If you love skiing or snowboarding and live in a country with limited snow, then you are may well wish to travel to different parts of the world for extended periods of time to indulge in your hobby and combine it with living in a mountain town. This could include taking part in a ski instructor course, a career break to improve your skills or you may want to actually gain work experience at a ski resort. To do this, you’ll need to do your research on the country you want to visit and find out if you’ll be granted a visa.
- Work, Study or just visiting?
First of all, you need to decide whether you’ll be working, studying or traveling abroad. Please note that in some countries, your visa won’t allow you to do both. When you’ve found a course or employment program you’d like to apply for, check if you will need a visa and how to apply.
In Canada, you generally do not need a visa if your course is less than six months in duration. However if you plan to find work straight after your course, you will need to obtain a work visa. If you are aged 18-30, you can apply for a yearlong International Experience Canada visa which allows you to work and travel.
- Accommodation
Once you have been accepted onto a course or have been offered a job, you’ll need to arrange where you will live. If you’re working or studying on a large ski resort, accommodation will often be provided or included in the price of the course. You’ll need to be staying close to the slopes if you’re working there every day. If you haven’t been told about accommodation options, contact your course provider or employer and they should be able to advise you. You may have to share with other people you haven’t met yet, or it can work out more expensive.
- Health
Before you move abroad it is very important to have health plans in place. This includes insurance for accidents, especially if you’ll be working at a ski resort. If you have to see a doctor or require treatment in another country you could be faced with large hospital bills. If you are from the UK you have probably never had to worry about health insurance, but no other country in the world offers a free healthcare system such as the NHS. Make sure you understand the rules in the country you’ll be living in, and the different levels of health insurance. You could possibly combine your health insurance with travel insurance.
Of course there are other things to arrange, such as shipping over your belongings and setting up a bank account when you arrive. But these are the first steps when planning your trip. If you have more questions about moving to Canada to work or study, get in touch!