Spend your winter living and working in the Canadian Rockies. Ski or ride on your days off, earn Canadian dollars on the ones you work, and walk into a job and a bed that were both sorted before you left home.
This is a fully supported hospitality placement in Banff, Lake Louise or a nearby Rockies resort — the kind of season people talk about for the next ten years. You’ll work an entry-level role in a hotel or resort (front desk, housekeeping, food and beverage, lifts and guest services), earn from C$22 an hour plus tips, and live in staff housing a short walk from work with everyone else on the same adventure.
What makes this different from just rocking up with a working holiday visa and hoping? Everything is locked in first. We work with the employers directly, prep you for the interview, get the offer letter in your hands, and put you through a pre-departure briefing so you land in Calgary knowing exactly what happens next. No hostel-hopping, no job hunting in -20°C, no burning through your savings in week one.
Minimum commitment is 3–5 months depending on the season, and departures run throughout the year — so whether you’re chasing a full winter or joining mid-season, there’s a start date that works.
You don’t leave home until you have a job offer in writing. We liaise directly with Rockies employers, put you forward, and handle the paperwork — so you’re not landing in a ski town in December competing with 500 other people for the same shift.
IEC working holiday visa guidance, a resume workshop, interview coaching and 1-2-1 sessions if you want them. This is a competitive program and we prep you properly — we’d rather over-prepare you than watch you fumble a Zoom call.
Staff housing is arranged through your employer and is walking distance from work. Shared rooms, shared kitchen, everyone in the same boat. It costs roughly C$15 a night and comes straight out of your pay cheque — no bond, no lease, no rental applications.
Pre-departure briefing, thorough on-arrival orientation, an in-country contact for the whole season, and 24/7 crisis management cover. Plus your own online portal to manage the booking and everything you need to know before you go.
Full-time hours, paid fortnightly, plus tips. Average five days a week across the season with two days off to ride. Peak weeks like Christmas can push to six or seven days — quiet weeks can drop to two or three. It balances out, and it’s more than enough to fund the season.
Employer-dependent, but the standard package is a serious drawcard: discounted or included ski pass, a staff meal per shift, gym allowance, subsidised housing and staff discounts around town. Some seasons the pass alone is worth more than the program fee.
Banff is a town of about 8,000 people sitting inside a national park, ringed by mountains on every side, with elk wandering down the main street like they pay rent. It’s small enough that you’ll know half the town by February and big enough that there are 140+ restaurants, a proper nightlife and something on every weekend.
The riding. Three mountains within reach — Mt Norquay (10 minutes on the shuttle), Sunshine Village, and Lake Louise about 40 minutes up the highway. Around 300cm of snow a year at Norquay, more up high. Most staff run a Big 3 pass, and staff discounts on rentals, tuning and lessons stack on top.
The work. Expect an entry-level hospitality role unless you’ve got supervisory or management experience behind you. Standards are high — Banff runs on tourism and the guests expect it. Be punctual, stick to the dress code, be friendly, and you’ll do well. A housekeeping day looks like: up around 8, ten-minute walk to work, start at 9, clean 9–15 rooms depending on how busy the season is, lunch, done by mid-afternoon. Then it’s laps, the pub, or the hot springs.
The living. Shared staff housing, basic but comfortable, self-catered with a shared kitchen. Some employers throw in a hot meal on shift. Learn to cook three or four things before you go and you’ll save a fortune. WiFi in the housing and most venues around town.
The weather. Cold, and no point pretending otherwise. Typically around -20°C in deep winter and it can hit -35°C. You’ll adapt fast, and we’ll send you a kit list so you turn up with the right gear instead of buying it at resort prices.
The people. This is the real reason people come back. You’ll be living and working alongside people from all over the world who’ve all made the same slightly mad decision to spend a winter in the mountains. Plenty of our participants stay on for a second season or come back into a rep role.
Getting around. Calgary airport is 90 minutes away and we can arrange your transfer. Bus to the lifts is about C$15 return, often free with a pass. Lake Louise is 40 minutes, Kananaskis about an hour, and Vancouver is a very doable end-of-season road trip.
STEP 1 — APPLY & SECURE YOUR SPOT
Complete the online application form and pay your booking deposit. This puts you in the candidate pool that goes forward to Rockies employers — it doesn’t guarantee a placement yet, but it secures your position in the queue, and places are limited each season.
STEP 2 — GET TO KNOW YOU CALL
One of our team will jump on a call to talk through your motivations, your work history and what you want out of the season. We’ll walk you through the whole process, answer everything, and start shaping your application. Some work or volunteer experience is essential — everyone needs it before they arrive in Canada.
STEP 3 — APPLY FOR YOUR IEC WORKING HOLIDAY VISA
Canada’s IEC pool opens each year (roughly December through August). We’ll guide you through the application, the biometrics and what to expect on timing. Age brackets and rules vary by passport — we’ll confirm exactly where you stand on your call.
STEP 4 — RESUME & INTERVIEW WORKSHOP
We run a workshop to get your resume into shape before it goes anywhere near an employer, plus interview prep so you know exactly what’s coming. Want private coaching instead? We do 1-2-1 sessions too. This program is competitive — this step is where it’s won.
STEP 5 — EMPLOYER INTERVIEWS
Interviews are held over Zoom or Skype directly with Banff employers and run 30–45 minutes. Be yourself, be enthusiastic, and lean on the prep.
STEP 6 — JOB OFFER
Successful candidates get an official email inviting them onto the hospitality team, with the offer letter to follow. If it doesn’t land this time we’ll put alternative employers or programs in front of you rather than leaving you stranded.
STEP 7 — PRE-DEPARTURE BRIEFING
A video briefing covering kit lists, insurance, flights, arrival, banking, what your first week looks like and everything in between. Our participants land better informed than almost anyone else on the mountain.
STEP 8 — DEPART
Fly into Calgary, transfer to Banff, orientation over your first couple of days, then straight into the best winter of your life.
Booking deposit (secures your place in the candidate pool) $[XXX] AUD
Program balance (due once your placement is confirmed) $[XXX] AUD
TOTAL PROGRAM FEE $[XXX] AUD
WHAT YOUR PROGRAM FEE INCLUDES
Your program fee covers: employer matching and job guarantee, staff accommodation arrangement, resume and interview coaching, visa guidance, pre-departure briefing, arrival orientation, in-country support for the full season, 24/7 crisis cover and your online booking portal.
ADDITIONAL COSTS TO BUDGET FOR
What kind of job will I get?
Entry-level hospitality — front desk, housekeeping, food and beverage, guest services or similar — unless you have supervisory or management experience, in which case there are higher-level roles available. The exact role is usually confirmed a couple of months before departure.
Do I really have a job before I fly?
Yes. You won’t be asked to pay your program balance or book flights until you’ve got an offer from a Rockies employer in writing. That’s the whole point of the program.
How much will I actually earn?
From C$22 an hour, paid fortnightly, plus tips. Full-time hours averaging five days a week, though it flexes with the season — quieter weeks can be two or three days, Christmas can be six or seven.
When do I get paid?
Budget for up to six weeks before your first pay cheque lands. Bring enough to cover you comfortably until then — we recommend at least C$2,500, which is also roughly what border officials want to see.
Am I eligible for the visa?
Canada’s IEC program is open to passport holders from around 35 countries including Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, most of Europe, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mexico, Chile and Costa Rica. Most countries are 18–30; some, including Australia and Ireland, run to 35. We’ll confirm your exact eligibility on your intro call.
Do I need work experience?
Yes — at least one year of full-time work experience. It doesn’t have to be hospitality, but you do need a track record. Employers are choosing between a lot of applicants and this is the first filter.
Where will I live?
Employer-arranged staff housing, walking distance from work. Basic but comfortable, shared room, shared kitchen, self-catered. Around C$15 a night, taken directly from your pay.
Can I ski or ride on my days off?
That’s the entire idea. You’ll average two days off a week, and most employers include or heavily discount a ski pass. Three mountains within 40 minutes.
How cold does it get?
Usually around -20°C in the depths of winter, occasionally dropping to -35°C. We send a full kit list before you go — turn up with the right gear and it’s completely manageable.
Is Banff safe?
It’s a small national park town that runs on tourism, and it’s one of the safest places you could pick for a first season abroad. There’s a hospital in Banff and major hospitals in Calgary.
What if I’m not successful at interview?
We’ll put alternative employers or alternative programs in front of you — other Rockies resorts, or a different season entirely. You won’t be left with nothing.
Can I travel afterwards?
Absolutely. The IEC visa runs longer than the placement, so plenty of people finish the season and road-trip through Vancouver, Whistler or across to the East Coast. Just make sure your insurance covers it.
What’s the deadline to apply?
The IEC pool typically opens December and runs through August, and Banff employers interview months ahead. For a winter season, applying by mid-year gives you the best shot. Places are limited.
695-699 George Street.
Sydney, NSW 2000
ABN: 91 133 215 166
