Canada Visa

pixie_student

Hey all,

Me and a few mates are thinking of heading over in june for 3 months working and travelling.

I know usit will be doing a j1 but is there any other way of going about this.

Where do i go to get my visa?

Where is the best place to go in canada etc etc..

All help and info much appreciated

ferdi

i'm in the same boat pixie, so i also need this info.

where are you going in canada? i'm thinking vancouver....http://www.clubvibes.com/listings/listingsdetail.asp?id=2505

http://www.bcpassport.com/cool.html


west coast all the way

Victor

Erm. The J1 applies to the USA, not Canada.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/offices/

Canada
The Canadian Embassy
4th Floor
65/68 St. Stephen's Green
Dublin 2
Tel:01 417 4100
Fax: 01 417 4101
E.Mail: dubln@dfait-maeci.gc.ca

pixie_student

I was in USIT last week and i'm nearly sure the girl referred to their canada work/travel package as a j1 also.

Yea vancouver looks promising all right and looks like there is plenty to see and do there.

Where else would be worth stopping by on our travels?

Do i just need to book my flights and get the visa and i'm good to go?

Jivin Turkey

The canada visa is independant to the J1. You need to get them fast though. They are usually all gone by December.

My sister was in Vancouver last year. She loved it, and is planning on going back for a year in the Summer when she finishes college.

Bri

It's definatley not called a J1.

Canda has alot less places too. USIT cost a bit but you cannot afford to screw up your application (size of attached photo etc.) if you wanna get in.

This has been discussed a bit already.

Brilliant country - def. recommend Vancouver over Toronto, despite the extra cost (due to the distance).

I've done the summer thing myself so if you have any questions feel free, cos I just don't have time to describe every aspect from the application to the flight home.

In summary: Go with Usit. The Canadian Embassy here (St. Stephen's Green) will refer you to England. Oh, and get your sleeping bags out for the overnight queue. I'd recommend one of their smaller shops as waiting on the Dublin streets for the night would NOT be pleasant, and there may be more people looking for them. Then again, I know people who walked in the day after and got the remaining two - the bastards!

namaimo

I hadnt made mind mind up whether to go or not the night all of my friends slept on the ground outside usit but i soon came to my senses just as all the visas were gone :mad:
So i applied for my visa through the canadian embassy in england (ireland will just refer you to england) only stipulation to this is that you need to have a job lined up in canada first and youre supposed to work for that company ONLY as its written on your visa (although i didnt!) so if youre serious about going roll out your sleeping bag cause its the best summer youll ever have...

ferdi

hmmm http://www.canada.org.uk/

Bri

Go for whatever option you choose but from everything I learned (I organised most of my groups summer ) the option of walking into USIT and paying them a fee is alot better.

ToxicPaddy

Ahh yeah ya have to go to Vacouver, class city and class people..

Tox

the whole year inn

I was also thinking bout going over for a few months with my mates, I was told that since I have an English Passport thats its easier for me to go over is this true ?

gob_smacked

Bah

I'm thinking about going to Canada fro the Summer too, but can't seem to get much information out of USIT - seems like they only really know about the J1 visa. Can anybody point me in the right direction?
Ideally I want to go over about a week or two after I finish my Summer exams, and stay over untill mid-late August. Definetly need to get a job - thinking Vancouver sounds like a great place to go to. I'm probably going to sort it out over Christmas, but I'd appreciate any advice you can give (jobs, visas, where to go/stay, etc).
Thanks in advance

Bri

Sorry to hear USIT arn't helpful. Which branch you going to?

Basically if you go through them you have to keep an eye out for the date the visa listing is available and queue the night before (it's actually a good laugh). There's a downpayment and so on, with a date arranged for further individual booking. The Visa itself arrives months later. The Canadian Embassy (High Commission or something like that) are very pernickity and need absolutely everything spelt right (!) photos in place, right size only, etc. You get the idea. I could be wrong but I just don't see how it'd be easier to be corresponding with them directly. USIT may be flogging J1s but they will get their visa stuff right and on time.
Don't postpone asking about dates before Christmas! Get the forms and all now if they have them.

Vancouver is absolute heaven. Moutains, Sea, Islands, sports, sports cars...everything! Quality prices too. Jobs arn't particularly easy to get unless your not picky at all. I was 5 weeks out there with only 1 job offer which I turned down because it was so far away and so commission based. In the end I got a job in Robson Street (the Grafton St. of the area) and loved working there in the sun and buzz of the place.

Look for accomodation in the South part of Vancouver - north is the generally rich area. UBC is about 15 times bigger than UCD and 100 times better equipped and overlooking the bay - we lived there all summer. This frat houses are rebuilt a year too so they may be more approachable.

NB: Mobiles out there are a complete rip off (cost to recieve a text!) etc. so bring a phone that'll work in North America.

Any more details just ask.

Bah

Thanks Bri!
I was on the phone to USIT in Galway, but I might just ring another branch and get them to post the stuff onto me. Dunno what it'll be like going on my own though, no job, no accommodation lined up, should be an interesting experience!

Bri

Ring USIT Aston Quay Dublin or even UCD. Both seemed to know their stuff when I was in 2 years ago.

As long as you bring enough ca$h just go out with the idea of trying to set yourself up and if it fails have a brilliant month / 2 months.

Bah

I went into USIT yesterday (again) and they just said that there are no visa applications being taken until February, and they didn't have any information about them - just "look on the website"...

Bri

Ok that's probably quite a fair statement - i.e. not just being lazy. I recall I got a bit of that at the start it's just I thought the visas came out before Febuary! I think each year the availablity to each USIT changes or can change and so on, and I'm sure the price might fluctuate too. So maybe they're not screwing you over as I thought. If your worried ring another and get the rough date confirmed. Just spend this time reading up on what to do/see and why Vancouver is the only real choice

aniascor

The Canadian visa is soooo much better than the J1 to the States, you can go there for an entire year instead of just a summer. And trust me - once you get there you won't want to leave.

I know everyone is always talking about how cool Vancouver is - but I went to Toronto - and loved it. The people there are great, and I had a job within three weeks. The people in SWAP (canadian version of USIT) told us in our orientation meeting not to bother looking for real jobs, that employers would only be looking for us to do things like shop work. But I applied for contract positions and had a "real" job with lotsa money within three weeks.

Check out www.monster.ca and www.workopolis.ca to see what kind of jobs you can get!

Ronzo

Hi guys, I am going out on the 1 year U35 in May. Hoping to get work and stay out there, does anybody know how to get staying out there, is sponsorship a common thing?

Cheers Folks

BuffyBot

Don't dig up 5 year old threads

You might want to dig around the more relevant forum -> http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=925