What is IEC Working Holiday Visa in Canada Program?

Young people between the ages of 18 and 35 who have applied for the IEC / Working Holiday program have to purchase travel emergency insurance before coming to Canada, as a POE officer may request proof of your medical coverage. International Experience Canada (IEC) is a program designed to allow youth the opportunity to work in Canada for temporary periods. Citizens of countries with a bilateral Youth Mobility Arrangement with Canada who are between 18 and 35 years old may be eligible for IEC work permits.

Your Port of Entry Letter – (POE)
Your Passport
Proof of funds.
Proof of health insurance.
A ticket for your departure from or for Canada or sufficient funds to purchase such a ticket and.
Copies of the documents you provided in your work permit application.

The border services officer may ask you for proof of health insurance.

You may be refused entry if you do not have insurance.

Your insurance must cover:

Medical Care / Medical Emergency
Hospitalization and
Repatriation (Returning you to your country in the event of severe illness, injury or death)

Note: When you arrive at the port of entry, you must have health insurance valid for your entire stay in Canada. Having a valid provincial health card is not enough.

Young people between the ages of 18 and 35 who have applied for the IEC / Working Holiday program have to purchase travel emergency insurance before coming to Canada, as a POE officer may request proof of your medical coverage.
If you are uninsured, you may be denied entry to Canada until you purchase an International Experience Canada travel/working insurance policy. Moreover, if you decide to skip out on purchasing appropriate coverage, you are potentially exposing yourself to a great risk as medical costs in Canada can easily run up to several thousands of dollars just for a single day in the hospital.

Yes. Each IEC / Working Holiday insurance plan we offer provides the required coverage for hospitalization, medical care and repatriation as well as much more!

Yes, you will be covered by this policy anywhere around the globe as long as you are not in your home country or any other country or territory, where you may be eligible for a government healthcare plan. In order to maintain this benefit, you must remain in Canada for a little over 50% or 75% of the policy period, depending on your chosen insurance policy.

Absolutely. With a health insurance policy from a Canadian provider it is much easier to file a claim, receive comprehensive sports coverage, as well as have direct billing. With this you do not have to pay for medical assistance yourself and get reimbursed later; rather, there are local branches of the company where you can meet a representative.

No, that is why it is very important that IEC visitors purchase appropriate travel insurance for the duration of their stay in Canada. Moreover, IEC / Working Holiday participants who are about to get their Canadian Work Visa, are not covered by government health insurance plans. This is why, it is a key requirement to purchase travel insurance for a Working Visa in Canada for the whole duration of your stay in Canada.
However, IEC / Working Holiday participants can become eligible for provincial healthcare if he/she is employed. Please note that eligibility requirements vary depending on the Health Ministry within the Canadian province or territory of your temporary stay.

When shopping for health insurance for Working Holiday Visa Canada, you should include a Canadian street address in the application. If you do not have one, you may enter the address of a hostel or a friend/family member you are going to stay with.
In case you have not yet decided where to stay, just contact one of our insurance advisors and we will work something out.

Yes, it is a requirement to be covered for the whole duration of your intended stay in Canada.

Yes, all Canada Working Holiday Visa medical insurance plans that we offer cover occupational and sports injuries including winter ones such as ski and snowboard, etc. as long as it is not competitive. Please note that high-risk recreational activities such as scuba diving, bungee jumping, rock climbing, etc. are not covered.