POWDER PACK – CANADA WINTER
includes free job matching package!
CANADA POWDER PROGRAMME - WINTER SEASON
2023/24 Winter Applications now closed
2024/25 Winter Applications open 1st October 2023
Our Winter working holiday programme is your one-stop service to an authentic Canadian working holiday experience. Whether you stay for just one season or end up staying for the full duration of your visa TWHC has you covered. We became the market leader by providing life changing working holiday experiences to youths across the globe in Canada’s most sought after destinations.
The ‘Powder Team’ at TWHC are well-travelled consultants with years of experience placing travellers in ski resort jobs! Our Canada holiday packages will breeze you through your Canada visa application, a job interview and offers with premier resorts to name a few.
If you want to chat about visa cost, ski resort and job availabilities, get in touch. Alternatively, check out the videos, FAQ, job profiles and ski resort pages on our site.
WHAT DO I GET?
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
- Hold an AUS/NZ/UK/EU passport valid for at least two years at time of application
- Be aged between 18 and 35 years inclusive (18-30 for UK and some EU countries)
- Have no criminal convictions, including serious traffic convictions.
- Minor offenses may be admissible.
- Have travel insurance for the ENTIRE duration of your stay in Canada
- Provide documentary evidence on arrival in Canada of access to approximately CA$2,500
- From December 31st 2018 it is required to submit your biometrics information at a biometrics office in your country and pay the fee of $85 CAD
WHAT JOB CAN I GET?
WHAT ARE THE COSTS?
CANADA VISA APPLICATION PROCESS
LOCATIONS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
LETS TALK MONEY
What Am I actually paying for?
Simple. The security of knowing that you have literally every facet of your working holiday experience organised pre-departure by the market leaders who will ensure you have an authentic, life changing, Canadian working holiday experience at one of the countries most sought after destinations.
We will do this by providing:
- Multiple Job Opportunities
- Staff Housing or Housing Assistance
- Step-by-step Visa Assistance
- In-Country Orientation (Sin/Tax, Bank Account, SIM)
- Access to your resort specific Closed Facebook Group
- In-Country Support throughout the entire length of your stay.
- Secondary Job Opportunities after completion of first season
What happens if I am not offered a position?
If you are not offered a position after your initial resort interview we will endeavour to set you up with a second resort interview. If after two unsuccessful attempts to place you within one of our ski resort or hotel partners we will refund you in full less your deposit.
What happens if I can no longer travel?
WHY USE THE WORKING HOLIDAY CLUB?
Can I just do it myself?
You can, however, it’s extremely risky and no doubt costly. The resorts & hotels have staffing needs of hundreds of employees and can’t leave it until the last minute to do their hiring in case they fall short. Subsequently, they use the working holiday club’ to handle their candidate flow for international hires (overall hiring numbers for canadian employees are carefully monitored and tracked by the canadian gov ‘ there’s not a bottomless pit for internationals to work in canada).
You might be able to score yourself a job at one of the local grocery stores, bakeries or restaurants, but without guaranteed hours, at $10.00 per hour, if you are only getting 15 hours per week that’s not even going to pay for your rent if you are not living in staff housing.
Here are some factors to take into consideration if you have decided to do it yourself.
You will need to secure your work visa fast as their quotas are reached earlier each year.
- You will need to secure your work visa fast as their quotas are reached earlier each year.
- If you manage to secure employment with a local grocery or retail outlet on the mountain, your accommodation will be very expensive if any is even available for you to rent on min wage.
- You will need to fork out as much as $1800 for a season ski lift pass ‘ local shops very rarely can offer you an annual pass for free.
- You will need to budget for a minimum of three weeks in a hostel while you jobs hunt
For your interviews, you will need to travel to the resorts and pay for accommodation and flights. Very costly.
In a nutshell, those that diy faces accommodation issues, ski lift pass cost, a lack of consistent and reliable work, and expensive interview travel expenses!
The working holiday club’ offers you the security to have everything pre-arranged so that you have peace of mind when arriving in canada. You’re also guaranteed:
Instant income
- Free season lift pass
- A roof over your head
- Legal visa
- Safe arrival into your new home
- All you need to think about is what drink you’re going to order at the meet and greet party on arrival!
Placement guarantees
Easy, we fly the HR Managers to your home country to interview you face-to-face so you will 100% have a full-time job contract in your hand before you even book your flights to Canada!
Through our extensive partnerships with reputable employers across canada, we can offer the job guarantee service.
- Our resort & hotel partners provide us with the exact number of positions to fill each season
- Our partners will interview you face-to-face before you leave your home country
- Our partners provide you with you formal job contracts, hr documents, start dates, rate of pay and the position you were accepted for months before your departure date
- Unlike our competitors in the industry, we do not take applications and then proceed to find a suitable employment ‘ we already have the job you’re looking for.
Whistler Blackcomb reference
We have partnered with twhc for 10 years now. We have worked with a few agencies over the years and now use twhc exclusively. With honest two-way communication, the team really understands our business & consistently delivers top candidates for us to meet. Extremely organized & efficient, our time is always well spent & this has proven to be the most effective way to recruit great people. The team are true professionals & I would recommend them to anyone.
Silver Star reference
Silver Star have been working with The Working Holiday Club for many years now to assist us with our hiring. It is a challenge for any company to recruit large numbers of employees season after season, however, with the assistance of the working holiday club we are able to fill these positions with a professional, reliable, engaged employee team. We feel that the working holiday club are industry leaders in recruiting employees within the ski industry. The team at the working holiday club understand the needs of each resort that they partner with, offering an honest service to both employer and employee. I would have no hesitation in recommending the working holiday club as a friendly, welcoming and trustworthy company to work with.S
Flight Centre reference
This email is to acknowledge that flight centre travel group and the working holiday club have been working together for over 5 years. During this time we’ve found twhc to be a solid, ethical, and completely above-board organization, and furthermore have a strong business relationship with. We strongly value the partnership between our two organizations, and rely heavily on twhc to provide our customers with a honest, and seamless customer experience.Our relationship extends across all retail brands within the flight centre travel group, including but not limited to flight centre, student flights, escape travel, and my adventure store.
- We have the best ski resorts
- We have the best ski resorts jobs
- We have the best interview processs
- We are the preferred working holiday agency for large companies like flight centre, student flights (austalia and new zealand) and kilroy international (europe). We are also the most significant areas likewhsiter blackcomb, failure to deliver what we say we will do is not an option. Having these partnerships for ten years indicates we are the best because we do what we say we will do
- For 10 years major resort trust us with international hiring
Resort & travel agent references
Industry references, so you know you’re in safe hands!
WORKING HOLIDAY VISA A-Z
Processing time for international experience canada
8 – 12 weeks
Important information
- Visa offices close every year between October and January
- Currently, Australians and New Zealanders are only permitted to have one two-year working visa.
Before arriving in Canada
We strongly suggest that you wait until you receive your POE Letter of Introduction from CIC before:
- you purchase a plane ticket for any travel to Canada
- you purchase health insurance for your stay in Canada
- you make commitments to your prospective employer in Canada, or
- you commit to any accommodation
INTERVIEW / PLACEMENT
What should I expect from the interview?
Canadian employment interviews are similar to interviews you may have had in the past. 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!
Ski resort & staff housing?
Many people say finding a place to live is the most challenging part of relocating to a ski town for the winter. Because the goal of most ski areas is to house and feed as many visitors as possible during the winter months, employee housing is often limited and expensive. Some resort employers provide or arrange to the house for their workers; newcomers to the industry may want to target these companies when looking for a job. Most of the resorts offer staff housing, making us the top agency to work with us.
Are there any special uniform/grooming requirements on the job
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 colours 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
ARRIVAL & SUPPORT
What happens when I first get to Canada?
Our office is located in the hostel and your arrival orientation will take place there also. During orientations we will assist you in getting Canadian sin (tax) number and bank account and you mobile sim. After orientation we party.
Ski resort & staff housing?
Is a TWHC representative in Canada when I arrive?
Yes… We have a desk within the Samesun Hostel so we will meet you on arrival. We also host orientations to help you set up your social insurance number (sin), bank account and sim card, and much more, which will assist the transition into your new home country a breeze. The Working Holiday Club’ representative will also host the meet and greet drinks with the other staff heading to the same location as yourself, so you get to make some new mates before heading up to your resort/hotel.
What happens when the winter season ends?
With us you get support for the full 24 months of your visa, so there is no reason to finish just yet! If you are thinking of heading to a different part of Canada to work out the summer then we will put your forward, just the same as we did in round one. Except you will only need to do a quick Skype interview. Our partners have been with for over 10 years now, in most cases our recommendation is all your need!
OTHER QUESTIONS
Do I need to have experience skiing/boarding to work at a ski resort?
In most positions, you will not need to have skied in your life before. Some of our applicants have never even seen the snow before! However, lift operations & some instructor positions will need you to have experience on the slopes to be considered for a position. Kicking horse ski resort requires lift operators to be at least intermediate or advanced skiers or riders. The terrain at this resort is quite advanced, and there is minimal beginner terrain here.
Can I specify a particular position & resort I want to work at?
You sure can! Once your application fee has been finalised and you have completed your online application, you will be asked to answer our skills-based assessment test, where you can put forward your application for a particular position. However, as certain positions are very popular, you may wish to consider listing some different preferences. Remember, flexibility is an attractive trait for all employers!
The job you applied for might have many other applying for it as well, so consider the role and your suitability carefully. For example, many people apply for lift operator roles… Those people who have worked outside previously or in labouring roles will have a distinct advantage over those who have never had a physical job. Reading and understanding job descriptions and how they will apply to you is incredibly important when considering jobs for six months or more.
Consider if you are fit for the role ‘ if you have previous experience. Some roles start early and finish early. Again, read and research the roles you are interested in.
Ask your working holiday club’ recruitment manager if you have any questions or require clarification.
Can I go with a friend partner?
Yes, you can. We understand moving to the other side of the world can be a little daunting, and we strive to ensue we give you and your friends/partners the best possible opportunity of working together. That is why, in your application, you can note who you will be travelling with. Ultimately the decision is the interviewers’, and we cannot guarantee you will both receive a job offer. As we mentioned earlier, be flexible with your job options, and we are confident we will be able to place you and your friends together.
Be aware the larger the group of travellers, the greater the chance of someone not being offered a role. This was also applied to couples ‘ one is stronger than the other. There is always ‘one person’ in the group that isn’t as sharp or as focused. The resort or hotel interviewers have no qualms deciding who they offer roles to, and who they don’t. This is a brutal reality… The info here is to help prepare you.
Can i apply if I am a uni student?
Yes… But be aware that canadian employers consider university students pathological liars because they rarely commit to the entire season/job contract. Because of the poor reputation of uni students, applicants are required to obtain ‘letters of deferment’ to prove their commitment to this program and employment.
If you are a uni student, remember that this experience is for potential employment for up to two years… Don’t waste this opportunity by only coming for six months, as the visa criteria have changed and recurring visas are now no longer available!
Need clarification? Give us a call… We’ll help walk you through it!
How long will I work for the resort and how many hours will I be working?
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. 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.
What is the legal drinking age in Canada?
It’s different across the country. British Columbia is 19, Alberta is 18. Should you travel to the United States while working in Canada, you will need to obtain an ESTA Visa to enter, and be aware that their drinking age is 21. There can be severe consequences should you be caught underage drinking!
Will I get any benefits working for the resort?
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 discounts on lessons, gear and rentals and food.
Our resorts are famous for their benefits, most sort after benefits are;
- Free ski lift passes
- Staff housing
- Meal plans
- We are very picky when selecting resort partners, if staff housing or hand on support in is not available, we will not be over eager to take them on.
Video gallery
CANADA WINTER
CANADA WORK VISA
TAKING A WORKING HOLIDAY
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Departure/Return Location
Australia / New Zealand / UK / EU -
Departure Time
October-December -
Return Time
Open Ended -
Dress Code
Uniform Provided
From our gallery
Canada Winter Past Participants
Application Process
CONSULTATION CALL
DEPOSIT PAYMENT
PRE SCREENING APPLICATION FORMS
ONLINE PRE-SCREEN INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW PLACEMENT
RESORT SPECIFIC APPLICATION
RESORT / HOTEL INTERVIEW
JOB CONTRACT
UNSUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES
FULL PAYMENT
