How Canadians Can Apply for the Italian Working Holiday Visa

WHAT’S A WORKING HOLIDAY

To make a long story short; a working holiday is an extended vacation with the added bonus of a visa that lets you work to help pay for your trip as you go for way longer than usual tourist visas. Did you know Canadian citizens can get working holiday visas in over 30 countries?

WHY GET AN ITALIAN WORKING HOLIDAY VISA

There are so many reasons to get an Italian working holiday visa, but we’ve managed to narrow it down to a top 10.

1. Italian cuisine may be a bit of an obvious one, but how could anyone resist all the gelato, pasta and pizza?
2. And what better to go with all that food than world-famous wine!
3. A two-for-one: history and culture. Italy has well over 4,500 museums and tops the World Heritage list with a whopping 53 UNESCO sites.
4. Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Botticelli… do we need to say more? The art scene in Italy is unlike any other.
5. From beautiful beaches to grand mountains, your days off can be filled with natural wonders.
6. The birthplace of opera is filled with music.
7. Italy is perfectly located for you to explore Europe—a weekend trip, a little holiday or your next working holiday destination (the UK, France or Spain, maybe) is within reach.
8. The professional side of things is nothing to scoff at either. A gig in Italy on your resume is sure to catch people’s attention.
9. There’s nothing quite like full immersion when it comes to language.
10. And last but not least: the people.

HOW TO MOVE TO ITALY FROM CANADA

Before we get ahead of ourselves, there are a few requirements. You’ll need to:

• Be a Canadian citizen;
• Be between 18 and 35 years old, inclusively;
• Have a valid Canadian passport valid for at least 3 months after the visa’s expiry date;
  And live in Canada.

Once you’ve got those covered, you can move on to the “visa” step. You have three options:

1. The Working-Holiday visa is for Canadian youth who want to travel and supplement their income through temporary employment in Italy. (You do not need a formal job or internship offer for this one!)
2. The Work visa is for those with a pre-arranged contract in their designated previous field of study.
3. The Study/Intern visa is for students enrolled in a post-secondary institution with a pre-arranged placement related to their current field of study, as required by their academic curriculum.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO APPLY FOR THE ITALIAN WORKING HOLIDAY VISA

You can never go wrong with a good checklist!

• The national visa application form
• A passport photo taken within the last 6 months (35 x 45 mm)
• Your passport and a copy of your passport
• A detailed personalized round-trip flight itinerary, a booking, a reservation or the actual ticket
• Bank or credit card statements for the last 3 months that show proof of funds of approximately $2600 CAD or $3500 CAD (depending on the consulate or embassy)
• Your resume
• A copy of a Canadian form of ID
• A motivation letter
• Proof of health insurance for the entire length of your stay
• Proof of accommodation in Italy for at least the first part of your stay, i.e., first two to four weeks
• Cash or a money order for $169.25 CAD

Now, all that’s left to do is book an appointment with the nearest Italian consulate or embassy or mail in your documents. The processing time is approximately 2 to 3 weeks from the date of submission so do keep that in mind!

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU GET TO ITALY

After you’ve ooh-ed and aah-ed properly at your new home, you’ll need to take care of just a little more paperwork.

• Before your first week in Italy is up (8 days to be exact), you’ll have to apply for your Permesso di Soggiorno—or a residence permit for those of us with rusty Italian skills—at an immigration office.
• Once you’ve got a job, you’ll have to submit a request for a Work Permit to the Labour Office through your Italian employer, providing proof of the Permesso di Soggiorno.
• And then you’re good to go!

The mobility period lasts a maximum of 12 months. A participant (that’s you!) is eligible in total for a maximum of two periods—so take your time, and explore!