The transition from military to civilian life can be a challenging one, but services are available through Veterans Affairs Canada to help service members and survivors make the change. Career transition services are available to all veteran and active regular force service members who have completed basic training and all veteran and active Reserve force members who have completed at least 21 months of full-time service within a 24-month timeframe. Surviving spouses or common-law partners may also be eligible.
Career transition services can be a big help with military financial planning since they can cover expenses like career counseling, resume writing, aptitude testing, interview technique courses, recruiter costs and more. Program beneficiaries can be reimbursed for career transition expenses up to $1,000 during their lifetime.
In most cases, applicants must seek benefits within two years of their release from the Canadian Armed Forces, but each applicant’s eligibility is assessed on a case by case basis. For more information, call Veterans Affairs Canada at 1-866-522-2122.
