Canada Working Holiday Visa for New Zealand: Full Guide for Canadian Citizens

If you hold a Canadian passport, you can apply for New Zealand’s Working Holiday Visa between ages 18 and 35 — one of the widest age ranges of any scheme. It’s not quota-capped, so there’s no annual opening date to plan around. This guide covers what’s specific to Canadian applicants; for the rules every scheme shares, see the master WHV guide.

Who can apply

• Age: 18 to 35 at the time of application.
• Citizenship: you need a valid Canadian passport.
• One-time only: you can’t apply if you’ve held this visa before — even if you never used it.

How long you can stay — and how to extend it

The initial visa runs for 12 months. While you’re in New Zealand, you can apply for a Subsequent Work Visa to extend your stay to 23 months in total — this comes with its own extra fee on top of the original NZD $770. A separate, shorter extension (an extra 3 months) is available if you complete seasonal work in specific industries instead.

Funds: assessed by the month

Like the UK scheme, Canada’s funds requirement is calculated per month rather than as a flat figure: NZD $350 for each month of your visa, working out to roughly NZD $4,200 for a standard 12-month stay. Money set aside for your return flight needs to be separate from this living-expenses figure.

Insurance and medical — the extension changes things

• Insurance: full medical insurance covering hospital care, for your entire stay, is required from the outset — this isn’t optional for Canadian applicants.
• Medical exam for the base 12 months: not automatic. It depends on your answers to the health questionnaire on your application.
• Medical exam if you extend to 23 months: this is where it changes. To get the Subsequent Work Visa you must have had a medical examination — if you didn’t have one when you applied for your initial 12-month visa, you’ll need one now as part of the extension application.

See our funds, insurance, and medical guide for how this compares to other schemes.

Documents

Applications are submitted online in English. Non-English police or medical certificates need certified English translations — both the original document and a scanned copy are typically required. For the full step-by-step process, see our application guide.

FAQ

Is the 23-month extension automatic once I apply for the Subsequent Work Visa?

It’s a separate application with its own fee, applied for while you’re already in New Zealand on the initial visa — it isn’t granted automatically just because you asked for the 12-month visa initially.

If I only plan to stay 12 months, do I still need a medical exam?

Not automatically. For the standard 12-month stay, whether you need a chest X-ray or medical exam depends on how you answer the health questions on your application, not a blanket requirement.

Why is the funds figure NZD $350 a month instead of a flat number?

Canada and the UK are the two schemes that calculate funds by the month rather than as a lump sum. For a 12-month visa the two work out roughly the same as the NZD $4,200 flat figure most other schemes use — the difference shows up if you apply for a shorter or longer stay.

Can I work full-time the whole 23 months if I extend?

The visa allows temporary work throughout, but it doesn’t permit permanent employment or running your own business, regardless of whether you’re on the initial 12 months or the extended 23.

Where to go next

• Visa Eligibility Checker — confirm your current funds and fee figures
• How the NZ Working Holiday Visa works — the master guide
• WHV requirements: funds, insurance, medical — explained

This page is general information, not immigration advice. For guidance on your specific situation, consult a licensed immigration adviser or Immigration New Zealand directly.