Application steps - Canadians

As we explained in chapter 1, Canadians:

• Must be between 18 and 35 years old at the time of application.
• Can participate in the Working Holiday Visa to South Korea twice, each for up to 24 months (2×24 months).
• Do not have restrictions in terms of work hours and employment duration while on a Working Holiday Visa.

Compared to participants of other nationalities, Canadians have by far the most favourable and flexible conditions with regards to the Korea Working Holiday Visa.

As far as we know, the annual quota of 12,000 visas for Canadians has never come close to being reached, so you should have no trouble securing a spot any time of the year.

In this chapter, we will walk through how to apply for the Korea WHV as a Canadian citizen.

1. Fill out the application form

You can fill out your application online on the Korea Visa Portal.

A few special fields on the form to be aware of as a Working Holiday Visa applicant:

• 1.7: For National Identity No., you may put your Canadian Social Insurance Number.
• 2.2: For Status of Stay, put “Working Holiday Visa”.
• 8.1: For Purpose of Visit to Korea, select “Other” and indicate “Working Holiday”.
• 8.4: For Address in Korea, put the address of where you plan to stay upon arriving in Korea. It can be a youth hostel or an Airbnb, for example.
• 8.5: For Contact No. in Korea, put the phone number of your accommodation from 8.4.
• 8.7: For Countries travelled to in the last 5 years, if you travelled to more countries than the number of rows on the form, you can simply attach a printed table (from Excel, for example) to your application.
• 9: For Details of Invitation, unless someone has invited you to Korea on this visa, you should indicate “No”.
• 10.1: For Estimated Travel Costs, indicate how much savings you have. Make sure you meet the minimum requirement (official source indicates approximately CA$3,400).

Once the application is complete, print it out.

2. Gather supporting documents

In addition to the visa application form, you will also need to gather some supporting documents. The following is what is listed on the website of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Canada.

1. Visa application form
2. Original passport and a photocopy of passport
3. Color photo (size 35mm x 45mm)
4. Working Holiday Plan (see sample)
5. Resume (CV)
6. Certificate from the most recent school attended
7. RCMP criminal record check with fingerprints, issued within the last 6 months
8. Physical examination performed by a physician issued within 3 months including a
   – Chest X-ray
   – Urinalysis
   – Blood test
   – HIV test
9. Health/medical Insurance. It should
   – Be valid for your full intended stay in Korea, up to 2 years. Two consecutive one-year policies is acceptable.
   – Cover at least KRW 40,000,000 minimum.
   – Cover repatriation.
10. Bank statement with certified bank stamp. Minimum of approximately CA$3,400.
11. Roundtrip flight schedules. The itinerary is sufficient, you can wait until your visa is approved to purchase flights.
12. Visa fee of $121.50. You can pay this during your appointment, in cash or money order only.
13. Documents to prove renunciation of previous South Korean citizenship, if applicable

Source: Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Canada.

3. Submit your application

Once you have completed the application form and gathered your documents, you’ll need to submit your application.

Remember that Canadian applicants must apply in Canada. Your place of application depends on where you reside:

• Residents of Ottawa and Nunavut should apply at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Ottawa.
• Residents of MB and the rest of Ontario (excl. Ottawa) should apply at the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Toronto.
• Residents of QC, NL, NB, NS, and PEI should apply at the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Montreal.
• Residents of AB, BC, SK, YT, and the NT should apply at the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Vancouver.

Select your jurisdiction

• Applying at the Embassy in Ottawa
• Applying at the Consulate in Toronto
• Applying at the Consulate in Montreal
• Applying at the Consulate in Vancouver

Applying at the Embassy in Ottawa

If you reside in:

• Ottawa, you must submit your application in person.
• Nunavut, you may submit your application by mail.

For more details, contact the Embassy directly.

Once you’ve submitted your application, you can track it’s status.

Applying at the Consulate in Toronto

You must submit your application in person at the consulate unless you live more than two hours away, in which case you may apply by mail.

Applying in person

You must first book an appointment. You will submit your application and pay the visa fee on the day of your appointment.

Applying by mail

You must send your application package to the consulate using a prepaid Canada Post Xpresspost envelope (or a domestic Xpresspost envelope if you live in Manitoba).

Your package must include all of the required documents for the South Korea Working Holiday Visa application, as well as:

• Your original passport.
• Proof of address, such as a photocopy of your Ontario driver’s licence ID card.
• Payment of the visa fee by certified cheque or bank draft payable to KOREAN CONSULATE TORONTO.
• A prepaid Xpresspost envelope showing your address and phone number. This envelope will be used to return your passport. Alternatively, you may collect your passport in person at the consulate. If so, include a signed note stating that you wish to pick it up yourself.

Mail your application to:

ATTN: VISA DEPARTMENT
Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Toronto
555 Avenue Road
Toronto, ON M4V 2J7
Tel: 416-920-3809

Once you’ve submitted your application, you can track it’s status.

Applying at the Consulate in Montreal

If you are a resident of

• Quebec (province), you must submit your application in person at the consulate.
• Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island, you may choose to apply by mail instead.

Applying in person (QC)

You must first book an appointment. On the day of your appointment, you will submit your application and pay the visa fee.

Applying by mail (NL, NB, NS, PEI)

You must send all of the required documents for the South Korea Working Holiday Visa application, along with:

• Your original passport.
• A prepaid, self-addressed envelope with tracking to allow the consulate to return your passport.

Before sending your application, you must notify the consulate by email at [email protected]. Further instructions will be provided at that time, including how to pay the visa fee.

Important: If you do not contact the consulate before mailing your application, it will not be processed and your application package will be returned to you.

Once you’ve submitted your application, you can track it’s status.

Applying at the Consulate in Vancouver

You must submit your application in person at the consulate unless you live more than two hours away. In that case, you may choose to apply by mail.

Applying in person

You must first book an appointment on the website of the Consulate in Vancouver. On the day of your appointment, you will submit your application and pay the visa fee.

Applying by mail

You must send your application package to the consulate using a prepaid Canada Post Xpresspost envelope.

Your package must include all of the required documents for the South Korea Working Holiday Visa application, as well as:

• Your original passport.
• A prepaid Xpresspost envelope showing your address and phone number. This envelope will be used to return your passport.

Before mailing your application, contact the consulate to confirm how the visa fee can be paid.

When you’re ready, mail your application to:

ATTENTION: VISA DEPARTMENT
Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Vancouver
#1600–1090 West Georgia St
Vancouver, BC V6E 3V7
Tel: 604-681-9581

Await Your Visa Grant Notice

Congratulations, you’ve submitted your application! It can take:

• 7-10 business days to process an in-person application.
• 17-20 business days to process a mail-in application.

Korean authorities recommend that you apply between one to two months before your intended arrival date in Korea.

When your visa is approved, you will be able to download your Visa Grant Notice on the Korea Visa Portal.

Check the status of your application

You can check the status of your application on the Korea Visa Portal. On the left, click on “Check Application Status”. It might take a couple of days for your application to be registered in the system so don’t panic if you don’t see it right away.