Canada!!

laura360

Hi,

My visa application for usit got accepted..so looks like im going! Im going off by myself...was just wondering has anyone been there that could give me advice? oh and is anyone here going solo??:)

lost_for_words

Whichever Canadian city you decide to go to make sure you go to the SAYIT orientation (they are the USIT equivalent in Canada but they are way better). You'll meet other people in the same boat as you which will help when trying to find somewhere to live or looking for work.
The SAYIT staff are great for helping with setting up a student bank account and sorting you out with a sim card for your phone. Really their advice is invaluable as they give you all the tips on interviews and resume writing (it's amazing how many people show up with an Irish CV without changing it at all and can't figure out why nobody wants to employ them).
It's pretty easy to pick up retail work or bar work but if you want to meet lots of Canadians go to a temp agency and get placed in office work (I did this and it worked out really well). If you're not into office work there's always the ski resorts which are busy in winter and summer.

MarkOShea

I'm in Vancouver at the moment and would easily recommend it for a summer away. The people tend to be really nice, the transit system is quite well developed, and while the cost of living isn't too cheap it's pretty good in comparison to Dublin! I can't get a job because I never applied for my student visa (which was quite stupid if I do say so myself!) but there is lots of work available out here. I'm sure if you came here with a good CV like lost_for_words pointed out you would at least get a job in a bar downtown no problem.

Garthicus

lost_for_words wrote: »

Whichever Canadian city you decide to go to make sure you go to the SAYIT orientation (they are the USIT equivalent in Canada but they are way better). You'll meet other people in the same boat as you which will help when trying to find somewhere to live or looking for work.
The SAYIT staff are great for helping with setting up a student bank account and sorting you out with a sim card for your phone. Really their advice is invaluable as they give you all the tips on interviews and resume writing (it's amazing how many people show up with an Irish CV without changing it at all and can't figure out why nobody wants to employ them).
It's pretty easy to pick up retail work or bar work but if you want to meet lots of Canadians go to a temp agency and get placed in office work (I did this and it worked out really well). If you're not into office work there's always the ski resorts which are busy in winter and summer.

Hi, the USIT equivilant here in Canada is called SWAP, we just moved to Toronto on the USIT visa in December, I was in recruitment in Ireland yet my CV wasnt a fit for Canada, so I did have to redo mine (as lost_for_words said) I can send you a copy of mine so you have an idea!! So just PM me

Have a BLAST!!!

lost_for_words

Garthicus wrote: »

Hi, the USIT equivilant here in Canada is called SWAP, we just moved to Toronto on the USIT visa in December, I was in recruitment in Ireland yet my CV wasnt a fit for Canada, so I did have to redo mine (as lost_for_words said) I can send you a copy of mine so you have an idea!! So just PM me

Have a BLAST!!!

Oops! I've no idea why I said they were called SAYIT, I must have had their webpage up or something. Indeed they are SWAP if you go to Vancouver they are at West Hastings and Seymour St., pretty easy to find.

Ed88

Hey Guys, just wondering two of my friends and myself have got accepted by USIT, (Vancouver) i have already got my Police Certificate, and now in the stages of sending everything off, as regards CV's do they have to be in an American/Canadian format dats different to Irish CVs, if so do any of ye have a template of one so i can alter my Irish CV? thanks

Is the any such things i should be aware of as regards the USIT programme?

Ed

Garthicus

Don't worry about the CV that you send to USIT, it can just be your regular old one

When you get here it will need to be 'North Americanised' ie you take any info about your age, sex, marital status etc off it and make it literally one to two pages long.

sf147

Hi All,

I'm also heading on this programme this year. Just sent all paper work back to USIT so hopefully should have my VISA very soon.

Hoping to head over in June/July to Toronto. Really looking forward to it, Toronto looks like a great city.

Just wondering if anyone has any tips as to where to live in Toronto. Going over with my partner, so ideally we'd be looking for a room to share in an apt or a house.

Anyone that might have any tips, we'd really appreciate it.

flickerx

Does anyone know if there's a boards.ca equivalent?

Craigslist is fine for stuff like house-sharing, but I'm talking more along the lines of cycling, music, sports etc, specifically for Toronto I guess.

smellybiker

hey there, i'm heading to canada this year for an entire year. i'm in the process of getting all the paperwork together, havent decided when to go yet but will be heading on my own. very nervous but have full faith in the USIT!! anyone else heading over there this year - solo - besides myself and laura

flickerx

smellybiker wrote: »

hey there, i'm heading to canada this year for an entire year. i'm in the process of getting all the paperwork together, havent decided when to go yet but will be heading on my own. very nervous but have full faith in the USIT!! anyone else heading over there this year - solo - besides myself and laura

I'm going solo but I've done the same thing before in a different place so I'm not stressed about it.

There's no language barrier so you dont need to be nervous about going on your own. You'll meet people.

smellybiker

hey flickerx, it's great to hear that someone has had this mad notion of going on thier own - i'm really looking forward to it, just have to decide on when i'm going!!!!

Zombienosh

hey hey, im flying to vancouver in august with the usit programme just got everything sorted...

all i need now is some work and a place to live!:eek:

any advice appreciated.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

so long as you have a few grand before you're going over you will be fine. I was out east so it's probably quite different out in vancouver, but I found Canada to be just like Ireland except everything works the way it should. You shouldn't have any trouble, it's like the whole country just radiates sense and awesomeness.

smellybiker

any idea of the cost of the flights????

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

depends on when you fly I suppose, but they will be dearer than you would have to pay if you weren't booking through Usit.

you can either pay, or not go

smellybiker

Yeah i guessed that usit would use that opportunity to charge more - i just wanted a guestimate of how much funds to have saved - usit aren't clear on their prices until you actually book them :mad:

Hellm0

Go to Saskatchewan, it's...FLAT out the best of all provinces(*snigger's*)

Brooke01

Hey Guys

Any of you guys LC students ???

Zombienosh

i booked mine 2 weeks ago and they cost €856 i think

Innervision

AlcoholicA wrote: »

i booked mine 2 weeks ago and they cost €856 i think

Wow that's expensive...I did it last year with USIT and mine were €540 (Toronto)

smellybiker

Innervision wrote: »

Wow that's expensive...I did it last year with USIT and mine were €540 (Toronto)

Just wondering what time of year you went - how much does the price differ at different times of the year??

masseyno9

i'd love to be going back to Canada. Went solo 2 summers ago.

A bit of advice, if you're into sports (particularly team sports) get in touch with clubs etc before you go over. I went to play rugby for Calgary Irish and they had a house and job lined up for me when i got there. As it happened, i was offered a better job by a friend of my roommate and took that.

This was a massive help, expecially as i was on my own. Also the club thing was great for the social life!

Calgary ftw!!

springs

Hi guys,

I'm going solo to Vancouver at the end of May. I can't seem to get a job as none of the ones I have applied to have replied to me so I guess I'll just have to wing it when I get over there. I'm in the process of sorting accomodation. It should be very fun.

Doing it solo doesn't bother me. Makes it more exciting I think. Good call on the sports team btw. I must look for some volleyball clubs.

Innervision

smellybiker wrote: »

Just wondering what time of year you went - how much does the price differ at different times of the year??

I arrived on 4th June, went home early September but that price was for flights home from New York, got the bus down from Toronto and spent two weeks in NY before going home.

traverse

How long did it take for your documents to be processed? Does it really take six to eight weeks?

smellybiker

I have till Friday before i've to get all my details to Usit - one problem, lost my Garda Cert - applied for another one and hoping to God that they'll have it to me by Thursday - but god, I'm pulling at strings!! anyway did this happen to anyone at all - i contacted usit but no reply - any idea what i can do???

Blarney92

smellybiker wrote: »

I have till Friday before i've to get all my details to Usit - one problem, lost my Garda Cert - applied for another one and hoping to God that they'll have it to me by Thursday - but god, I'm pulling at strings!! anyway did this happen to anyone at all - i contacted usit but no reply - any idea what i can do???

Usit sent me back my police cert saying it was no longer required. You mightn't need it all tbh.....

smellybiker

hey guys,

i got all my documents sent off and am now waiting for the canadian government to recieve them and process them etc. just wondering though - a friend said that canada was full of non-nationals (polish, romanian etc) all trying to get jobs - i'm just afraid that their employment situation might be like ours if what he says is true and that there are loadsa of eu non nationals living there!! anyone have any ideas on this??

Blarney92

I'm not too worried about the whole jobs situation. I'm only going for the summer(peak season) and judging by my snooping around in craigslist there seem to be quite a few jobs about the place- well vancouver anyways....

smellybiker

i go thru stages of not worrying and taking it that ill go with the flow and then other times i start to panic. i'm your typical organiser though - like to have things planned so going to canada with no accommodation and no job is like jumping out of a plane with no chute!!!

happy days!!

LanceStorm

The single best advice I would give anyone going to Toronto whether its alone of in a group, stay in the Canadiana for the first few nights, if your like me you'l love the place so much you actually wont move out all summer!!

If anyone is staying beyond the summer all the friends I made out there all went on to Jasper, Banff or Whislter both ski resorts and got jobs very easy, I recommend the fairmount resort in Jasper, as accomm is provided as part of your wages so all staff mostly students like yourself all live togther!!

smellybiker

LanceStorm wrote: »

The single best advice I would give anyone going to Toronto whether its alone of in a group, stay in the Canadiana for the first few nights, if your like me you'l love the place so much you actually wont move out all summer!!

If anyone is staying beyond the summer all the friends I made out there all went on to Jasper, Banff or Whislter both ski resorts and got jobs very easy, I recommend the fairmount resort in Jasper, as accomm is provided as part of your wages so all staff mostly students like yourself all live togther!!

so would you not expect that someone going over for a year would say end up staying in toronto? i mean is it such that when you get there, you stay in a place for a while, get fed up and move onto the next place??

i'm a virgin traveller if you have already noticed and don't really know what to expect

[Jackass]

Hey guys,

I went to fill out the form for the under 35 work visa for canada and it says the progamme is full but you can sign up for the waiting list.

Any idea when this is re-launched? or if I go on the waiting list how soon do you reckon I could get over there?

smellybiker

i thought that as people register with the programme - if they don't go thru with booking their flights, they are eliminated from the register and that's when people on the waiting list get the offer of a place!

traverse

[Jackass] wrote: »

Hey guys,

I went to fill out the form for the under 35 work visa for canada and it says the progamme is full but you can sign up for the waiting list.

Any idea when this is re-launched? or if I go on the waiting list how soon do you reckon I could get over there?

I went on the waiting list and it only took me four days - not including the weekend - before I was offered a place. It moves fast, I was told that I was forty two on the list, and thought to myself, oh crap, but by the second day I was twenty something, then down to the teens the next day.

the whole year inn

I was at 9 now at 3 giddy up, student programme tho

smellybiker

anyone going solo??

ThE_IVIAcIVIAIV

im considering going over for a year or so from november onwards . how much does it cost in total for usit and flights etc?>

smellybiker

ThE_IVIAcIVIAIV wrote: »

im considering going over for a year or so from november onwards . how much does it cost in total for usit and flights etc?>

so far it's cost me 500 euro for registration - there's a thread here on usit extortion - some posters found usit's prices to exceed 1000 euro and others found prices didn't go over that amount. i'm not sure why the variation exists - most probably the time of year that you fly there - i intend on going solo and flying out on 27th december - can't wait to spend new years there - i'm dreading the cost of flights though at that peak time - i suppose you also have to consider the insurance cost - don't think you have to go thru usit for that so you could save some dosh by shopping around!!

are you nervous or have you done this before??

Blarney92

I'm heading over in two weeks- flying cork-heathrow heathrow-vancouver. Flights come to €896, visa registration comes to €489 and insurance comes to €194 for 98 days with €13 for an ISIC card. Total of €1592.

Then again i'm flying during peak season and going to Vancouver. It Should be cheaper if your going in November and if your going to Toronto.....



And yes I know Usit are screwing me.... but what can i do??????

smellybiker

yeah i'm aware of the con job that usit have going with making sure all of us book flights with them --- but like you said, what can you do...

did you book your insurance with usit blarney??

also i've just been on few sites looking up different attractions in toronto - anyone know anything about the id situation - does the card that usit give you allow you into pubs and stuff??

Blarney92

Oh ya booked everything with usit- quickest option at the time. probably could have got it cheaper but that insurance would have to be approved by Usit so it mightn't have been worth the hassle.

smellybiker

Blarney92 wrote: »

Oh ya booked everything with usit- quickest option at the time. probably could have got it cheaper but that insurance would have to be approved by Usit so it mightn't have been worth the hassle.

just wondering what the insurance covers??are there a few options or just the one standard option??

Innervision

smellybiker wrote: »

also i've just been on few sites looking up different attractions in toronto - anyone know anything about the id situation - does the card that usit give you allow you into pubs and stuff??

I doubt you'll won't get in anywhere with that card, any bouncers we showed it to had never seen it before! Same goes for age cards, we just ended up using our passports. A few places took my cancelled passport but wouldn't rely on it!

smellybiker

Innervision wrote: »

I doubt you'll won't get in anywhere with that card, any bouncers we showed it to had never seen it before! Same goes for age cards, we just ended up using our passports. A few places took my cancelled passport but wouldn't rely on it!

yeah thought as much - don't mind using my passport, i'd just be afraid of losing it!!

[Jackass]

And if you get offered a place from the waiting list how long do you have before you have to travel do you guys know?

I want to go on the list but I wouldn't be ready to go until around November earliest..ideally I'd like to travel in January but not sure i can wait that long?

I'll be going solo...and I'm freaked about it, but in a good way, never done anything like this before.

Where is more popular, Toronto or Vancouver? Was planning on Toronto but can't decide which would be more craic for night life and jobs etc...

the whole year inn

[Jackass] wrote: »

And if you get offered a place from the waiting list how long do you have before you have to travel do you guys know?

I want to go on the list but I wouldn't be ready to go until around November earliest..ideally I'd like to travel in January but not sure i can wait that long?

I'll be going solo...and I'm freaked about it, but in a good way, never done anything like this before.

Where is more popular, Toronto or Vancouver? Was planning on Toronto but can't decide which would be more craic for night life and jobs etc...

you have untill 31st of December to travel thats as far as I know

smellybiker

[Jackass] wrote: »

And if you get offered a place from the waiting list how long do you have before you have to travel do you guys know?

I want to go on the list but I wouldn't be ready to go until around November earliest..ideally I'd like to travel in January but not sure i can wait that long?

I'll be going solo...and I'm freaked about it, but in a good way, never done anything like this before.

Where is more popular, Toronto or Vancouver? Was planning on Toronto but can't decide which would be more craic for night life and jobs etc...

Fro what i've heard, both Toronto and Vancouver are the most popular - i settled on Toronto - duno why - i guess coz it's further south and not as cold as some of the other places!! but you do have until 31 december to travel - not a day later!!

Garthicus

Hello there,

I'm in Toronto, the weather is picking up, come on over and dive in!!! We also had to leave before Dec 31st, we left on 19th Dec. A friend of mine arrived a couple of months ago and he actually got his visa extended so he managed to leave after Dec 31st

I have to say, it was tough arriving in the winter, -30 degrees is feckin savage, snots freezing in your nose and all that.

I live downtown, right next to the Rogers centre and I work downtown too

I work in a recruitment agency (I hire Civil Engineers etc) but my colleagues hire everything from Receptionists to IT professionals, give me a shout just before you arrive or when you arrive and I will hook you up with contact details etc.

A few people on here have asked me to help them with their cv etc and I haven't got around to it yet, but I will this week, promise!!!

Toronto is a fantastic city, not the cheapest in the world but if you are arriving with Euros you will be fine! (I paid $8 for a pint last night... works out around €5.20, you can get cheaper though)

There are a *lot* of homeless people here and I believe there are tons more in Vancouver (due to the weather being better) so don't be surpised when you are walking down a nice, flashy street with high rise buildings and you see homeless just lying accross the footpath.

There is always things to do and keep in mind that it is baseball season at the moment and a cheap seat only costs $11 (Toronto Bluejays play something like 80 homegames per season so they are never a sell out)

I went to see Toronto FC play last night, the atmosphere was fantastic however the tickets are all sold out for the whole season, you can get them outside from touts (ticket touting is not illegal here) for a modest price

There are quirky alcohol laws, you can only buy alcohol to take away from two government sanctioned businesses the LCBO and The Beer store and their opening hours aren't very good either.

If anyone is a keen beer (craft) drinker, look me up too and I will show you the craft beer sights and sounds of Toronto.

Don't be afraid to give me a shout if you want to meet for a pint or are looking for a job or just some pointers

Al

trant

Hi guys,

I'm heading to Toronto on Sunday (on my own). I will be staying in the Clarence House hostel at Clarence Square for a week, until my accomodation is ready.

Is there anybody else heading to Toronto around the same time as me? I'm travelling alone (never travelled before either) so it would be great if there was anyone in the same boat.

Justin.