Tag Archives: canada immigration

IEC Canadian Working Visa Application Timescales

Posted in International Experience Canada by

The International Experience Canada (IEC) visa application this year was the first year to be completed fully online (usually it’s done part online, part post). So, as expected there was some hmm let’s say ‘teething problems’. First the applications didn’t come online until February, they were meant to be available in December. They opened in three stages with the 5,000 ish visas split into each stage. I was lucky enough to get mine registered in the first phase, when over a 1,000 places were taken in about 4 hours.

There were lots of other technical issues and problems with the whole system, but I was pretty lucky throughout… apart from not been told my application had been accepted a month ago! For anyone interested here are my timescales for the IEC process:

1st round of UK applications opened – 14th February
Application applied for – 14th feb
Payment request – 14th Feb
Payment sent – 14th Feb
Payment verified – 15th Feb
Conditional acceptance letter – 18th Feb
CIC application submitted – 3rd March
Application accepted (but was never told, due to technical issues) – 17th March
Verbally told accepted – 12th April
POE (Port of entry) letter received – 19th April

So I now have my POE firmly in my grip, it’s official we are going to Canada! Let’s hope they make the process a little less stressful next year.

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The International Experience Canada (IEC) Process

Posted in International Experience Canada by

International Experience Canada (IEC) is a program available to UK (and other countries) residents aged between 18-30, allowing you to get a one year work visa. There are 5,350 places available and last year they didn’t all go until May, about 6 months after the applications opened. This year was the only year the whole application process was done online, so was expected to have some bumps in the process. The process was done in two stages:

Stage 1 – IEC Application to determine program eligibility and sending of payment

Stage 2 – CIC Application to determine whether you get issued your visa or not

The program was expected to open in December, then January. January came and the website changed to say it would be opening soon. IEC finally announced the opening of the first round of the visas on Valentines Day at about 5pm. I was still at work when I saw the email to say it was open. I rushed out of work at 5.30, made a frantic phone calls to Kyle telling him to log on and fill in all our details (then another one to make sure he was doing it right!). I’ve never rushed so much to make sure I got my bus and the next train so I was home as early as I could then ran from the train station to make sure we’d reserve our place in the first round. I even forgot to get a valentines day card (soz Kyle!). We submitted both our applications by about 7, luckily as by 8pm the first 1,000 places were filled. The next two quotas filled just as quick, so we really were luckily to get our place in the first. Continue reading →

Dear Visa…. Where Are You?!

Posted in International Experience Canada by

So, it’s been 37 days since I submitted my CIC application for the IEC work visa. Haven’t heard a peep out of them, not a single reply to any of my messages. I wouldn’t mind, as they do have up to 6 weeks to process the CIC part of the application, but so many people who submitted way after me (and a lot of others) have already got their LOI/POE. At least Kyle is one of the ones who has is and I couldn’t have been happier to see his sitting in his account. I had almost given up hope on a working ski season in Canada, as he had driving offences I really thought it would be declined… but I was wrong. Never been so happy to be wrong haha.

We won’t be heading until October/November, so we’re not in a rush to get my visa but the uncertainty of not knowing what’s going on is killing me! Yes, I might not have family or partner in Canada that I need to get my work visa to be able to go over, like a lot of people I’ve been speaking to are. But, there is a lot riding on this for us and a hell of a lot of things for us to do:

Continue reading →