Non-usage of visa

ravingitup

I have asked this question before somewhere else, but I just wanted to be sure that I had the right answer.

I have a POE with an expiry date of next March. I was planning to go next month but plans changed and I got a job here that I really wanted. Now, I may not use my visa in time and I'm worried I won't be able to work in Canada again until I'm 36...16 years away...(because I'll be ineligible for the IEC)

I just want to know the answer to two questions if anybody can help me out.

1) First, if I don't use my POE by next March, is that it for me? Bye-bye Canada? Is there anyway I can explain to Canadian authorities regarding changing my POE entry date to summer of next year, for example?

2) I have a second option - go on a short holiday to Canada, activate my visa in July let's say, leave the country, go back to my job in Ireland and sacrifice a year of my visa before re-entering next June for proper this time. Has anybody done this? I can't see any reason why I couldn't do this...

Does anybody know if there's a better way out of all of this, or is 2) the best-case scenario and if I don't do that, will I have to wait until I'm 36?

Thanks for any help you guys might have.

krudler

2nd option as far as I know if you dont enter by the date given then that's it. I had until, uh..today to use mine lol I got here Wednesday just gone.

Why not do option 2.....but in March next year? I got my visa in July 2013, I'm no travelling until June 20th. As long as you have the requirements at the border, it doesn't matter how long for or when during your visa's validity you go over.

JenL

Your visa is activated from the date you enter canada. So if you were to enter in the final weeks/days of the expiry date of your POE (March 2015) you would lose out on less time of your visa than if you entered this summer.
Since you have your POE you are seen in the eyes of the IEC to have participated in the program so you won't be able to apply again under the current rules. There are other ways to get a working visa for Canada but most depend on if your job area is in demand. You could look at a LMO which you require a job offer for and you would be tied to this job unless you could find another employer to offer you a LMO to change jobs.
Check out the CIC website for your options

http://www.cic.gc.ca/ctc-vac/getting-started.asp

Scruffy19

Id agree with the above post! Id book cheap flights to Toronto in March next year (before the date on the LOI/POE), activate the visa, have a short holiday and then fly back home to your job!

Least you will have a active visa till March 2017!

ravingitup

Thanks to all of you! I now know what's the best option, so thanks so much for that.

I will book flights for next March to get the longest possible time out of my visa. I'm sure I can get time off work to do that.

Does it matter where you activate your visa i.e. I could fly to Toronto next March to activate it, but it's actually Vancouver I want to move to next June. I just mean as regards social security numbers etc, I presume the one they give you is valid in all Canadian provinces for work purposes? I'd be going to activate it in Toronto because of the cheaper flights most likely.

circular flexing

ravingitup wrote: »

Thanks to all of you! I now know what's the best option, so thanks so much for that.

I will book flights for next March to get the longest possible time out of my visa. I'm sure I can get time off work to do that.

Does it matter where you activate your visa i.e. I could fly to Toronto next March to activate it, but it's actually Vancouver I want to move to next June. I just mean as regards social security numbers etc, I presume the one they give you is valid in all Canadian provinces for work purposes? I'd be going to activate it in Toronto because of the cheaper flights most likely.

Don't forget that to get the visa, you need to show the health insurance and the savings also.

Cherry_Cola

I did the exact same. Waited until a day before my letter was gonna expire and went for a holiday for a week. Told em straight at the border what I was doing and there was no problem at all!

blueruin

JenL wrote: »

Your visa is activated from the date you enter canada. So if you were to enter in the final weeks/days of the expiry date of your POE (March 2015) you would lose out on less time of your visa than if you entered this summer.

Where does it say this? Can you not enter on a tourist visa first without activating the IEC?

Loblox

ravingitup wrote: »

2) I have a second option - go on a short holiday to Canada, activate my visa in July let's say, leave the country, go back to my job in Ireland and sacrifice a year of my visa before re-entering next June for proper this time. Has anybody done this? I can't see any reason why I couldn't do this...

Last time I checked, if you activate your visa and then leave Canada for more than six months, the visa ends.

That may have changed, though.

That has changed, Loblox.

ravingitup

Deleted User wrote: »

That has changed, Loblox.

Thanks SeaSlacker, very reassuring to hear that is no longer the case.

Decay666

I'm planing on doing this in the next few weeks, i've my flight booked for July (visa expiring in Aug) staying for a short holiday and returning in October for the rest of the visa to work.

My question is too anyone who might have done the same is, what to do about Insurance??, most backpacker insurance wont cover me if i return home for more than 2- 3 weeks so i'll lose my claim.

Just wondering if anyone booked with a company that doesn't care how long you might return for?