Work Travel Volunteer

Canada is a powerful and economically strong country. Canada is rich in natural resources such as forestry, oil, gas and fish and this forms a major part of Canada's wealth (and job opportunities) Canada is also a leader in telecommunications, particularly in regions such as Ontario and Quebec.

The USA is the world leader in telecoms (anyone heard of Bill Gates?) and has the most powerful economy in the world. Other major industry areas include textiles, motor vehicles and chemicals.

Work may be easier to find in French Canada if, of course, you speak French. It may actually become a significant problem if you cannot speak the language in French-speaking regions so bear this in mind if you decide to work in Canada.

If you need to find work once in Canada these sources are extremely helpful;

Newspapers

• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
• http://www.thestar.com/
• http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/index.html
• http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/index.html

Websites

• http://www.eluta.ca/
• http://www.canadiancareers.com/
• http://cooljobscanada.com/
• http://www.monster.ca/
• http://www.jobshark.ca/

Yellow Pages

• http://www.yellowpages.ca/

For the USA try;

Newspapers

• http://www.latimes.com/
• http://www.nytimes.com/
• http://newslink.org/

Websites

• http://www.job-hunt.org/
• http://www.bestjobsusa.com/
• http://www.careers.org/

Yellow Pages

• http://www.switchboard.com/
• http://www.bigbook.com/
• http://www.yellowpages.com/

To work abroad in Canada and the USA you must possess the relevant working visa. Visas for Canada and the USA are more difficult to get hold of than for Australia and New Zealand. They can be organised through companies that sort out work and insurance for you too or if you already have a job offer, it is easier to cut through the red tape to obtain your visa.

If you don't have a job offer try BUNAC or Real Gap for a working holiday visa. You must meet the requirements before a visa will be issued.

If you do have a job offer, you can obtain a visa through The Canadian High Commission or the US Department of State

Alternatively the company employing you will apply on your behalf. Often, large ski resorts employ travellers prior to leaving and will do the necessary paperwork for you.

Popular jobs in Canada include becoming a ski or snowboard instructor or working in a chalet. Other work available includes office work and hospitality. Popular jobs in the USA include office work in the big cities or tourism work in the resort areas.

Tax matters

You only pay federal and state taxes in the USA, not social security. You will still need to obtain a social security card from the IRS though.

For Canada you can obtain a social insurance number from the Canadain Revenue Agency

Once you've finished working, you have the benefit of being able to claim back the tax and superannuation (similar to a pension) you've paid into. Visit Taxback