Can I work abroad in summer at the age of 17?

[Taylor]

I'm 17 years old and a student in college in the uk, and I am currently looking for a job for this summer, or a summer internship. But I'd like to work abroad, preferably canada as I have a friend who lives in canada and has offered me free accommodation.

So my question is, am I too young to work abroad for the summer? Also could anyone link me to any websites of any vacancies in canada? And if you know of any information about working abroad could you please share?

Thank you

[bw022]

No.

You cannot work in Canada without a work permit.

You must be 18 years old to apply for a work permit. You must also have a job offer from a Canadian company which has permission to hire foreign workers. That company must obtain a labour market opinion (LMO) report from HRSDC which shows a shortage of workers in that profession and proof that the company advertised for the position and no Canadians applied. LMOs are only issued for highly skilled professions (doctors, engineers, nurses, specialized trades, etc.) or highly temporary positions (seasonal farm workers, off season hotel workers, some ski resorts). No company will have any interest in even applying for an LMO for summer work nor would they ever get one as there are millions of Canadian high school and university students available during the summer.

The only exception is that dependant children of those in Canada lawfully (i.e. study or work permit holders) may apply for a work permit for their children. This is only granted based on the type of work permit your parents have and how long you have been living in Canada.

International Experience Class (i.e. "working holiday visa") is limited to those who are between 18 and 30 years old. They are only available to people from certain countries and only a limited number are issued -- most countries fill their quotas within a few weeks of applications being accepted. They are not issued to people who are attending in school. You must be willing to take the entire year off.

If you are found working or even attempting to look for work in Canada without a work permit... you'll be arrested, deported, and banned from the country. You would also loose your visa exemption status and since Canada sharing immigration information with other countries, you likely won't be able to travel to other western countries. Anyone aiding you in working illegally in Canada (i.e. your friend) is subject to criminal charges, fines, and possible jail time under the Immigration and Refugee Act. It is also generally pointless... without a work permit you cannot obtain a social insurance number and no company will hire you without one.

[Courtney]

There is an employment agency in the UK that specialises in offering jobs and accommodation packages for young students & travelers that want to work and party in the Greek island resorts in the Summer.