Canada 2010-2011?

colin29

emmagail wrote: »

heading over in September, to the Hamilton area with my Canadian wife and my 2 Irish born kids, whats the story about me?
We are getting 1 way tickets and entering saying we are visiting her family and touring.
All travelling on Irish passports
Will I be able to stay indefinately and how long before I can work over there?
Can I claim my stamps over there (is bi-lateral just for pensions)

thanks for any information

cormac

Apply for spousal sponsorship now while you are all in Ireland, my wife sponsored my while we were living in Cork, whole process took about four months, including visa in passport, it takes longer if done in Canada, check ou this website http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=56, the people there answered any questions I had.

emmagail

colin29 wrote: »

Apply for spousal sponsorship now while you are all in Ireland, my wife sponsored my while we were living in Cork, whole process took about four months, including visa in passport, it takes longer if done in Canada, check ou this website http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=56, the people there answered any questions I had.

thanks Colin, BIG probem though - we are leaving in Aug-Sept

ultron

Re claiming your stamps. I doubt very much you can claim your stamps in canada as I dont see how you would do it there. I know you can in Europe but it requires that you be in an EU country and you can only do it for a period of 10 weeks i think. I could be wrong so check out the social welfare site for yourself

lilmissbadass

is anybody else still waiting for their status to turn from 'sent to sponsor' to 'work auth doc printed'. my forms where sent off to the Canadian high commission on Wednesday 26th of may. which was 5 weeks ago. I know usit say it takes a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks to proses but my boyfriends forms were sent away on the 19th of may (6 weeks ago) and his status has been updated to 'work auth doc printed' since the 11th of June. which means his only took 3 weeks. but iv been waiting for mine for 5 weeks now and nothings changed. so was just wondering if any of you are still waiting and how long you've been waiting for. I don't understand how they can get some peoples done in 3 weeks and not everyone else's. or is it just me having trouble with this whole process AGAIN!!!!. Thanks.

dabbido

Hi guys
I'm a recent civil engineering graduate thinking about heading to Canada. Was wondering what are the chances of getting work in that field over there?
Any input greatly appreciated...

L_E_M

Just got my visa today! So excited! Just wondering where everyone booked their travel insurance? Was thinking http://www.backpackertravelinsurance.ie but want to know if there are cheaper options out there! Any ideas for me?

emmagail

I think I can claim unused tax credits back though...

Can anybody tell me is motor insurance expensive over in Canada? Will my Axa no-claims bonus work over there?

colin29

emmagail wrote: »

I think I can claim unused tax credits back though...

Can anybody tell me is motor insurance expensive over in Canada? Will my Axa no-claims bonus work over there?

No, car insurance is a provincial government run racket, it all depends on the type of car, engine size, etc, also what you use the car for, if you use it to go too and from work it will be more expensive than if you just use it for recreation, In BC my wife and I pay about $1200 a year for a recreational Honda Accord.

bstar

anybody else get the email about having to have all flight details submitted by 23rd of July? I queried this and they said you have to have it in no matter what. I was querying it as my visa is still at sent to sponser and i don't want to book my flights until its approved. anyone know how to get round this?

Thanks

Sheebs

bstar wrote: »

anybody else get the email about having to have all flight details submitted by 23rd of July? I queried this and they said you have to have it in no matter what. I was querying it as my visa is still at sent to sponser and i don't want to book my flights until its approved. anyone know how to get round this?

Thanks

Yeah i got this email aswell. I'm not going until January and still don't know where exactly I wanna go so this deadline is abit annoying to say the least. My application is also at 'sent to sponsor' status. I was hoping to wait a few months and see if there was any good flight sales on but that's out the window I suppose. Are they actually allowed to do this?

Naked Lepper

the mail about flights, i got it too
but its LIES

because i have another mail from them tryin to sell me flights that said i could put deposit down and then pay the rest of it in october!

bstar

Naked Lepper wrote: »

the mail about flights, i got it too
but its LIES

because i have another mail from them tryin to sell me flights that said i could put deposit down and then pay the rest of it in october!

yes but they would still be actually booked before the 23rd which is what the requirement is not for them to be paid in full.

I'm not booking my flights with usit and that means payment would be upfront while I have no problem paying for the flights it means if something happens with the visa i'm out the full price. so they are doing it to try to get people to book with them to take advantage of not needing to pay for everything up front.

ratedR

Sheebs wrote: »

Yeah i got this email aswell. I'm not going until January and still don't know where exactly I wanna go so this deadline is abit annoying to say the least. My application is also at 'sent to sponsor' status. I was hoping to wait a few months and see if there was any good flight sales on but that's out the window I suppose. Are they actually allowed to do this?

I would seriously doubt it. I'm in a similiar situation. Waiting to hear about a college course and if I get a place on that then I won't be heading to canada. Otherwise I will be as theres nothing else here. Yes I know that their are people on the waiting list chomping at the bit to get away, but I got in there early, and paid my money, and was told that I had until next January to go.

I'm also waiting on a 4 month back payment from social welfare so am not in a position at the moment to book flights.

This country eh ?

ttmd

Hust got this today


Dear ******,

By now you will have signed the Canadian High Commission declaration form which clearly states you must 'have and retain comprehensive travel medical insurance that will cover your period of stay in Canada'. This declaration is to ensure that you have purchased adequate insurance relevant for a year's working holiday in Canada. It is entirely against the rules and policy to travel on this Programme without the appropriate insurance. It has come to our attention and now to the attention of the Canadian Authorities that participants are not sufficiently insured and in some cases are traveling with no insurance whatsoever. Please be aware that if you enter Canada without adequate insurance after signing a legal document stating otherwise, you will most certainly be taken off the Programme and sent home.

There are a number of insurance policies you can purchase. USIT have developed insurance policies specifically for our work Programmes and compared to other policies out there, our cover is the most comprehensive and suitable. Please check it out thoroughly and compare.

USIT Work & Travel Insurance fr €299.00 Similar Travel Insurance cover fr €273.99
COVER AMOUNT COVER AMOUNT
Emergency Medical Expenses €10,000,000 Emergency Medical Expenses €6,000,000
Personal Accident €45,000 Personal Accident €40,000
Student Loans €3,000 Student Loans €2,500
Exam Failure €750 Exam Failure €750
Wintersports UNLIMITED Wintersports 31 days
Return Home (x 2) 21 days per trip Return Home (x 2) 14 days per trip
It has come to our attention that some past participants, who have purchased elsewhere, experienced great difficulties making claims through their insurance providers.
So please be careful and remember cheaper policies mean less cover.

You will need to provide us with evidence of your policy by the 23rd July.

Please note that flights can be booked with an initial deposit only option of €150.00 with free changes also permitted. You will have approximately 1 month to pay the balance on this.

Call our Work Canada team now on 01 602 1799 to book your insurance.

Best regards,
USIT Work Canada Team

Needless to say I am not too happy with having this stuff forced down my throat by them, and the tone they have taken is not very nice at all.

Being charged such extortionate amounts by the company is beginning to really p*** me off. Many of the people going on the program are doing so because things are tight here and they do not constantly need to be hassled in such a manner. I find the tone of some of the correspondence USIT quite intimidating and the Canadian Authorities should be ashamed to be dealing with them.

samson007

Canadabound wrote: »

I'm very interested to see people in general are not so happy with USIT on this programme. My experience has been horrific.

USIT have consistently confused me (at times I genuinely felt that I was being lied to) about the basis on which I was applying for the Visa - sometimes they would email saying things like 'if you don't book flights & insurance with us by 5pm tomorrow you will lose your place on the programme. (and of course the hefty €399 fee!)
I got so tired of this that I contacted the Canadian High Commission directly in London. They were not happy as apparently USIT have 'guaranteed to them' that applicants would not have to book anything with USIT directly in order to stay on the programme.
Unfortunately, this info came too late for me and I am now tied into a deposit for flights and insurance with USIT. The 'flexible' flights are not at all flexible. I was forced into booking a British Airways flight back in February 'in order to stay on the programme'. I tried to claim that it was foolish to book a flight until I had assurance that my visa would come back on time. I was advised that the ticket was fully flexible and if my visa was delayed i could just call up and change the flight date free of charge. Yeah right! I have since tried to change the date on this ticket - no seats available in this fare category for a month, and a price hike of over €200 for the next available seat in August!

I really would like to hear more on people's experience of USIT as I am convinced that I am not alone in being really really unhappy with them. We all paid €399 to them to act as our agents, but instead of them helping us with our applications it seems all they do is try to bully us into spending even more money with them at inflated prices. Its so frustrating as they know we are all desperate to get our Visa!

I'm having a similar problem right now and i haven't even sent them all the documentation yet. i will quote the email i got from Usit

"Owing to recent changes in requirements regarding flight arrival information, you must reserve your flight to Canada by the 31 July 2010"

I dont have the cash to book flights. They are putting pressure on me to book insurance also. I know what i'm up against as it has happened to other people i know. can you please let me know who you contacted in Canadian High Commission. If they keep this crack up im going to take to the ombudsman. If anybody else wants to take this further with please let me know? Im sick of getting ripped off by a bunch of cowboys

ttmd

What really gets me is that they are extorted money from desperate people, many of whom are moving because they cannot get work.

It chills me to think that I am that sort of person but still - talk to Joe?

fanzhiyidan

pretty p1ssed off at this too. Is there anything that can be done?
16 days to book flights doesn't give me much scope.
what kind of money are people paying for flights at the moment?
My girlfriend and I had planned on traveling in January and hadn't put too much thought into it until we received this e-mail.
half tempted to cancel my application now. does anyone know if there is any way of getting any kind of refund or any way past having to book flights by the 23rd?

i rang USIT and they told me that the terms and conditions stated that i had to book my flights within 30 days of receiving my visa (last may) and that they have been lenient until now. they also said that if i wasn't planning to travel until january that i might not have to pay the full price of the flights until october.

help and advice greatly appreciated

Sheebs

fanzhiyidan wrote: »

pretty p1ssed off at this too. Is there anything that can be done?
16 days to book flights doesn't give me much scope.
what kind of money are people paying for flights at the moment?
My girlfriend and I had planned on traveling in January and hadn't put too much thought into it until we received this e-mail.
half tempted to cancel my application now. does anyone know if there is any way of getting any kind of refund or any way past having to book flights by the 23rd?

i rang USIT and they told me that the terms and conditions stated that i had to book my flights within 30 days of receiving my visa (last may) and that they have been lenient until now. they also said that if i wasn't planning to travel until january that i might not have to pay the full price of the flights until october.

help and advice greatly appreciated

I'm in the same situation as you!

I have another email from them asking about booking my flights and at the end it says i don't have to pay the full balance until a month before I go. Surely they can't just change all this so soon? What a pain in the arse!

mickoneill30

This is mad stuff.

Do any of you have a scan of the forms you fill in for the applications. Is there really nothing there to say that this stuff has to be done with 40 days of the application going through? I know they say that on their website but if they don't say it on the form how can they force you to submit the flight info within 40 days.

littledarkone

samson007 wrote: »

I'm having a similar problem right now and i haven't even sent them all the documentation yet. i will quote the email i got from Usit

"Owing to recent changes in requirements regarding flight arrival information, you must reserve your flight to Canada by the 31 July 2010"

I dont have the cash to book flights. They are putting pressure on me to book insurance also. I know what i'm up against as it has happened to other people i know. can you please let me know who you contacted in Canadian High Commission. If they keep this crack up im going to take to the ombudsman. If anybody else wants to take this further with please let me know? Im sick of getting ripped off by a bunch of cowboys

That's very interesting, they sent me this email

"Owing to recent changes in requirements regarding flight arrival information, you must reserve your flight to Canada by the 23rd July 2010."

So I have to book by the 23rd July, you have until the 31st!!??
This sounds like bullsh!t to me, I guess they are trying to scare us into booking flights before we actually need to.
I think we should contact the Canadian High Commission in London to seek clarification. Surely they cannot 'strip' me of the visa which has been issued by the Canadian Government if I don't book a flight with them by some arbitrary date that USIT have imposed?

RATM

I got the same email from USIT as you did LittleDarkOne- telling me I must have flights booked by 23rd July. Then another email a few days later trying to push me into buying insurance.

I'm thinking of contacting the Canadian embassy in London about this, I no longer trust USIT one bit. The tone of their emails leads me to suspect they are marketing through the use of fear of not getting on the program. I can't believe how they just send an email expecting people to pony up a thousand quid for flights within less than 3 weeks- they've moved the goalposts big time on this one IMO.

I will give some info though- I was in there the other day and according to them they just need proof of a ticket entering Canada and a date for it. There is nothing to stop you buying a one way ticket (bus, train or plane) from say somewhere like Chicago to Toronto. Im intending to travel to Canada via NY & Boston so this is an option I may very well take. Im not sure what a bus ticket from the US to Canada might cost but it cant be much over $100...

mcfly1411

I am also outraged at USIT's blatant profiteering of the Canadian Visa programme. After recieving these emails as well, i believe that USIT are scaremongering people into booking flights and insurance with them and if the truth be told, they are portraying the Canadian embassy in a negative light.

I will be making a complaint to the embassy about the company and their actions and hope that others will join me if they are unhappy with USIT's actions.

Reney

Hi, I'm planning on heading to Whistler Oct/Nov time to spend the ski season there for lots of skiing, partying and working to fund everything. Great if anyone could offer any advice on finding accommodation, work etc out there or if anyone was interested in teaming up to find a place please pm me.:D

mickoneill30

For the outraged guys above, none of you say what date your application was accepted on? Was it less than 40 days before the 23rd July? For 23rd July your application should have been accepted no later than 13th June (roughly).

That's what Usit advertise as the amount of time to get all your stuff organised and it's what you and Usit agreed to when you signed the application. So if it's less than 40 days then you haven't agreed to that so they can't really change their terms.

Just point it out to them that it says in their own literature that they only need the details of flights & insurance within 40 days and if they're asking for it sooner they can wait.

_Kaz_

Hey just wondering if anyone is considering going on this Go4Less programme? Really keen on going, but finding it hard to find any info about it on Boards.
You get a guaranteed seasonal job in a ski resort (Alberta or BC) for Oct-May.

fanzhiyidan

Hi,
got the e-mail about having to book flights before 23rd July.
Can I just book a one way flight or do I need to show a return date too?
Looking at BA flights for a return trip and they're working out much cheaper than Usit, even if you use their €150 flight change charge.

Pope John 11

Does anyone know anything about applying for the over 35's visa

somedeed

fanzhiyidan wrote: »

Hi,
got the e-mail about having to book flights before 23rd July.
Can I just book a one way flight or do I need to show a return date too?
Looking at BA flights for a return trip and they're working out much cheaper than Usit, even if you use their €150 flight change charge.

I booked a one-way flight, perfectly acceptable but you have to have $3500 Canadian on you when arrive at immigration to prove you can provide for yourself and the Canadian government won't have to pay to send you home.

Naked Lepper

how much was ur one way flight?

jules1979

I got this email from USIT last week.

It has come to our attention that some past participants, who have purchased elsewhere, experienced great difficulties making claims through their insurance providers.
So please be careful and remember cheaper policies mean less cover.

You will need to provide us with evidence of your policy by the 23rd July.

Please note that flights can be booked with an initial deposit only option of €150.00 with free changes also permitted. You will have approximately 1 month to pay the balance on this.

Call our Work Canada team now on 01 602 1799 to book your insurance.

I booked my flight with AirTransit, refusing to get it through USIT. A friend also told me to go to Blue Insurance who offer the same policy as USIT but for half the price.
I am contacting them today to get a quote, but will let you know