Getting your Work Permit

Getting your work permit (or work visa) is a crucial step of coming to work in Canada if you are not a Canadian citizen. You must have it in your possession in order to work at Camp (or anywhere else in Canada).

Camp Ouareau works with Camp Canada, an agency who helps us recruit internationally - some of you might have applied and gotten a job at Ouareau through them - and helps us with the work permit process for our direct hires.

Communications regarding your work permit ahead of the summer will come from Camp Canada so keep an eye out on your emails for the documents to submit in order to apply for the visa.

Before you arrive in Canada

To prepare for your arrival, it is essential that you print all required documents before travelling. Camp Canada will provide you with all the necessary steps and documentation. We strongly recommend keeping all documents together in a folder in your carry-on or travel bag.

This includes:

  • Your up-to-date police certificate

  • Letter of employment from Camp Ouareau

  • Your eTA (electronically linked to your passport)

  • Travel and health insurance documents

  • Cash in Canadian Currency (optional)

These documents will be presented directly to an officer at Canadian Immigration & Customs, who will then issue you with your work permit.

Possible fees at the airport:

Depending on your situation, you may be required to pay:

  • $85 CAD biometrics fee (if it is your first time arriving in Canada, you are required to pay for biometrics)

  • $155 CAD work permit fee (as Camp Ouareau is a private camp) - At the discretion of the border agent

We recommend bringing physical cash, as phone service or card payments may not work immediately upon arrival.

Please keep the camp emergency contact numbers, i.e, Jacqui/Gabz/Debs/Chany, and Camp Canada numbers easily accessible in case you encounter any issues upon arrival.

We recommend having access to a Canadian SIM card during your time in Canada. This can be purchased before departure or upon arrival. Camp Canada will provide recommendations for reliable phone providers on your Camp Canada portal. However, there is WiFi access at Camp in designated buildings.

Once you’ve arrived in Canada

The very first thing you’ll do after getting off the plane is heading to Immigration & Customs to get your Work Permit.

It can be an intimidating process to go through, so here are some tips!

-Be patient! Sometimes the process can be simple and straight forward and go super quickly and others it can be a little longer and you might have to wait in a waiting area for a bit!

It’s also a good idea to pack water and a snack, as immigration processing times can vary.

If you know your departure date from Canada at the end of the summer it is helpful but not not a requirement (for example if you're planning to travel after camp, you can tell the immigration agent)

- Make sure that you have your Work Permit when you leave immigration; you should not be entering the country as a visitor/tourist.

- There’s free WiFi at the Montreal Airport ;)

Once you get your work permit, double check that it has your correct legal name and  that the expiry date is on or after the last day of your camp contract.