IEC 2014 Discussion/Stage 1 - READ FIRST POST BEFORE POSTING

CFC007 · 16-10-2013 9:34pm

Hi All,

Just a quick question regarding police Certs. I did the WHV in Oz back in 2006 since then I've been issued a new passport with a new passport number. Do you think I'd still need the Oz report? Thanks.

steve_ · 17-10-2013 11:50pm

Hi guys thanks for all the info posted up here so far. The whole process is quite daunting i must admit. I was pondering the idea of heading to Canada for some time and finally decided to go for it since ill be getting a work bonus from my job in December, so that will cover flights ect. Also does anyone know if there was much of a gap between the applications opening from the previous years? ie: when did the applications open in say 2011, 2012, 2013? Cause iv holidays to take in work, so part of me is thinking to book the first two weeks in January to make myself available for when the applications open.

Also its been ask a few times, but what documents can we have ready for when the applications open? And do they need to be digital (scanned to my computer)

what kind of questions do be asked during the process? Is there examples anywhere from previous years? Id like to get a jump start just so my head is in the right place for when i can apply. The whole race against the clock situation is scary so id like to have my answers ready for any recurring questions.

Lastly can i setup a CIC account now? Or only only the applications open? I cant see a register link anywhere on the site....

Cheers

NewsMeQuick · 18-10-2013 12:46am

To the best of my knowledge:

1. You need police certs. for every country that you lived in for 6 months since 18th birthday.

2. Previous years, I read recently that (if accurate) only the last two years of applications opened this late in the season. Previously, they opened in late October. Even if that is true, going by the only indications we have, I'd expect the same dates this year - roughly - as last year.

3. This should be your application guide, it's the official word: http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/ireland-irlande/experience_canada_experience/index.aspx?lang=eng

There are two stages to assessment; initial eligibility (IEC) and immigration (CIC). The first stage is very basic. The above link will tell you what to do. Get $2500 CAD ready, copy particular pages of your passport, make sure your passport is valid for at least two years etc. pretty light stuff to start with. If you are told you pass the basic requirements, there's a bit more to fill out e.g. police checks.

4. I believe 2013 was the first year of all online application, I expect the following years will do the same.

5. You cannot set up any accounts now. Simply check the above site regularly for news on when things open.

bopper · 18-10-2013 12:48am

steve_ wrote: »

Hi guys thanks for all the info posted up here so far. The whole process is quite daunting i must admit. I was pondering the idea of heading to Canada for some time and finally decided to go for it since ill be getting a work bonus from my job in December, so that will cover flights ect. Also does anyone know if there was much of a gap between the applications opening from the previous years? ie: when did the applications open in say 2011, 2012, 2013? Cause iv holidays to take in work, so part of me is thinking to book the first two weeks in January to make myself available for when the applications open.

Also its been ask a few times, but what documents can we have ready for when the applications open? And do they need to be digital (scanned to my computer)

what kind of questions do be asked during the process? Is there examples anywhere from previous years? Id like to get a jump start just so my head is in the right place for when i can apply. The whole race against the clock situation is scary so id like to have my answers ready for any recurring questions.

Lastly can i setup a CIC account now? Or only only the applications open? I cant see a register link anywhere on the site....

Cheers

I don't know when the applications for the 2011 visas opened, but the 2012 ones opened at the end of Dec 2011, whereas the 2013 ones opened at the end of January 2013. So I really wouldn't go taking two weeks off, it could be waste of time. Even if you were at work the day the visa applications opened, you can just apply when you get home that evening. They'll be gone quick but not that quick.

When I applied it was by post so I'm not 100% sure of the online process but as far as I'm aware you just need to scanned photo of your passport ready for the first stage of the application, and police certs for the second stage. Hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

I can't remember the exact questions but they were pretty detailed. There's nothing you're asked that you won't know the answer to, but just have the correct dates for your employment and education history ready. I think one section asks your parents' and siblings' dates of birth and occupations, so make sure you know them too.

You can set up a CIC account before applications open but I'm guessing not yet (haven't checked myself).

steve_ · 18-10-2013 1:16am

Thanks guys for your replies they were very helpful. As for the 2500dollars, do I need to have even for applying? Cause I'll be selling on things like my car and gaming rig which will generate the cash I need, but I want to hang on as long as possible before selling them on.

Also for employment dates I'm a bit stuck. I only had a digital copy of my cv which was on a hard drive that failed, very silly on my part I know. But does the dates of employment need to be bang on or would estimates suffice? I've been in my current job for four years now which didn't actually require a cv (equal opportunity employer) so the dates of previous jobs are a bit fuzzy.

Thanks

Delira · 18-10-2013 1:42am

steve_ wrote: »

Thanks guys for your replies they were very helpful. As for the 2500dollars, do I need to have even for applying? Cause I'll be selling on things like my car and gaming rig which will generate the cash I need, but I want to hang on as long as possible before selling them on.

Also for employment dates I'm a bit stuck. I only had a digital copy of my cv which was on a hard drive that failed, very silly on my part I know. But does the dates of employment need to be bang on or would estimates suffice? I've been in my current job for four years now which didn't actually require a cv (equal opportunity employer) so the dates of previous jobs are a bit fuzzy.

Thanks

You'll only need that $2500 when passing through immigration into Canada, not during the application process.

Estimates of your dates will suffice, it's not as if they'll be checking

As far as I know they just don't like to see any big gaps not accounted for so just make sure that you have your whole employment history accounted for by your jobs and college etc. (if that makes sense!).

As far as I can remember they asked for start and end dates (day/month/year) for employment and education history for stage one (Kompass), and then for stage two (MyCIC) it was just dates in month/year format. So It's more important that the info given in both stages is consistent, with no big gaps, rather than 100% accurate.

You can't go back and check what info you've supplied to Kompass afterwards when it comes time to do MyCIC so just make sure you've kept a record of what dates you've given!

Delira · 18-10-2013 1:53am

You only need to have two things ready for stage one (IEC Kompass Account). From this info they'll verify that you're eligible to apply for the visa. If you are eligible, you'll be issued a Conditional Acceptance letter and will be directed to set up your CIC account where you've to upload your police certificates, ID photo and fill out a couple of forms etc.

The below is from the IEC website: http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/ireland-irlande/experience_canada_experience/required-requis.aspx

Required documents for the IEC eligibility assessment:

As part of stage one of the application process to participate in the International Experience Canada (IEC) initiative, you will be required to submit a scanned or electronic copy of the following documents to IEC Kompass. The designated IEC office will review these documents to assess your eligibility to participate in IEC. You may be requested to submit additional documents later in the process.

Required documents:
A legible photocopy of the identification pages of your passport (family names, given name(s), date and place of birth, passport’s issue and expiry dates). Your passport must be valid for at least one day beyond the date of your departure from Canada and there must be one completely blank page, other than the last page, available in your passport.

A complete and up-to-date version of your curriculum vitae (résumé).

steve_ · 19-10-2013 1:41am

And in relation to the "first come first served" situation. Is that only for the first part of the process? If i receive the conditional acceptance, does that mean i can take my time filling in the second part of the process or is the visa only guaranteed once i perform both sections promptly?

Delira · 19-10-2013 2:14am

Yep, once you have your Kompass account and complete stage one, your place is pretty much guaranteed. Your conditional acceptance letter is valid for 6 months, so you've that long to do your MyCIC account and get everything uploaded.

Ladilia · 19-10-2013 2:33am

Hi everyone, I have a question for you, hope you guys can help me:

So I applied for my 1 year visa in 2012 and did my year in Canada. I attempted to apply for another one for 2013, but seeing as they went in about 30 seconds, my application was technically rejected.

Am I still eligible to apply for the 2014 2 year visa?

Thanks in advance!

fredchest · 19-10-2013 1:57pm

hi,
I just done the eligibility test, it says the 'personal checklist code expires dec 18'. does the mean I have to fill it out again, afterwards?

Also, the IEC Conditional Acceptance Letter, when does one receive this?

thanks,

Dougal.Maguire · 19-10-2013 5:49pm

Delira wrote: »

Yep, once you have your Kompass account and complete stage one, your place is pretty much guaranteed. Your conditional acceptance letter is valid for 6 months, so you've that long to do your MyCIC account and get everything uploaded.

I have gone through that main page a hundred times and cant find where to open an account, is it just because it hasnt opened yet? Or can you open an account now, submit CV and passport copy and then wait for further instructions?

Marko10 · 21-10-2013 8:40pm

Delira wrote: »

Yep, once you have your Kompass account and complete stage one, your place is pretty much guaranteed. Your conditional acceptance letter is valid for 6 months, so you've that long to do your MyCIC account and get everything uploaded.

So would I be right in thinking that I don't need to worry about applying for my police certs in the next few weeks? I could wait until I see if I've met the eligibility requirements in stage 1?

Littleweemen · 21-10-2013 11:47pm

Hi- I'm interested in a couple of the questions you have raised aswell? I have twin boys and am hoping to make the application for the IEC visa- I know they can't come on my visa but I think what is necessary is a temporary resident visa if they are not going to school?? If anybody can shine a light on this it would be brilliant! This area seems to be quiet grey on the website.

Delira · 22-10-2013 12:51am

Marko10 wrote: »

So would I be right in thinking that I don't need to worry about applying for my police certs in the next few weeks? I could wait until I see if I've met the eligibility requirements in stage 1?

Well if you're Irish and between 18 and 35 you're eligible, so you don't need to wait to find that out

You won't fail the first stage unless you don't pay properly or something so really no need to worry about that.

Unless you're in a mad rush to get the whole process done to get out to Canada then there's no hurry with the police certs at all. However I've heard foreign ones can take quite a while so bear that in mind if you've to get any from Oz etc (my Irish one took only 2 weeks).

Also, the process itself can take a couple of months so it would be good to have the police certs scanned and ready to be uploaded as soon as you're on to Stage 2 so you can just have it done all at once and not be waiting too long.

If I were you I'd just apply for them next month and have them ready to go, just keep in mind that they're only valid for 3 months so you'll have to have Stage 2 completed before they expire.

fredchest · 22-10-2013 6:51am

if you get to stage two, would a passport style photo suffice? they've given alot of measurements...confusing

Delira · 22-10-2013 4:11pm

fredchest wrote: »

if you get to stage two, would a passport style photo suffice? they've given alot of measurements...confusing

Myself and a lot of other applicants just used this website to create the photo to the right dimensions: http://www.idphoto4you.com/

It's great, you just take a photo of yourself against a white wall on your phone/digital camera, upload it, select Canada, and it'll create the visa photo for you! Just check the file size after and make sure it's not over the size limit. Mine was but I was able to reduce the quality to make it smaller.

Don't bother paying for passport photos, and scanning them, and then trying to get them to the dimensions and size needed, that website will do it for ya and it's free!

NewsMeQuick · 22-10-2013 4:48pm

^^ You are the gem of gems. Thank you!

missypiggy · 24-10-2013 2:55am

Ladilia wrote: »

Hi everyone, I have a question for you, hope you guys can help me:

So I applied for my 1 year visa in 2012 and did my year in Canada. I attempted to apply for another one for 2013, but seeing as they went in about 30 seconds, my application was technically rejected.

Am I still eligible to apply for the 2014 2 year visa?

Thanks in advance!

Hi Ladilia,

Yep, you're eligible as far as I know! From the website:

"Previously, Irish citizens were permitted to participate twice, each time up to 12 months. Starting 2013, Irish citizens who had participated in the International Experience Canada initiative (including through USIT) for a period of up to 12 months will be eligible for another participation of up to 24 months. Those who had participated in the International Experience Canada initiative (including through USIT) more than once (i.e., beyond 12 months) will not be eligible."

Hope that helps!

missypiggy · 24-10-2013 2:58am

Hi folks,

I have a weird one. I'm currently living in Ontario on a 1 year IEC visa (applied Dec 2011, travelled March 2013). I want to apply for the 2 year IEC when the applications open.

Obviously I'll be getting my Garda cert but does anyone know if I need a Canadian Police Cert?

Also, how important is your employment record? Even though I've been here for a good bit I haven't been working for a Canadian company - will that count against me?

Thanks a million in advance for any responses!

bopper · 24-10-2013 3:07am

missypiggy wrote: »

Hi folks,

I have a weird one. I'm currently living in Ontario on a 1 year IEC visa (applied Dec 2011, travelled March 2013). I want to apply for the 2 year IEC when the applications open.

Obviously I'll be getting my Garda cert but does anyone know if I need a Canadian Police Cert?

Also, how important is your employment record? Even though I've been here for a good bit I haven't been working for a Canadian company - will that count against me?

Thanks a million in advance for any responses!

I'm in the same boat as you. You're not supposed to need a Canadian Police Cert but some people were asked this year. However, IEC/CIC admitted this was a mistake so hopefully it won't happen next year.

I don't think your employment record is important, I've never heard of that being an issue.

missypiggy · 24-10-2013 3:10am

bopper wrote: »

I'm in the same boat as you. You're not supposed to need a Canadian Police Cert but some people were asked this year. However, IEC/CIC admitted this was a mistake so hopefully it won't happen next year.

I don't think your employment record is important, I've never heard of that being an issue.

Thanks for the response! Yeah, sure I suppose if they ask there'll be time to get one anyway?

Cheers for that, it's really confusing to work for a company that isn't based where you live!

Fingers crossed!

fredchest · 24-10-2013 1:48pm

great, thanks for that...

fredchest · 24-10-2013 1:55pm

Delira wrote: »

Myself and a lot of other applicants just used this website to create the photo to the right dimensions: http://www.idphoto4you.com/

It's great, you just take a photo of yourself against a white wall on your phone/digital camera, upload it, select Canada, and it'll create the visa photo for you! Just check the file size after and make sure it's not over the size limit. Mine was but I was able to reduce the quality to make it smaller.

Don't bother paying for passport photos, and scanning them, and then trying to get them to the dimensions and size needed, that website will do it for ya and it's free!

Gee, thanks. And you only need this photo if starting stage two?

Marko10 · 24-10-2013 7:49pm

Delira wrote: »

Well if you're Irish and between 18 and 35 you're eligible, so you don't need to wait to find that out You won't fail the first stage unless you don't pay properly or something so really no need to worry about that.

Unless you're in a mad rush to get the whole process done to get out to Canada then there's no hurry with the police certs at all. However I've heard foreign ones can take quite a while so bear that in mind if you've to get any from Oz etc (my Irish one took only 2 weeks).

Also, the process itself can take a couple of months so it would be good to have the police certs scanned and ready to be uploaded as soon as you're on to Stage 2 so you can just have it done all at once and not be waiting too long.

If I were you I'd just apply for them next month and have them ready to go, just keep in mind that they're only valid for 3 months so you'll have to have Stage 2 completed before they expire.

Thanks a lot Delira. Very helpful. I'm going to apply for the police certs next month and have them ready to go. So it sounds like I should be ok as long as I get in early enough. That's great

Any tips on the CV? Does it have to be in any particular format?

Thanks again

NewsMeQuick · 25-10-2013 7:12pm

CV - I was thinking about paying a professional to remake it in the Canadian style. It's more than words, they know the culture, the market better than I do. For me, I think it's too important than just to take a few pointers. A hundred dollars investment following a gamble of several thousand seems like a prudent idea to me. But, I see recruitment agencies reformat your resume as part of their process. That saves me a hundred dollars.

cloudatlas · 26-10-2013 2:22pm

What's the purpose of the resume inclusion? How recent does the police check have to be at the time of submission? How long do you have to get the police check?

Augmerson · 29-10-2013 3:59pm

There isn't any problem if I've done this before, back in 2007/2008? I've heard you can do it once for one year, but not once for 2 years?

Marko10 · 29-10-2013 8:32pm

Came across this for anyone else who may have been wondering about CV format for stage 1.

http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/ireland-irlande/experience_canada_experience/resume.aspx

lowbedR580 · 01-11-2013 11:59am

I was wondering how do you set up payment and is that at the first stage (IEC) of the process before you get the conditional acceptance letter.
Also once you get past the first stage is it then you get the conditional letter of acceptance. How long do you have to upload the police certs is the acceptance letter good for a length of time?
Reason i ask is iv got to get police checks from UK and USA as well as Ireland.

IEC 2014 Discussion/Stage 1 - READ FIRST POST BEFORE POSTING

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