Canada: Entering as a tourist for the IEC

conall.doherty

Looks like ill be entering canada now as a tourist as the IEC wont have came through yet.

Is it okay to enter canada on a tourist visa with a one-way flight. Was thinking of buying a bus/train ticket to seattle for July so that i could at least show a immigration officer i planned to leave the country. Will this be okay?

As a tourist visa do you need to be able to show you have so many funds to last you during your duration?

will they have on their system that you are awaiting an iec visa?

Thanks. leave on Friday and panicking a bit

snoopmadra

i flew into calgary as a tourist and was sent to immigration and had to show a flight leaving and evidence of the campervan i had booked for the month.the lad travelling with me sailed thru notta question asked....depends on officer i reckon!
not sure of the official stance tho as regards flights out!

Helix

buy a megabus ticket from vancouver to seattle (i assume you're going to vancouver since you mention seattle) for about $15. buy it as far into the future as you can the day before you leave and print out the receipt. just show that to the immigration guy and tell him you're doing the whole west coast for the summer

you'll have no issues. if asked for proof of funds, you'll need to have $50 per day for the duration of your "stay" in canada, so from the day you arrive to the day your bus ticket is for

JonSnuuu

Looks like I'll be entering as a tourist too, heading out on Friday but probably won't have me visa by then.

I'll have a return ticket booked for the 11th of August, but I'll only have around $3500 in my account, will I be ok to enter as a tourist?

Helix

yeah youll be grand, if you're worried just book a bus ticket for $15

Fysh

This thread is discussing special circumstances that apply to those who are accepted under the IEC program. I don't want to see any advice given in this thread (or on this forum) about how to circumvent visiting immigration laws, whether directly or indirectly.

From Citizenship & Immigration Canada:
"To visit Canada, you must:

• have a valid travel document, such as a passport;
• be in good health;
• satisfy an immigration officer that you have ties, such as a job, home and family, that will take you back to your country of origin;
• satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit; and
• have enough money for your stay. The amount of money you will need can vary with the circumstances of the visit, how long you will stay and whether you will stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives. For more information, ask the Canadian visa office in your country or region."

As an Irish citizen you do not need a visa to visit Canada. However, there are restrictions that will apply to you as a visitor. From Temporary Resident Visa: Extending Your Stay:
"Most visitors to Canada are not allowed to work or study in Canada without permission. You must apply for a work permit or a study permit before coming to Canada. If you are visiting Canada and you want to apply to work or study, you must leave Canada and apply from your home country."

So if you go as a visitor you can't legally request a change to your status without first returning home, submitting a work visa and then travelling back. Travelling to the US will not help you in this regard.

"If you wish to stay in Canada as a permanent resident, you must leave the country and apply from outside Canada. To become a permanent resident, you must meet the requirements for immigration to Canada."

You should also read all the information on the Working Temporarily In Canada pages.

Edited to add:
After reading more about the IEC program, specificlly the FAQ section, I see that there is explicit provision made for travelling as a visitor in advance of receiving your LoI. However, you will not receive a work permit on entry to Canada in this case and will need to meet the entry criteria for visitor status (described above). When you receive your LoI you will need to leave Canada and return (eg travelling into the US and back), and show your LoI on the return trip. You will then be issued your work permit. It should go without saying that commencing work while on visitor status/before you receive your work permit is a big no-no.

JonSnuuu

Fysh wrote: »

you must leave Canada and apply from your home country.

it's true, you have to leave canada to activate it, and that you must apply from your home country, but the OP has already applied through his own country and is merely waiting on his LOI.

Nowhere does it say that when you leave canada to activate the visa, that you must return home to do so. Travelling into the US is completely acceptable and done by a huge percentage of people every year.

Fysh

johnt91 wrote: »

it's true, you have to leave canada to activate it, and that you must apply from your home country, but the OP has already applied through his own country and is merely waiting on his LOI.

Nowhere does it say that when you leave canada to activate the visa, that you must return home to do so. Travelling into the US is completely acceptable and done by a huge percentage of people every year.

As I understand it, this is a special case for the IEC program rather than the norm - the pages I have quoted above describe the general regulations that will apply to those entering Canada as visitors.

This forum has had problems in the past with people trying to find information about how to get around normal immigration/visa requirements when travelling abroad, hence my desire to make sure that the rules are clearly posted for anyone reading this thread who's not in the OP's scenario (ie travelling in advance of receiving their IEC acceptance).

Helix

leaving the country to reactivate or activate a visa is NOT a special case for the IEC -it's done regularly by anyone renewing a visa

Helix

Fysh wrote: »

It should go without saying that commencing work while on visitor status/before you receive your work permit is a big no-no.

it's not a no-no, it's impossible. you need your social insurance number to get paid and you can't get that without a work permit

Fysh

Helix wrote: »

leaving the country to reactivate or activate a visa is NOT a special case for the IEC -it's done regularly by anyone renewing a visa

The special case I was referring to was the change from visitor status to being eligible to work under the IEC program.

As I understand it, anyone not part of the IEC who wanted to change from visitor status to working status would need to specifically return to their original country of residence and then re-enter Canada, not just eg cross the border to the US and then return to Canada.

Helix

Fysh wrote: »

The special case I was referring to was the change from visitor status to being eligible to work under the IEC program.

As I understand it, anyone not part of the IEC who wanted to change from visitor status to working status would need to specifically return to their original country of residence and then re-enter Canada, not just eg cross the border to the US and then return to Canada.

nah they dont, ive done it before under advise of business immigration consultants with the candian government

you just need to leave canada - you dont need to return to your home country

Fysh

Helix wrote: »

nah they dont, ive done it before under advise of business immigration consultants with the candian government

you just need to leave canada - you dont need to return to your home country

That depends on your circumstances and the nature of the Visa you need, hence my quoting of various pages from Canada's Citizenship & Immigration pages above along with links to the original statements - if you need to apply for a work visa, you'll need to return to your home country to do so. If you qualify under other programs, you may well not need to do so.

Advice on the best way to deal with certain circumstances is obviously always welcome here, and I think it's evident that I don't know a great deal about Canadian immigration regulations so I'm obviously happy for others with knowledge & experience to share advice here.

However, it's important that people know to check what rules apply to their circumstances rather than just blithely assuming they can wander into another country and do what they want.

lemon_remon

How do you prove to the immigration officer that you have enough money to last your stay? Do you need a bank statement or what would suffice?

Helix

lemon_remon wrote: »

How do you prove to the immigration officer that you have enough money to last your stay? Do you need a bank statement or what would suffice?

bank statement with approx $50 for each day you're staying as a tourist