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Going Canada solo?

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 691 ✭✭✭goingitalone


    I'm thinking about heading to Canada after the Summer. How long does the visa process take?

    It's closed till it's open again which going by this year could be march next year


  • Registered Users Posts: 34,788 ✭✭✭✭krudler


    It's closed till it's open again which going by this year could be march next year

    It's crazy how late it was this year, didnt it used to be november?


  • Registered Users Posts: 7 ryandave3006


    manwho2 wrote: »
    hi ryandave3006,
    your right about the night life its different to back home, tho there are alot of irish bars around calgary and you always get chatting to someone from home.i came to calgary on my own in may last year and was working within 3 weeks.if anyone is looking for construction work may and june is a good time to land as many companies reduce their workforce over the winter months (particularly outside work) and begin re hiring when the weather improves in may and june.how are you liking calgary so far, what part of the city are you living in?

    Hi Manwho2 A I'm finding it ok, it is a different way of life out here from what I was use to back home, To be honest I find Calgary really boring and it lacks and identity In my opinion. I'm living out in the SW of the city beside Southland station, its abit far out but ok. As I said Im currently doing a labouring job, but I've been looking about and applying for office work as I was involved in insurance before I came out here, however it is very difficult to get administration roles of any description to be honest, as you know yourself the economy here in Alberta is thriving due to the oil and gas industry. In my honest opinion I'll probably stay here till end of July as I want to see the Stampede thats really the only thing thats keeping me here at the moment, then Im planning on heading on to Vancouver for a spin. Im aware that its hard to get work in Vancouver but I really want to experience it. In relation to coming over solo, I would say the primary reason behind most people coming on there own, is due to the lack of visa's, in the case with Oz two or three friends could apply for the visa and get it, thats not the case with Canada its more luck than anything else. Also I think its important people look at the value of the dollar to the Euro something which I did't do before I came over and you'll see that unless you are in a fairly descent job with good pay i.e trades person then you'll realise that dollar doesn't stretch too far. That is only my opinion however.

    What are peoples plans whenever they come out here, is there intentions to see and explore the country or to find work and try and make some money?


  • Registered Users Posts: 14 rc015


    I think there are some people looking to make money and more luck to them but I personally just want to go and experience a new culture.

    There's also a lot of people who just want to get out of Ireland & think that going to Canada will make everything OK for them & that they will walk into Jobs etc.. I hope it works out that way but I'm under no illusions.

    I have more options in Ireland than i would in Canada but its purely a change of scenery that i want. I'm going to Toronto next week on my own with $7K and know that won't stretch very far after all the set up costs etc.

    I think a lot of Irish people fail to see what a great opportunity they have with the 2 year visa . Rather that upping sticks and say your leving for 2 years why not just go over for a couple of months & travel the country and see if you like it & then if you want go for a full year. It's very easy to look on the internet and say you'll like somewhere but none of us will know until we are there.

    Anybody heading to Toronto soon or if they have just arrived any advice would be welcome , Im both excited and utterly terrefied at the same time . ha


  • Registered Users Posts: 99 ✭✭Sam Swarek


    rc015 wrote: »
    I think there are some people looking to make money and more luck to them but I personally just want to go and experience a new culture.

    There's also a lot of people who just want to get out of Ireland & think that going to Canada will make everything OK for them & that they will walk into Jobs etc.. I hope it works out that way but I'm under no illusions.

    I have more options in Ireland than i would in Canada but its purely a change of scenery that i want. I'm going to Toronto next week on my own with $7K and know that won't stretch very far after all the set up costs etc.

    I think a lot of Irish people fail to see what a great opportunity they have with the 2 year visa . Rather that upping sticks and say your leving for 2 years why not just go over for a couple of months & travel the country and see if you like it & then if you want go for a full year. It's very easy to look on the internet and say you'll like somewhere but none of us will know until we are there.

    Anybody heading to Toronto soon or if they have just arrived any advice would be welcome , Im both excited and utterly terrefied at the same time . ha

    what a load of crap...I can see what your trying to tell yourself to be fair but people have different reasons for going to Canada, I think most people are going for prospective employment opportunities. Its all well and good posting here saying oh if you don't like a place move somewhere else, experience Canada and if you don't like it, come home after 2 years, nothing lost etc etc some people are into their 30s heading over, not a bright eyed graduate which I assume you are....most people cant afford to travel and upsticks every few months and flute around, you'll see what I mean when you get there, unless you have a decent paying job you'll struggle financially in Canada so there goes travelling and fluteing about out the window, the cost of even a weekend skiing is big money so rule out heading out doing the winter sport thing every second wknd, unless you have a job with a decent wage!
    Believe me, your at nothing going to Canada unless you have a decent paying job, you'll be miserable and wont have the money to live never mind do the whole experience crap


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  • Registered Users Posts: 14 rc015


    What a strange & angry response.

    You have no right to tell people they are right or wrong for going about their trip however they want. I'm not a graduate btw and have a very good job here but I feel i deserve the chance to go abroad for 3 months , 6 months , a year or whatever it may be & experience a new culture.

    I may be miserable over there or i may not but my god you sound miserable enough for all 7k people who got visas already


  • Registered Users Posts: 99 ✭✭Sam Swarek


    rc015 wrote: »
    What a strange & angry response.

    You have no right to tell people they are right or wrong for going about their trip however they want. I'm not a graduate btw and have a very good job here but I feel i deserve the chance to go abroad for 3 months , 6 months , a year or whatever it may be & experience a new culture.

    I may be miserable over there or i may not but my god you sound miserable enough for all 7k people who got visas already

    Sorry but you have no right to be telling people anything either! Id sooner take advice from somebody who's been to Canada than somebody whos living in la la land and nope, sorry, Im not angry or miserable at all but felt your initial post that your a slight bit out of touch with reality - telling people to go over, flute around and "experience" Canada, sher itll all be grand if it doesn't work out and doesn't matter if you don't like it sorta attitude, when the reality is that the majority of 7k people who got visas will be going for the employment and to create a future for themselves and not bum around for 2 years, these people are possibly are in debt at home and maybe at a stage in their lives when piddling about for 2 years aint an option plus if they are lucky to get a decent job they wont be job hopping every 3 months so they can move city and experience Canadian culture (whatever that is). the set up costs are massive in Canada and when you do it once you wont be doing it every couple of month so you can live an experience.
    My advice to you is do your homework before you travel and possibly redefine your aspirations of the place.


  • Registered Users Posts: 691 ✭✭✭goingitalone


    Sam Swarek wrote: »
    Sorry but you have no right to be telling people anything either! Id sooner take advice from somebody who's been to Canada than somebody whos living in la la land and nope, sorry, Im not angry or miserable at all but felt your initial post that your a slight bit out of touch with reality - telling people to go over, flute around and "experience" Canada, sher itll all be grand if it doesn't work out and doesn't matter if you don't like it sorta attitude, when the reality is that the majority of 7k people who got visas will be going for the employment and to create a future for themselves and not bum around for 2 years, these people are possibly are in debt at home and maybe at a stage in their lives when piddling about for 2 years aint an option plus if they are lucky to get a decent job they wont be job hopping every 3 months so they can move city and experience Canadian culture (whatever that is). the set up costs are massive in Canada and when you do it once you wont be doing it every couple of month so you can live an experience.
    My advice to you is do your homework before you travel and possibly redefine your aspirations of the place.
    I have to agree with sam on this Canada is expensive .it's easy enough just by spending a half hour browsing online to see there's no hope of spending time here and then up and off to somewhere else .unless you going over with a stupid amount of money and it's just a holiday . You be home in a couple of months otherwise. You can be assured the majority of people are going for work against the people who just want the experience


  • Registered Users Posts: 14 rc015


    So your advice for people in debt at home would be to move to a country that you say is extremely exspensive in the hope that it all works out ? And im the one living in La la land .

    I'm 24 years of age with a job to come back to in Dublin anytime I want , I won't be made feel guilty about going off to a new country and trying a new experience.

    Hope it works out for you


  • Registered Users Posts: 99 ✭✭Sam Swarek


    Don't get me wrong, its a great opportunity but do a lot of research before you go and be realistic, I aint trying to scare anyone but its better to be prepared than underprepared, ive done a fair amount of travelling in my time and I know it costs a hell of a lot of money to get set up in another country and for anyone who can, try organise a job before you go over there, it will save a lot of time and money even if it means staying put in Ireland an extra few months until you do. be careful of the city you choose also, theres a lot of sh.ithole redkneck cities across Canada with not a whole lot to do in them either. it aint the land of milk and honey that's for sure. to even go skiing for a weekend costs an awful lot of money. cost of living is extreme so if you want any lifestyle make sure you have a job that pays a decent wage otherwise youll be living hand to mouth and wont get to do f'all while your there.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 99 ✭✭Sam Swarek


    rc015 wrote: »
    So your advice for people in debt at home would be to move to a country that you say is extremely exspensive in the hope that it all works out ? And im the one living in La la land .

    I'm 24 years of age with a job to come back to in Dublin anytime I want , I won't be made feel guilty about going off to a new country and trying a new experience.

    Hope it works out for you

    What do you hope works out for me??

    Im not advising anyone to move to Canada, why do you think that? I think theres far better places for them to go than Canada that's for sure!!
    well thats good for you - you must be in a minority! go do your thing so if you have a job waiting for you anytime you want if things don't work out, lucky you!! my point being that the reality is that people aren't in the same situation as your good self, people cant afford to spend months travelling and if it don't work out they have the safety net of a job back home waiting for them. your the one advising people to pack up and go for a few months see what its like first, that aint an option for people - take your head out of the clouds!!
    I can understand your attitude as you are in a win win situation, not like the majority of irish going over there. Im not trying to make you feel guilty at all. Best of Luck to you.


  • Registered Users Posts: 691 ✭✭✭goingitalone


    rc015 wrote: »
    So your advice for people in debt at home would be to move to a country that you say is extremely exspensive in the hope that it all works out ? And im the one living in La la land .

    I'm 24 years of age with a job to come back to in Dublin anytime I want , I won't be made feel guilty about going off to a new country and trying a new experience.

    Hope it works out for you

    Infairness so you a job to come back to whenever you want so work for your family I'm guessing ? Cause the vast majority don't that's why people are leaving the there in lack of work here . Your one the few that's leaving because the feel they wanna experience a different culture . And that's your choice I mean fair play but your idea of moving about and this and that . Is unrealistic esp on 7k Canadian .


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,456 ✭✭✭astonaidan


    Infairness so you a job to come back to whenever you want so work for your family I'm guessing ? Cause the vast majority don't that's why people are leaving the there in lack of work here . Your one the few that's leaving because the feel they wanna experience a different culture . And that's your choice I mean fair play but your idea of moving about and this and that . Is unrealistic esp on 7k Canadian .
    Not the moving about part, but most of my friends who are out there or heading this year are going for the experience of living in a different country and not really work.
    Im heading there myself cause I cant get the grant for another two years and would rather live in a different country for a few years.


  • Registered Users Posts: 29 onworld


    Got my POE yesterday but plan on heading to Vancouver in early 2015. Will be seeking work in IT/web/software/Operations type roles


  • Registered Users Posts: 34,788 ✭✭✭✭krudler


    astonaidan wrote: »
    Not the moving about part, but most of my friends who are out there or heading this year are going for the experience of living in a different country and not really work.
    Im heading there myself cause I cant get the grant for another two years and would rather live in a different country for a few years.

    I did it for both, I worked in a job I hated for years and regret not leaving sooner and just getting out of Ireland, today I went for a wander around downtown toronto on my lonesome and loved it. The place is bustling, there's zero scummy element like you'd see in Dublin or Limerick, hassling people. Lots of homeless though but they seem to just leave people alone.
    I don't want to just blow what money I have and come home but I didnt move across the world to sit at a desk for 2 years either, I could do that at home, so I have no problem taking jobs to pay the rent and do my own thing. Its way too easy to fall into a rut in Ireland if you're working just to make ends meet whereas now I'm on a 2 year time limit and want to make the most of it.

    I wasnt under any illusions I'd step off the plane and get a dream job, its gonna be hard for a while but it'll be an experience both good and bad. Beats rotting in a job I despised at home for the next two years but thats just my take on it.

    edit: on a side note I had to laugh at this, turned on the tv in my room this morning and the first thing on was a news story about a guy rescuing a baby moose that got lost and wandered into a Tim Hortons, that story could only be more Canadian if the moose was wearing a hockey jersey :pac:


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