THE PROCEDURE PURSUANT TO WHICH YOUNG CANADIAN CITIZENS ENTER THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA ACCORDING TO THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA CONCERNING EXCHANGES OF YOUNG CITIZENS
This procedure applies to the Canadian citizens who are between the ages of 18 and 35 inclusively on the date of submission of the application and who comply with Article 2 of the Agreement, i.e.:
- are young citizens, including post-secondary graduates, who wish to obtain further remunerated training in Latvia under a pre-arranged contract of employment in support of their career development;
- are registered students of a post-secondary institution in Canada who wish to complete part of their academic curriculum in Latvia by undertaking a pre-arranged, mandatory and remunerated internship, including in the context of an arrangement between post-secondary institutions;
- are young citizens, including registered students in Canada, who intend to travel in Latvia and who wish to obtain paid employment on an occasional basis in order to supplement their financial resources.
A Canadian citizen shall submit to the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Canada:
- a copy of a valid passport of the Canadian citizen (and produce the original) with a term of validity that exceeds the intended time of residence in the Republic Latvia by at least three months;
- a questionnaire of a particular model for application for the permit;
- a photograph;
- in the questionnaire of application for the residence permit:
- shall indicate the reason of residence – according to the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Government of Canada Concerning Exchanges of Young Citizens,
- shall indicate the address of the intended place of residence in Latvia,
- shall confirm that there are sufficient financial assets for own sustenance at the beginning of the residence term (3 months x EUR 429.71) and to pay for the return journey (if there is no return ticket);
- a statement that the person does not carry an active form of tuberculosis (if the statement is not legalised the person shall confirm the fact that the person does not carry an active form of tuberculosis in the questionnaire of application for the residence permit);
- a document that confirms:
- former registration or current registration in a Canadian post-secondary education institution, or
- a pre-arranged contract of employment or a document that confirms existence of internship in Latvia, or
- the application regarding the intention to travel to Latvia and work for remuneration on an occasional basis to supplement own financial resources;
- a payment document that confirms payment of the state fee of EUR 100.
The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (hereinafter – the OCMA) passes the decision regarding granting of the residence permit and work permit within 30 days.
The OCMA sends the decision regarding granting of the residence permit and work permit to the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Canada, who will notify the relevant person.
Upon arrival in Latvia, the person shall present at the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (Čiekurkalna 1. līnija 1, k-3, LV-1026) a valid passport of the Canadian national and a health insurance policy that covers, among other things, hospitalisation and repatriation and that is valid for the entire period of planned residence (a copy shall be submitted).
The residence permit and the work permit are issued for a period that does not exceed one year.
Quotas have been determined – 50 Canadian citizens per year.