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Ultimate Guide To Getting Your IEC Visa 2020

Are you wanting to experience life away from home? With Canada ranking one of the best countries in the world it’s hard to say no. Spend a winter working in a ski resort or the summer in Banff, whether it’s 6 months, 1 or even 2 years you’ll need a visa to work here.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means no extra costs for you – but I may earn a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

What is the IEC Visa?

The IEC ( International Experience Canada) Visa provides a temporary work permit for people from over 30 countries aged under 35 to legally travel and work within Canada for up to 24 months ( depending on the country your applying from) there are three programs available, the Working Holiday (the most popular), Young Professionals and International Co-ops.

Types of IEC Programs

Working Holiday:

Suitable for those who:

Do not have a job offer
Want to work for more than one employer
Want to work in more than one location
Want to earn extra money to travel.

If you plan on working in the health sector, i.e with children or vulnerable people you must have a medical exam carried out by an approved physician.

Young Professionals

Suitable for those who:

Have a job offer that contributes to their professional development
Plan to work for the same employer in the same location for the duration of their stay in Canada.

This job offer must be paid and applicants cannot be self employed.

International Co-op

Are registered at a post- secondary institution
Have a job offer or work placement/ internship in Canada
Need the work placement in order to complete their studies
Will work for the same employer in the same location for the duration of their stay in Canada.

The internship must be directly linked to their field of study.

What countries can get it?

You can find out if your country is eligible on the Government of Canada website

How Much Does it Cost?

Participation fee, $150
Biometric fee $85
Working Holiday Open Work Permit Holder Fee, $100
Proof of funds, $2500
Flight to Canada
Police certificate fee
Travel expenses
Travel insurance that must be valid for the length of your stay in Canada
Return flight/ proof of funds for a return flight.

How to Apply for an IEC Visa

Complete the come to Canada Questionaire. This must be answered accurately as answering wrongly can lead to you failing the questionaire. It may take a couple of tries for this.

Once you pass the questionaire you will be given a reference code. Save it, you’ll be using this to create your IRCC account on the CIC website.

Next, submit your profile to the IEC pool. It’s official! You’ve now applied for an invite for your work permit. You’re probably wondering what that means. You need to receive an invitation in order to apply for your work permit. Think of it as a birthday party, the work permit is the party and you want to go but to be able to go, you need an invitation first.

Now for the waiting game. Right now your profile is waiting in what’s called a ‘pool’ with thousands of other profiles. Each country has its own pools and each type of visa has its own pool so all of the UK IEC Visa’s are in one pool.

Once the first round of invites begin more are usually sent out weekly. Let’s say your one of the lucky ones and you got your invite, congratulations!! You have the choice to either accept or decline it and you have 10 days to make this decision. Once you accept your invite you will have 20 days to complete, submit your documents and pay any fees for your work permit. If you take any longer than those 20 days then you’ve lost your chance and must apply again into the pool.

IRCC will begin their assessment of your application, you may be asked to provide additional documents, this typically takes up to 8 weeks. If you are successful you will receive your POE ( Port of Entry) this must be presented on arrival in Canada where you will be asked to show your documents before receiving your work permit.

How Long Does it Take to Get?

Depending on when you apply the pools may or may not be open yet for the season, for example you can apply and go in the pool in October but they might not start inviting anyone until December and you won’t know until a few days or hours before they do. Once the pool opens you will find out how many spaces there are so there could be 3,000 invitations available but 5,000 people applying. This is why it can take a more than one season to get your invite. Some people are lucky and get theirs within a few months, others not so lucky and it can take them years, it took me and David nearly 3 years to get ours!

What Documents Do I Need?

You will be asked to take photos and upload the following documents:

Police Check,
CV
Passport
Digital Photo (passport style)
Family Information Form
Canadian resume

Featured

My Oahu Itinerary

David and I took a trip to Oahu last November and boy was it amazing! From the bright blue ocean surrounding this beautiful island to the deep pink sunsets over Oahu every night , we enjoyed our time here and shared a very special moment together… we got engaged!!

We stayed in Waikiki for one week and saw many incredible views and with so much to do ours days were filled! Here is my itinerary of everything I did on my trip to Oahu filled with lots of great ideas if you plan on visiting.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means no extra costs for you – but I may earn a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Day 1

We arrived at Honolulu Airport and caught a bus to Waikiki. There’s also the option to rent a Hertz car that you can pick up and drop off at the airport. This is a great option if you want to explore as much of the island without the trouble of finding transport. Take this day to explore Waikiki and relax on the beach, if you arrive on a Friday watch the free fireworks show at the Hilton at 7:45pm.

Day 2

Start your day off with the best view of Diamond Head at Kapiolani Park, which is full of entertainment from the Honolulu Zoo to tennis courts, there’s even a free concert every Sunday in the bandstand.

Next, head on to Hanuama Bay where you can go snorkelling and relax on the beach. The Blow hole is just off of Hanuama bay where water rushes through molten lava tubes and up through the blowhole, reaching heights of up to 30 feet! Don’t forget to look out for turtles here, David and I spotted a few!

Day 3

Wake up early and go for a hike up Diamond Head! This hike offers breathtaking views of Honolulu and the Pacific Ocean, the view was so good that it was used as a post for the US Military to prevent attacks on Honolulu. The trail, built in 1908 takes you right to the edge of this 300,000 year old crater. The hike takes 1.5 – 2 hrs to complete and entry is $1 for pedestrians and $5 for vehicles.

After your busy morning take a walk through Ala Moana Beach Park and Magic Island, a 20 minute walk north of Waikiki. This is a great place to go away from tourists where locals come to relax.

Day 4

Depending on the time of your visit to Oahu Pearl Harbour Center can get very busy. Consider pre-booking your free tickets or you can purchase tickets at the center but it is a first come first serve basis and limited tickets.

After Pearl Harbour head back to Waikiki to Kalākaua Avenue, located alongside the famous Waikiki beach this street is one of busiest in Oahu. lined with designer boutiques, malls, souvenir shops and specialty food including my Hawaiian favourite, Honolulu cookie company which makes amazing fresh pineapple shaped cookies everyday. Call in and try a selection of their free samples!

Day 5

If your feeling up for a hike then try out Koko Head or Stairway to Heaven, these are the two toughest hikes in Oahu so make sure you try out Diamond Hike first. Both offer incredible panoramic views from the top!

After your busy morning take a trip to sandy beach and relax or try out some bodyboarding if your feeling up for it! Every Tuesday – Thursday – Saturday there’s free Hula dancing shows at 6pm at Kuhio beach presented by Hawaiian’s finest Halau hula and performers.

Day 6

Your last full day in Oahu, make the most of it! Head to Laniakea beach between 11am and 1pm to watch the Hawaiin green sea turtles enjoying the sun on the beach or you might spot them rolling in the waves. Next stop, Chinaman’s Hat. It’s a cone- shaped island north of Kanehoe Bay. Next is Waimea Bay, known for its 30 foot high waves during the winter!

Next up, take a trip to the Dole Plantation. Admission is free, offering a range of fun activities from the pineapple garden maze to the Pineapple Express train. Don’t forget to try their dole whip!

Day 7

If you’re lucky enough to have a few more hours, head down to Kuhio beach and make the most of your remaining time in the sun. You can’t surf here but if you go to Waikiki beach you can rent a surfboard for a few hours and hit the waves!

Featured

Top 5 Must See Places in Italy

Italy, also nicknamed Bel Paese meaning beautiful country, all for good reason, it has some of the most famous structures in the world, including the colosseum and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

I had a recent trip to Italy and visited many cities but each and every place was unique in its own way and with so many places to see it can be hard to choose which ones!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means no extra costs for you – but I may earn a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

If you are planning on visiting Italy and are stuck on where to go first I have made a list of my top 5 must see’s to help you decide.

If you are visiting for the first time Florence, Pisa and Rome are a must! With Florence being the capital city of Italy, boasting many masterpieces of renaissance art and architecture. It is home to the Santa Maria del Fiore which took over 6 centuries to complete!

There are so many beautiful places to visit in Italy it would take weeks, maybe even month’s to see them all so I have picked out my 5 favourite places that you here must see on your next trip!

5. Volterra

Volterra is a walled town southwest of Florence. Full of ancient narrow streets its 7300 meter walls were built to protect the town centre, fountains and pasture from foreign invasions. Twilight ( New Moon) was also filmed here!

Time spent: 1 day

4. Cecina

Looking for a break away from the city? Cecina is a seaside town surrounded by golden beaches and clear, deep blue water to make for a relaxing and unforgettable holiday, with its train station based in the towns centre you can travel anywhere!

Time spent: 3 days

3. Elba Island

Elba Island is a small island within Tuscany. If you are looking for a place to relax away from tourists then you’ve found it! Elba is mostly visited by local residents. The water here is some of the cleanest in Italy, making it a great location for snorkelling or diving. It’s turquoise waters are full of colourful fish and corals.

Time spent: 1 day

2. Rome

Rome, the Capital of Italy is essential! Full of ancient history from the Vatican City to the Colosseum to the Ancient ruin at the Roman Forum you’ll have an endless list of things to do.

Time spent: 3 days

1.Venice

Venice is my favourite place in Italy, built on more than 100 islands with no roads, only canals and bridges joining them. You can Wander endlessly through the cobbles streets not knowing where it may lead to next

Time spent: 3 days

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Canada 2018

Ok, something I wish I started a long time ago was to write about our trip to Canada.

Let’s start with the very very beginning, me and my boyfriend David decided in 2014 we wanted to experience life beyond Northern Ireland and Canada was our choice! I always wanted to go to Canada and he was big into ice hockey so he wanted to try out over there and that’s when the planning began…

We decided the best visa for us was the iec visa (International Experience Canada Visa) which allowed us to travel and work anywhere in Canada for up to two years. It’s a long process to get one but shortened down, you apply for an invite and wait to receive it before you can apply for the actual visa, the time frame for this can be anywhere between a few weeks if you’re extremely lucky or even years, it took us almost three years to get ours!

My First Blog Post

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.