properties. There is also no reason why you can’t find a room in an already established flat with other staff or even locals!

All of our employers offer benefits to their employees above and beyond your wage. The benefits differ from employer to employer but all offer a free or discounted season ski pass. It is also common to get discounts on lessons, gear and rentals and food around the resort. Some even offer free snacks or hot drinks while you are on your shift! Social events and staff parties are part of the resort experience and you will probably find your mountain has agreements with other nearby mountains so that you can ski there for free as well!

With IEP you get support for the full 24 months of your visa, so there is no reason to finish your OE just yet! Our Canadian partner organisation SWAP have offices in Vancouver and Toronto. If you are thinking of heading to a different part of Canada to work out the summer then consider hitting the SWAP office on your way. They have job resources and listings that will help you to find work. They are only a phone call or email away if you can’t make it to an office.

There may be opportunities for summer work at your resort if you prove yourself to be a fantastic worker and express your interest in staying on. It is common in Canada for the ski mountains to turn into summer activity playgrounds once the snow melts so if there are opportunities available it can be a fun job for outdoorsy types.