CANADA 2013 IEC MEGATHREAD

Calgary22

In Alberta you have to surrender your Irish licence.

RootsCanada

Calgary22 wrote: »

In Alberta you have to surrender your Irish licence.

That's very odd. What do you do when you go home? No licence?!
I travel over and back and have a licence for each.

jenniem01

RootsCanada wrote: »

That's very odd. What do you do when you go home? No licence?!
I travel over and back and have a licence for each.

Well now you have to surrender it I've been into 2 diff registry offices thinking I'd catch them out and they would let me just swap my license but no joy! Googled it lots and they're right ya skip the GDL part so can get your class 7 and then class 5 straight away so I couldn't be bothered we are going home in a few years ! Not gonna do my Irish test again when I go home! Just stick with the international I can't see a limit on how long u can drive on it!

Jenner123

Hey everyone!

Just wondering if anyone is in the same situ as me. After over 5 weeks of waiting I finally rang the CIC call centre in Canada (from the UK) and was told that my application was accepted and that my poe letter was sent to my cic account on the 26th of march. It never made it to my account though and still isn't there. I was told that they are aware of this happening and that they are trying to sort it. I'm on a few Facebook groups and this seems to have happened to many others. So i've been accepted on the system as of weeks ago but am still waiting for them to fix the technical error and re send my POE letter. I contacted the IT support team like they told me (and many others) to do but haven't heard anything.

Was wondering if anyone has heard anything? Many people have gone to enter as a visitor to be told that their application was accepted and is on the system or have been told on the phone they have been accepted and have just gone to an immigration officer at the airport and had it printed and issued on the way in to Canada. I'm not leaving till July though so hopefully they will have this error sorted and will re sent me it before then.

Surfn

Jenner123 wrote: »

Hey everyone!

Just wondering if anyone is in the same situ as me. After over 5 weeks of waiting I finally rang the CIC call centre in Canada (from the UK) and was told that my application was accepted and that my poe letter was sent to my cic account on the 26th of march. It never made it to my account though and still isn't there. I was told that they are aware of this happening and that they are trying to sort it. I'm on a few Facebook groups and this seems to have happened to many others. So i've been accepted on the system as of weeks ago but am still waiting for them to fix the technical error and re send my POE letter. I contacted the IT support team like they told me (and many others) to do but haven't heard anything.

Was wondering if anyone has heard anything? Many people have gone to enter as a visitor to be told that their application was accepted and is on the system or have been told on the phone they have been accepted and have just gone to an immigration officer at the airport and had it printed and issued on the way in to Canada. I'm not leaving till July though so hopefully they will have this error sorted and will re sent me it before then.

huh, thats very interesting, but it could be the case for alot of people including myself, because over the last few weeks, i havent seen to many saying they got their POE. congrats on getting it anyhow

Jenner123

I know 16 people on the fb group that this has happen to so far lol

Surfn

Jenner123 wrote: »

I know 16 people on the fb group that this has happen to so far lol

i submitted mine on the 7th of march. i might give them a buzz the night and see what the craic is

vwgolfmk504

Jenner123 wrote: »

I know 16 people on the fb group that this has happen to so far lol

do you have the number to call them on?

meelyb

Jenner123 wrote: »

Hey everyone!

Just wondering if anyone is in the same situ as me. After over 5 weeks of waiting I finally rang the CIC call centre in Canada (from the UK) and was told that my application was accepted and that my poe letter was sent to my cic account on the 26th of march. It never made it to my account though and still isn't there. I was told that they are aware of this happening and that they are trying to sort it. I'm on a few Facebook groups and this seems to have happened to many others. So i've been accepted on the system as of weeks ago but am still waiting for them to fix the technical error and re send my POE letter. I contacted the IT support team like they told me (and many others) to do but haven't heard anything.

Was wondering if anyone has heard anything? Many people have gone to enter as a visitor to be told that their application was accepted and is on the system or have been told on the phone they have been accepted and have just gone to an immigration officer at the airport and had it printed and issued on the way in to Canada. I'm not leaving till July though so hopefully they will have this error sorted and will re sent me it before then.

I was reading the UK version of this thread last week and they are saying the exact same thing. Anyone waiting a while who managed to make contact have been told they are approved but there is technical error in notifying them of this. it would be nice if the CIC would put a note up to this effect- that they are aware of technical issues.I'm sure it would ease the flow of queries they are getting.

RootsCanada

jenniem01 wrote: »

Well now you have to surrender it I've been into 2 diff registry offices thinking I'd catch them out and they would let me just swap my license but no joy! Googled it lots and they're right ya skip the GDL part so can get your class 7 and then class 5 straight away so I couldn't be bothered we are going home in a few years ! Not gonna do my Irish test again when I go home! Just stick with the international I can't see a limit on how long u can drive on it!

My Irish licence is valid until 2017, not giving it to anyone!! lol

RootsCanada

Jenner123 wrote: »

Hey everyone!

Just wondering if anyone is in the same situ as me. After over 5 weeks of waiting I finally rang the CIC call centre in Canada (from the UK) and was told that my application was accepted and that my poe letter was sent to my cic account on the 26th of march. It never made it to my account though and still isn't there. I was told that they are aware of this happening and that they are trying to sort it. I'm on a few Facebook groups and this seems to have happened to many others. So i've been accepted on the system as of weeks ago but am still waiting for them to fix the technical error and re send my POE letter. I contacted the IT support team like they told me (and many others) to do but haven't heard anything.

Was wondering if anyone has heard anything? Many people have gone to enter as a visitor to be told that their application was accepted and is on the system or have been told on the phone they have been accepted and have just gone to an immigration officer at the airport and had it printed and issued on the way in to Canada. I'm not leaving till July though so hopefully they will have this error sorted and will re sent me it before then.

That's very curious, maybe a lot of us are in that boat, hopefully.
Waiting since February 12th, as are many others, it would be nice if this meant we're covered and going to get good news soon. Fingers crossed.

Black_shadow

Surfn wrote: »

i submitted mine on the 7th of march. i might give them a buzz the night and see what the craic is

whats the number please?

vwgolfmk504

Black_shadow wrote: »

whats the number please?

ye has anyone got a number? waiting 2 months is ridiculous

Waylander1982

Jenner123 wrote: »

Hey everyone!

Just wondering if anyone is in the same situ as me. After over 5 weeks of waiting I finally rang the CIC call centre in Canada (from the UK) and was told that my application was accepted and that my poe letter was sent to my cic account on the 26th of march. It never made it to my account though and still isn't there. I was told that they are aware of this happening and that they are trying to sort it. I'm on a few Facebook groups and this seems to have happened to many others. So i've been accepted on the system as of weeks ago but am still waiting for them to fix the technical error and re send my POE letter. I contacted the IT support team like they told me (and many others) to do but haven't heard anything.

Was wondering if anyone has heard anything? Many people have gone to enter as a visitor to be told that their application was accepted and is on the system or have been told on the phone they have been accepted and have just gone to an immigration officer at the airport and had it printed and issued on the way in to Canada. I'm not leaving till July though so hopefully they will have this error sorted and will re sent me it before then.

Well thats interesting. Would you be able to give us the number you called. The number on CIC website says they can only discuss applications from inside of Canada. Im waiting since the 11th of Feb, so this would explain alot.

Surfn

there is a fone number on this link, im not sure if ya can call it from ireland or not http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/contacts/call.asp

Jenner123

001 613 944 4000 That's the number to call from the UK. Will probably work for you guys too

jenniem01

Just phoned and I applied Feb 11th he said they are working on it and it shouldn't be too much longer

Jenner123

ahh I should have mentioned that they try and fob everyone off with that. Ring again and keep ringing till someone tells you your status. Just say "Hello I'm wanting to check the status of my open work permit" DO NOT mention IEC or it's game over and you just get fobbed off. Everyone has had to ring many times untill someone finally gives up the info..

Niamh_M

Jenner123 wrote: »

ahh I should have mentioned that they try and fob everyone off with that. Ring again and keep ringing till someone tells you your status. Just say "Hello I'm wanting to check the status of my open work permit" DO NOT mention IEC or it's game over and you just get fobbed off. Everyone has had to ring many times untill someone finally gives up the info..

Every time I try to ring and am given the option to speak with an operator (i.e. press 0) it tells me the information I have entered is invalid!

dobsy89

Niamh_M wrote: »

Every time I try to ring and am given the option to speak with an operator (i.e. press 0) it tells me the information I have entered is invalid!

Ya i got the same problem when i rang??

ripcord

If you didn't want to "activate" your IEC visa yet, and just wanted to travel - does anyone know how long you are allowed to travel (not work) in Canada as a tourist?

I can't find a definite answer anywhere.

Come to think of it - would entering as a tourist for a few months affect your attempt to re-enter later one using the IEC visa?

Thanks!

Surfn

ripcord wrote: »

If you didn't want to "activate" your IEC visa yet, and just wanted to travel - does anyone know how long you are allowed to travel (not work) in Canada as a tourist?

I can't find a definite answer anywhere.

Come to think of it - would entering as a tourist for a few months affect your attempt to re-enter later one using the IEC visa?

Thanks!

good point m8, i never thought about entering as a tourist for a month or 2 and then entering again and activating the IEC visa, but im still waiting on that

Yop11

Surfn wrote: »

good point m8, i never thought about entering as a tourist for a month or 2 and then entering again and activating the IEC visa, but im still waiting on that

I'm going in two weeks and if I still don't hear back about my visa ill be going over as a visitor..I have three months over there before I have to show my visa..but I have to leave the country to activate the visa so ill be getting a cheap flight to the US and then flying back in and activating my visa..when entering as a visitor you have to show that you are leaving the country within 3 months

Calgary22

if ya get a visa and you don't want it now is there anyway you can return it?:D

zabba

Yop11 - I think that's a great idea but would be worried when you turn up at immigration with a large amount of luggage. I will be going to the US for one week after I arrive in Canada. I might do the same thing providing that it is very possible to do so

giggii

Calgary22 wrote: »

if ya get a visa and you don't want it now is there anyway you can return it?:D

If you've gotten your POE already then you've gotten a place in the programme and you can't withdraw and apply again next year. If it's just a conditional acceptance you currently have then you just send them a message on the Kompass Account saying you'd like to withdraw and you'll get a message from them giving the details of withdrawing from the programme (that's what I did anyway...)

Calgary22

damn its the poe i got. not to worry thanks.

Yop11

zabba wrote: »

Yop11 - I think that's a great idea but would be worried when you turn up at immigration with a large amount of luggage. I will be going to the US for one week after I arrive in Canada. I might do the same thing providing that it is very possible to do so

I was afraid of that but my brother who has been over there for a few years showed up with two bags, a snowboard and a bike had no visa and no questions were asked other than will you be leaving within 3 months and he showed them a plane ticket out of the country within 3 months..then when he got his visa he just crossed the border into America and came back over that day..I'm hoping mine will go as smoothly as his does

bearhugs

Yop11 wrote: »

I was afraid of that but my brother who has been over there for a few years showed up with two bags, a snowboard and a bike had no visa and no questions were asked other than will you be leaving within 3 months and he showed them a plane ticket out of the country within 3 months..then when he got his visa he just crossed the border into America and came back over that day..I'm hoping mine will go as smoothly as his does

I thought you could stay as a visitor for 6 months? I was in Ontario for a while before Christmas and that's the info I had, cannot remember where from tho.

Waylander1982

jenniem01 wrote: »

Just phoned and I applied Feb 11th he said they are working on it and it shouldn't be too much longer

You must have got him on a good day. I told them when I called that I just wanted to check my current application status. I said I was applying for an "Open Work Permit" at first. But they would not even talk to me until I gave them the exact type of visa. As soon as I mentioned IEC Working Holiday visa, she said "They have no information on working holiday visas in the call centre" I also applied on Feb 11th. Im starting to get a bit freaked at this stage.