Travel in Canada before activating working Visa

mydiscworld

I’ve heard annual leave is Canada is fairly poor at 10/15days per year on average vs 20 statutory days min in Ireland. That being the case,I wonder if I’d be better spending a month or so when I arrive over travellingto say Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, before flying over to Vancouver to find ajob and place to live?

Obviously, this will all require having the money to fund amonth’s travel, and then accom, deposit and a few weeks of job searching.

Another question which springs to mind is: If I arrive overin Toronto say, with my 2-year working holiday visa at hand, but don’t want toactivate it for another month as above, can I not activate the 2-years until I gotoff my internal flight to Vancouver?

circular flexing

People have travelled in Canada before activating the visa. It's probably just a matter of convincing the border agent to let you in as a visitor.

However you will need to activate it at a border, and an internal flight to Vancouver will not allow you to pass through immigration at Vancouver airport (different terminals), so you will need to go visit the border somewhere, there's one not too far from Vancouver.

COYVB

Treat your first entry to Canada as a holiday. Tell the guys at the border you're planning a month long trip around a few places before heading into the States via Seattle and spending a bit of time touring there. You'll get a visa stamped in your passport with an expiration date that you have to be out by. Once you cross the border, when you come back into Canada, don't mention any of the earlier trip - they'll be able to see it in your passport, and you can say your IEC permit arrived at your home in Ireland while you were away and rather than going home, getting it and planning a return, you had it sent over to you to save the money on flights and disruption in terms of time.

circular flexing

COYVB wrote: »

Treat your first entry to Canada as a holiday. Tell the guys at the border you're planning a month long trip around a few places before heading into the States via Seattle and spending a bit of time touring there. You'll get a visa stamped in your passport with an expiration date that you have to be out by. Once you cross the border, when you come back into Canada, don't mention any of the earlier trip - they'll be able to see it in your passport, and you can say your IEC permit arrived at your home in Ireland while you were away and rather than going home, getting it and planning a return, you had it sent over to you to save the money on flights and disruption in terms of time.

Why would you do any of that?

COYVB

circular flexing wrote: »

Why would you do any of that?

Because if he tells them he's got an IEC work permit approval in his back pocket they'll likely suspect he'll be looking for work while in on a visitor visa, which he's not allowed to do

LucidLife

COYVB wrote: »

Treat your first entry to Canada as a holiday. Tell the guys at the border you're planning a month long trip around a few places before heading into the States via Seattle and spending a bit of time touring there. You'll get a visa stamped in your passport with an expiration date that you have to be out by. Once you cross the border, when you come back into Canada, don't mention any of the earlier trip - they'll be able to see it in your passport, and you can say your IEC permit arrived at your home in Ireland while you were away and rather than going home, getting it and planning a return, you had it sent over to you to save the money on flights and disruption in terms of time.

You don't have much experience do you lol....ignore this post OP

COYVB

LucidLife wrote: »

You don't have much experience do you

I've been living here since 2009

LucidLife

mydiscworld wrote: »

I’ve heard annual leave is Canada is fairly poor at 10/15days per year on average vs 20 statutory days min in Ireland. That being the case,I wonder if I’d be better spending a month or so when I arrive over travellingto say Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, before flying over to Vancouver to find ajob and place to live?

Obviously, this will all require having the money to fund amonth’s travel, and then accom, deposit and a few weeks of job searching.

Another question which springs to mind is: If I arrive overin Toronto say, with my 2-year working holiday visa at hand, but don’t want toactivate it for another month as above, can I not activate the 2-years until I gotoff my internal flight to Vancouver?

OP it depends on the job you get. A lot of Irish are on shift work which varies but 14 days on 7 off is standard with a lot I know. ... if you can find similar work you can hit up a different city every two weeks. Those three cities are expensive too so unless you had north of 10k to spend I wouldn't consider doing it before hand. Flight between the four cities and hotels will cost you 5k easily. I've been to all cities mentioned and unless there is some show you want to catch I'd certainly wait off on it until you settle on west coast

circular flexing

COYVB wrote: »

Because if he tells them he's got an IEC work permit approval in his back pocket they'll likely suspect he'll be looking for work while in on a visitor visa, which he's not allowed to do

You are allowed to look for work on a visitor visa - you are just not allowed to actually work.

COYVB

circular flexing wrote: »

You are allowed to look for work on a visitor visa - you are just not allowed to actually work.

You're not technically allowed to solicit work in the Canadian work force, at least you weren't when I came on my first IEC in 09. You're very restricted on what you can legally do on a visitor visa

LucidLife

COYVB wrote: »

I've been living here since 2009

Which says to me you have got too accustomed to the Canadian way.

You just told the OP to tell immigration that he received a visa that does not exist. He can't under the circumstances walk up to immigration with an IEC visa. If immigration decide he is going to get his IEC, they will tell him not the other way around. Your suggestion is a sure fire way for the OP to be refused entry to Canada

COYVB

LucidLife wrote: »

You just told the OP to tell immigration that he received a visa that does not exist.

No I didnt. I said:

Treat your first entry to Canada as a holiday. Tell the guys at the border you're planning a month long trip around a few places before heading into the States via Seattle and spending a bit of time touring there. You'll get a visa stamped in your passport with an expiration date that you have to be out by.

Standard fare there, if he's travelling he's on a holiday. He needs to go into the States to come back so he can get his work permit. He'll get a visitor visa stamped in his passport. That's the blue stamp that has a hand written exit by date on it, that's his visa to be in Canada as a tourist. Same one anyone visiting Canada gets.

LucidLife wrote: »

He can't under the circumstances walk up to immigration with an IEC visa. If immigration decide he is going to get his IEC, they will tell him not the other way around. Your suggestion is a sure fire way for the OP to be refused entry to Canada

I also never said any of that. I said:

Once you cross the border, when you come back into Canada, don't mention any of the earlier trip - they'll be able to see it in your passport, and you can say your IEC permit arrived at your home in Ireland while you were away and rather than going home, getting it and planning a return, you had it sent over to you to save the money on flights and disruption in terms of time.

On his return to Canada, he'll present his IEC permit. I never said he's telling them anything about a visa. He's got a PERMIT issued under the IEC scheme for a visa and work permit, the guy at the border will give it to him if he decides he meets the criteria. Remember, the visa is the stamp, the work permit is the document that's stapled into your passport. The work permit is NOT a visa, and the visa is NOT a work permit

I think you need to pay more attention to what people post before attempting to look clever

LucidLife

COYVB wrote: »

No I didnt. I said:



Standard fare there, if he's travelling he's on a holiday. He needs to go into the States to come back so he can get his work permit. He'll get a visitor visa stamped in his passport. That's the blue stamp that has a hand written exit by date on it, that's his visa to be in Canada as a tourist. Same one anyone visiting Canada gets.



I also never said any of that. I said:



On his return to Canada, he'll present his IEC permit. I never said he's telling them anything about a visa. He's got a PERMIT issued under the IEC scheme for a visa and work permit, the guy at the border will give it to him if he decides he meets the criteria. Remember, the visa is the stamp, the work permit is the document that's stapled into your passport. The work permit is NOT a visa, and the visa is NOT a work permit

I think you need to pay more attention to what people post before attempting to look clever

I'm being clever by advising him not to lie to immigration. ... yeah very clever.

I realize that its 7/8 years since you went through the process but your out of line to suggest he do anything that would compromise entry to Canada.

I DONT REQUIRE BLOCK CAPITALS TO READ BUT THANKS FOR YOUR CONCERN. I am a well seasoned traveler and assure you I've had more visitor visa's for Canada than years you've been here, assuming it's just from 09 -PD your here.

COYVB

I haven't told him to tell immigration anything that would prevent his entry have I? I've simply told him not to mention the IEC on the way in first time, and present it on the way in second time. Going up to the immigration desk and telling them he's got paperwork for a work permit but he's not using it will just raise suspicions. He has no reason to mention it at all until he's going to use it. None whatsoever.

Crann na Beatha

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dealhunter1985

On my arrival, my plan was to stay in Toronto for a few days and then go traveling for 6-8 weeks and that's exactly what I did.
Without any mention of the work visa.. I just explained that I took a few months out to travel Canada and the U.S for a bit. I didnt lie nor did I need to. My 2 months away were in fact a holiday.

COYVB is correct in saying not to mention the work visa. If you do, they will insist on activation and a tourist stamp wont be an option.

strawberry100

Hi I am not sure if I am posting in the right place I have an Iec and would like to travel Canada for 4 to 6 weeks I want to fly in to Toronto then maybe over to winnipeg to Brandon to calgary then finish in vancover I am really not sure on prices ie bus to city's or trains prices of food per day and cost of hostels finding it hard to work out the cost and afraid I won't have enough I have my flight to Toronto worked out and my two year insurances also is it easy to pick up casual work here and there for a week or two just wondered how people got on traveling as a tourist for that length of time is it enjoyable and do you get to meet many people would €4k cover a 6 week stay