Canada 2010-2011?

the whole year inn

usit only offer a one year visa,the only other way is get sponsered over there by some emplyoers.

louise.m

Sucky, can you explain this sponsorship business to me?
Sorry a little clueless :rolleyes:

3hn2givr7mx1sc

Hi,
I'm going to Canada in January with the Ma and Da. We're thinking of going to the Rockies(Rocky's?) and then possibly getting a train to a city in North America, is this possible and if so what would be the best option?

Táck

vancouver, then seattle in the states. or even san fran.

hans_moleman

Hey all,

was just wondering, we can you apply for next years visa? also, do you just have to apply for the visa wit usit or do you have to book flights + visa. i really dont know much about this so any info would be greatly appreciated!!

TedDiBiase

hans_moleman wrote: »

Hey all,

was just wondering, we can you apply for next years visa? also, do you just have to apply for the visa wit usit or do you have to book flights + visa. i really dont know much about this so any info would be greatly appreciated!!

Hey hans...

If you want to go down the USIT route, then keep a close eye on this site over the next few weeks.

http://canada.usit.ie/

I think I registered in November/December time last year and was all booked and sorted by Feb/March however as I had a lot of plans for the year I still haven't left, going in under a month actually.

You just pay for the flights, insurance and VISA and USIT look after the paperwork. They're fleecing us of course but it's by far the easiest option, plus I don't think they have any competition as of yet.

The only thing that might take a bit of organising is trying to get a police cert for countries you've lived in previously. If you've not lived anywhere other that good old Ireland, then you're sorted! :pac:

hans_moleman

TedDiBiase wrote: »

Hey hans...

If you want to go down the USIT route, then keep a close eye on this site over the next few weeks.

http://canada.usit.ie/

I think I registered in November/December time last year and was all booked and sorted by Feb/March however as I had a lot of plans for the year I still haven't left, going in under a month actually.

You just pay for the flights, insurance and VISA and USIT look after the paperwork. They're fleecing us of course but it's by far the easiest option, plus I don't think they have any competition as of yet.

The only thing that might take a bit of organising is trying to get a police cert for countries you've lived in previously. If you've not lived anywhere other that good old Ireland, then you're sorted! :pac:

Thanks Ted. So if I apply soon, how long before im told whether i get the visa or not? what are the odds of getting approved i hear it can be quite difficult? thanks for all the info

TedDiBiase

hans_moleman wrote: »

Thanks Ted. So if I apply soon, how long before im told whether i get the visa or not? what are the odds of getting approved i hear it can be quite difficult? thanks for all the info

At the moment, they're not accepting applications from the looks of things but will be soon I'm sure. If you apply early and you've no dodgy dealings with the law then you're onto a winner. But you won't be able to leave until April 2010, if this year was anything to go by.

juno2009

I'm also hoping to do this programme in 2010. I phoned up Usit a couple of times but they're not very helpful - they just say to sign up to the mailing list on their website. The 2009 programme opened in Dec 08 with departures in March 09, so maybe it'll be the same for next year.

c_dog

well guys, basically usit have it wrapped up tightly so you wont be able to do it anyother way. You cant get the visa till december and the earliest you can go is march 18th. Im headin to Vancouver in march and cant wait!!!!!! Join the waiting list and you will get an e-mail in the next month with all the info u shud need. Im still waitin on it

Moondust

Hi all,

The program for 2009 closed in August, but then opened the waiting list. Basically who ever has signed up for the program before Aug had to have their flights booked by a certain date. For those people who never paid, they forfeited their visa, and they were offered to those on the waiting list. This is how i got my visa.
They now have another waitin list opened. I have to have my flights booked by this friday, im assuming that the same thing is going to happen again. So if you want to go before xmas i'd get my skates on and sign up to the waiting list.

Best of luck

juno2009

c_dog wrote: »

well guys, basically usit have it wrapped up tightly so you wont be able to do it anyother way. You cant get the visa till december and the earliest you can go is march 18th. Im headin to Vancouver in march and cant wait!!!!!! Join the waiting list and you will get an e-mail in the next month with all the info u shud need. Im still waitin on it

Hey there, did Usit tell you that the 2010 programme will open in Dec with departures in March? When I phoned up they couldn't give me any idea as to when it would reopen... but if what you're saying is the case then that's great as I would love to depart around March as well.

absinth

mdu wrote: »

ps - []did anyone notice on your invoice from usit that they automatically include the candian sim card??[/b] feck that for $35 il get my own thanks.

They did this to me too. The ****ing cheek like! I'm livid over their tactics for squeezing every last euro out of their customers, through dishonest means and aided by the monopoly they hold on the visa process.

I'm going to write up a serious and detailed complaint about USIT and send it to the Canadian Embassy, the Canadian immigration department, the High Commission in London, my local councillors, TDs, senators and MEPs, any relevant Irish and EU competition authorities and/or ombusdmen, RTE, the print media, etc etc.

I would really appreciate it if anyone who has any more examples of being screwed by USIT could get in touch with me and have their voices heard in the matter. Leave a reply here, or send me a private message and I'll give you my email address.

Anyone else feel ripped off or tricked by USIT into paying them for something you didn't need? Please get in touch if you want to have your case heard!

absinth

ledpage wrote: »

im headin over to vancouver in late november with two mates and was hopin someone could tell me somethin about the music scene over there - many good gigs? best venues? and is their any kind of an electro scene or is it all just... r 'n' b... ugh?! also was lookin into places to live, ideally somewhere as central as possible but is accommodation really expensive over there? gastown looks pretty cool and i heard surrey was a good place to stay but is that too far out?

also a tip for anyone still organisin their insurance - we gots ours with ace insurance for e150 less than usit were chargin us though they did sting us e40 for having to read through aces policy, hmm. same deal with flights, shop around. shop around. shop around. shop around. shop arou...

and lastly, does it really rain 3 times as much as in ireland???

I've been in Vancouver since the middle of the summer. Live music scene isn't as obvious as I'd expected; most of the downtown bars are generic clubby places, but there are lots of gigs on around the place alright.

I'm not sure about the electro scene, especially since their definition of electro, house etc here can be fairly different to home! The local weekly arts/listings mag is the (Georgia) Straight, you can pick it up in lots of bars and on the street. It doesn't list everything though so it's worthwhile paying attention to posters on lamp-posts and the likes. The listings mags and websites only seem to show the bigger touring acts and it takes a little effort to find out about the local scene.

Someone recommended the Media Club to me the other day but I haven't been yet. http://www.themediaclub.ca/
Some other gigs here: http://sealedwithakisspresents.com/index.php

As for somewhere to live...
Downtown, for me anyway, is waaay too expensive. You'd end up paying $800+ per month for a poky studio apartment, although yes you'd be central and wouldn't have the hassle or the expense of public transit.

Having said that, public transit is cheap enough. I get a monthly 2-zone pass for $73, so about 50 euro for a month's worth of travel on any bus, train or the ferry to North Vancouver. You can take your bicycle on the train or bus too which is dead handy. I live in the eastern suburbs, about a 45 minute cycle from downtown, but only 10 mins on the skytrain. I'm paying about $500 a month for a decent room in a decent gaff, bills included. Had to sort my own furniture but all I needed at first was a cheapo air mattress for a week or two while I sourced everything else on Craigslist or garage/moving sales.

Gastown is pretty much just a part of downtown; yeah there's a few bars and clubs there but it's nothing amazing, and it's near the dodgier part of town so can be swamped with hawkers, junkies and the likes. Most of the city and suburbs are well-served by public transit so living downtown isn't a necessity just for going out. I can catch the last train before 1.20am, otherwise there's night busses going every half hour until after 3am at least. Night busses have security staff on the busses and at the departing bus stop too, so safe out even for girls on their own. I've hardly ever taken a cab home, but even then it was never more than $20 (13-ish euro) including a decent tip.

Surrey is miles away! Have a look on google maps there like. Handiest places would be Kitsilano (nice location but pricey), Commercial Drive or nearby ('alternative' neighbourhood, but pretty mild compared to other cities). You'll know yourself once you get here; look at the ads on Craigslist, respond to any that sound decent, then check out the location on google maps before you go to view it, and see how close it is to the nearest train station or bus stop. www.translink.ca is dead handy - just type a starting address and a destination and it will show you a list of transit options, with maps and approximate travel times. That's the best indicator for whether a place will suit you or not. Like, you could end up getting a great place downtown, but if you're working out by UBC you could be 45 mins on a bus to and from work.

And, finally, since I've been here it's rained a lot less than Ireland! But of course this time of year things are sure to change. At least it's not as cold as any other big Canadian city, but if you want snow the mountains are only an hour away.

Drop me a line when you're over if you're looking to check out gigs or whatever.

Táck

absinth wrote: »

I've been in Vancouver since the middle of the summer. Live music scene isn't as obvious as I'd expected; most of the downtown bars are generic clubby places, but there are lots of gigs on around the place alright.

I'm not sure about the electro scene, especially since their definition of electro, house etc here can be fairly different to home! The local weekly arts/listings mag is the (Georgia) Straight, you can pick it up in lots of bars and on the street. It doesn't list everything though so it's worthwhile paying attention to posters on lamp-posts and the likes. The listings mags and websites only seem to show the bigger touring acts and it takes a little effort to find out about the local scene.

Someone recommended the Media Club to me the other day but I haven't been yet. http://www.themediaclub.ca/
Some other gigs here: http://sealedwithakisspresents.com/index.php

As for somewhere to live...
Downtown, for me anyway, is waaay too expensive. You'd end up paying $800+ per month for a poky studio apartment, although yes you'd be central and wouldn't have the hassle or the expense of public transit.

Having said that, public transit is cheap enough. I get a monthly 2-zone pass for $73, so about 50 euro for a month's worth of travel on any bus, train or the ferry to North Vancouver. You can take your bicycle on the train or bus too which is dead handy. I live in the eastern suburbs, about a 45 minute cycle from downtown, but only 10 mins on the skytrain. I'm paying about $500 a month for a decent room in a decent gaff, bills included. Had to sort my own furniture but all I needed at first was a cheapo air mattress for a week or two while I sourced everything else on Craigslist or garage/moving sales.

Gastown is pretty much just a part of downtown; yeah there's a few bars and clubs there but it's nothing amazing, and it's near the dodgier part of town so can be swamped with hawkers, junkies and the likes. Most of the city and suburbs are well-served by public transit so living downtown isn't a necessity just for going out. I can catch the last train before 1.20am, otherwise there's night busses going every half hour until after 3am at least. Night busses have security staff on the busses and at the departing bus stop too, so safe out even for girls on their own. I've hardly ever taken a cab home, but even then it was never more than $20 (13-ish euro) including a decent tip.

Surrey is miles away! Have a look on google maps there like. Handiest places would be Kitsilano (nice location but pricey), Commercial Drive or nearby ('alternative' neighbourhood, but pretty mild compared to other cities). You'll know yourself once you get here; look at the ads on Craigslist, respond to any that sound decent, then check out the location on google maps before you go to view it, and see how close it is to the nearest train station or bus stop. www.translink.ca is dead handy - just type a starting address and a destination and it will show you a list of transit options, with maps and approximate travel times. That's the best indicator for whether a place will suit you or not. Like, you could end up getting a great place downtown, but if you're working out by UBC you could be 45 mins on a bus to and from work.

And, finally, since I've been here it's rained a lot less than Ireland! But of course this time of year things are sure to change. At least it's not as cold as any other big Canadian city, but if you want snow the mountains are only an hour away.

Drop me a line when you're over if you're looking to check out gigs or whatever.

ive only been here a month but i wholeheartedly agree with pretty much everything there.

im in kitsilano now the last two weeks and pretty much havent left. to be honest there is a good scene around the city but since ive befriended locals, thats the only way ive heard about them although do pick up a copy of the straight magazine (nothing to do with sexuality) and it has everything.

electro music? forget about it. im big into all forms of electronic music be it electro, techno, minimal, old trance and house etc etc. there are some gigs but tis very underground. i think occasionally a big name dj will come to town and if he's not your cup of tea then your feiced. their electro music is the kind of stuff that was popular in ireland over the last few years and to my ears that was ****e as well. as for techno and minimal its unheard of. again though, its a matter of keeping your ear to the ground.

malibu baby

hans_moleman wrote: »

Hey all,

was just wondering, we can you apply for next years visa? also, do you just have to apply for the visa wit usit or do you have to book flights + visa. i really dont know much about this so any info would be greatly appreciated!!

Hey just to let you know you dont have to book flights and insurance with USIT. From reading the other Canada forum a lot of people had hassle getting a straight answer from USIT regarding this but personally I had no trouble at all, they replied to my emails within an hour or so every time and told me that as long as I met their criteria I could book with whoever then just pay the €40 admin fee x2 for the alternative flights and insurance. I booked my insurance with Getcover.ie was only about €130 (longstay/backpacker) and that was accepted by USIT. And for my flights I got lucky with Trailfinders as BA were having a seat sale so got my flights from Cork much cheaper than what USIT were quoting. Again these were accepted by USIT as they were valid for 12months and the return date was changeable. I did all this last month and am going in November. I saved myself about €400, so its definitely worth your while.

vinylbomb

Táck wrote: »

im in kitsilano now

I've been living up that way since I got here 4 months ago, really nice area but it is pricey enough, and I had difficulty just finding a regualr bar to go for a pint in ( they are all bar-restaurants in the area).
Moved up to Main just the weekend gone, way cheaper and lots of bars and restaurants around.

Táck wrote: »

electro music? forget about it.

Well, it defo aint the same variety as at home, there is about 1 name DJ here a week, and a kinda semi name dj occasionally. For instance Deadmau5 played here at the start of the month and Tiesto is here next month too (if thats your cup of tea, I personally wouldn't be into it) Krafty Kuts this weekend, Kraze is around the halloween weekend and Boys Noize is playing the start of next month . Clubzone.ca is ok information-wise for listings but it is the worst laid out, most frustrating site I have ever used!!

mega man

does anyone know when you can apply for the canadian visa. the website says applications are closed at the moment

c_dog

no I had to do this by myself.... just researched it for ages but yeah you get to depart by march 18... cant wait now

agent_smith

The link to the security docs etc... that you will need is down http://canada.usit.ie/nonstudent_programm (this is the link i got with my comfirmation of being on the waitlist).
Can anyone tell me what security forms from the garda they needed for the U35 programme? Is it a standard walk into a garda station and ask for a letter of reference from them or do i need to have a specific USIT form filled out and sent into them?

Thanks
agent_smith

juno2009

You need a Police Certificate for the programme. On the Garda Siochana website it says that you make your application in writing to the Superintendant in charge of the district - http://garda.ie/FAQ/Default.aspx?FAQCategory=36#FAQ2742

conzy21

Hey every1..

Just went through sum of the threads and most people are having problems with usit ripping us off etc..I hear ya. Well first of all dnt book their insurance, go to getcover.com its only €175 all inclusive. All you have to do is post the policy into them with €40 and your all done.

I booked my flights with usit and they wer not as expensive as most airlines..im stopping in LA for a week and the flight to LA and Vancouver was €800. And another tip if your booking hotels or anything dont do it through usit becouse your paying Irish rip off rates..(eg) When booking to stop in LA usit wer offering me a package to stay at a 3star hotel downtown LA. my flights wer 800, but with the hotel they wanted 1300 "WAT"..so I went onto google typed in sum hotels and got a swanky hotel in hollywood for 460 us dollers..MAKE SURE YOUR PAYING IN DOLLERS..

Just on the Job seen..2 of my friends went over to Vancouver in August and could not find work wat so ever..they had to tip along to Toronto..has anyone else had this experience..??

Anyone looking for accomadation go to www.craigslist.org and pick a city its great it has jobs to and cars etc..or for jobs go to www.servicecanada.ca..thankfully my sis is a resident in Vancouver so ill get free accom for awhile anyway..

Another week and im off cant wait..:D

conzy21

malibu baby wrote: »

Hey guys, anyone over in Vancouver/been there before, know how long it should take to find a nice 1 bed flat to rent? Am heading over at the end of November with my boyfriend and need to book short term accommodation for when we're searching for somewhere permanent, just not sure how long i should give for the search, 1 week? 2 weeks?? Any info appreciated!

Hey ye its not too bad I wud say to book a hostel before ya go..im headin on da 1st of november next week..go onto www.craigslistvancouver.org its good for accomadation..

my sis has been living in vancouver for 4years now and the only problems she said she had with renting is refferences..make sure you have writtin ref from your previous landlord..if not get your aunt or sumone you know to sighn a letter to say ya rented their place for minimun one year..

Oh for short term accomadation go to craigslist and theirs a section for subletting..its for holiday rentals..one month etc..

good luck

GrahamThomas

Some good tips there Conzy!
Re: the jobs scene, theres bound be to be a lot of temporary retail work going between now and Christmas, I found a temporary job with Sears (after about 2 weeks jobhunting). Do you mind if I ask what kind of work are ya hoping to find?

conzy21

black and white wrote: »

Got my documents from USIT there last week so all set to go in 2 weeks (on my own). Flying into Vancouver but going to head straight up to Whistler. So, is there anyone planning on going to Whistler for the winter season that would be interested in looking for a place together. Really looking forward to it now.

Hey..

Im hittin Vancouver in November and might have a job lined up in whistler..well ill be stayin wit my sister in whiterock but to work in whistler you need to be near by etc..well if you dnt find anyone to share acomadation with let me know cause id need accomadation for a few weeks in whistler..

P.S are you der yet..if so howd you get on in the job hunt..??

conzy21

GrahamThomas wrote: »

Some good tips there Conzy!
Re: the jobs scene, theres bound be to be a lot of temporary retail work going between now and Christmas, I found a temporary job with Sears (after about 2 weeks jobhunting). Do you mind if I ask what kind of work are ya hoping to find?

Alrite man..

Ye im looking for anything really..im guna keep my options open. Have some connections of jobs but i dunno how der guna go.. Are you over their now..??

Conor..

GrahamThomas

conzy21 wrote: »

Alrite man..

Ye im looking for anything really..im guna keep my options open. Have some connections of jobs but i dunno how der guna go.. Are you over their now..??

Conor..

Yeah I've been here in Van since mid-September, I'm loving it here so far.

PEPPI

c_dog wrote: »

hey my names colin and im headin over to toronto in january with a friend...... just wonderin if anybody knows what the jobs situation is over there keeping in mind I will work at anything

Are you aware, that there are job problems in Toronto as well, If you have someone there, that you can stay with fine, other wise bring lots of
funds, there is a long hard winter ahead, and because there were no
summer jobs, every student will be out there fighting tooth and nail for
for Xmas work at "anything"

Think hard....and best of luck,

conzy21

GrahamThomas wrote: »

Yeah I've been here in Van since mid-September, I'm loving it here so far.

Thats sweet man..
Ye I went over for a month last year to check it out..cant wait to get back over..

We'l avto organise an Irish reunion over there.. have ya met much Irish so far..?

GrahamThomas

conzy21 wrote: »

Thats sweet man..
Ye I went over for a month last year to check it out..cant wait to get back over..

We'l avto organise an Irish reunion over there.. have ya met much Irish so far..?

I've met a few Irish, mostly while staying at the hostel, 2 Irish guys working in the same store as me.

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