Moving to Canada for 12 months - IEC Working Holiday Visa

ScarySquirrel · 12 Aug 2013 at 17:56

Marky said:
Beautiful pics as per use Squirrel Sweet Hire car

Hoping to hear back about my interview this week! Fingers crossed!

About 8 weeks until I'm planning on leaving now - Can't believe how close it's getting!

Thanks dude. Forgot to mention, we popped to Whistler as well and it was awesome. There was some mountain biking event going on, so it was really busy. We're going for a proper visit next weekend so we can do some hiking on Whistler mountain. Good luck with the job, you'll love it there

Marky · 12 Aug 2013 at 17:59

ScarySquirrel said:
Thanks dude. Forgot to mention, we popped to Whistler as well and it was awesome. There was some mountain biking event going on, so it was really busy. We're going for a proper visit next weekend so we can do some hiking on Whistler mountain. Good luck with the job, you'll love it there

Oh sweet! Make sure you take some pics

Yeah I've heard people go crazy for the biking during the Summer season

And thanks dude!

Do I remember correctly that you started in the US? Or plan to go to the US? I only ask because, I've been considering doing a couple of months in the US while I'm out there, and I wondered if you might know about the visas?

For less than 90 days, do you even have to apply for a visa?

ScarySquirrel · 12 Aug 2013 at 18:17

We've not been to the US yet. But you're right, you can go for 90 days as a tourist (so you can't work). If you're starting in the US (ie. you arrived there by air) you'll need to get an ESTA, which you can do online here - https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

However, if you're arriving in Canada but plan to go to the US by land (ie. in a car over the border) then you don't need an ESTA. You might need to complete some basic paperwork at the border but nothing more.

Yeah we'll get plenty of pics

[TW]Fox · 12 Aug 2013 at 18:43

You'll need to fill in an I94-W form at the border for which you'll get directed to Secondary inspection. You'll also need to pay $6 per person, too.

You don't need a Visa to spend less than 90 days in the US, you will be admitted under the Visa Waiver Program.

ScarySquirrel · 12 Aug 2013 at 18:49

That's the one, I forgot the name of the form.

Am I right in thinking you need to pay the $6 in USD, or by credit card?

We need to do a trip to the US soon, Seattle is the most obvious place to go first, although I'd also like to check out Portland, and definitely San Francisco if we can get some time off work early next year.

Marky · 12 Aug 2013 at 18:52

ScarySquirrel said:
We've not been to the US yet. But you're right, you can go for 90 days as a tourist (so you can't work). If you're starting in the US (ie. you arrived there by air) you'll need to get an ESTA, which you can do online here - https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

However, if you're arriving in Canada but plan to go to the US by land (ie. in a car over the border) then you don't need an ESTA. You might need to complete some basic paperwork at the border but nothing more.

Yeah we'll get plenty of pics

[TW]Fox;24756337 said:
You'll need to fill in an I94-W form at the border for which you'll get directed to Secondary inspection. You'll also need to pay $6 per person, too.

You don't need a Visa to spend less than 90 days in the US, you will be admitted under the Visa Waiver Program.

Ah that's good to know

Yeah I'll be starting in Canada but I've been thinking about driving over the border and check out some of the US before I return

[TW]Fox · 12 Aug 2013 at 19:02

ScarySquirrel said:
That's the one, I forgot the name of the form.

Am I right in thinking you need to pay the $6 in USD, or by credit card?

I think its cash only. Will let you know

OG · 12 Aug 2013 at 20:40

@Scary.. that would have been crankworks up in Whistler, marks pretty much the middle (and busiest) time of the summer season.. pop up in a few weeks and you'll no doubt it is a lot more chilled out!

My plans for heading out next summer are now somewhat skewed. I was planning to go out with my girlfriend there but she has said she would prefer to crack on with her NQT year after graduating uni as opposed to coming out to Canada for a year (doing primary ed at uni, I understand a year out from teaching after teaching for 4 years would be extremely odd).

Soooo what to do... she has told me she wants me to go and enjoy my time out there and the usual 'we can make it work blah blah', but I've kinda had it in my head we would both be out there together and I don't want to convince her to come with as it's too much to ask of her; especially when she wants to get on and teach.

Current plan is to cut my time a bit shorter over there and just go for the winter season (October -- April) as to be honest all I want to do is ski.

Any other updates on when the IEC visa's are released as well??

Marky · 17 Aug 2013 at 19:27

Just recieved a job offer at Whistler Blackcomb

Syked

Time to start planning for insurance/flights/hostel etc.

Nexus · 17 Aug 2013 at 22:29

Owen - Probably for the best, not worth jeopardising your relationship being gone for a year. If you are going for the skiing you will enjoy winter most anyway.

Marky - A job with the mountain themselves?
Doing what?
You managed to get hired from the UK, without an interview?

-westy- · 17 Aug 2013 at 23:00

Congrats Marky

What job are you going to be doing? I'd love a job in Whistler for the winter season, am currently doing some research.

Quick one, are people planning on taking proper suitcases, or backpacks/holdalls?

ScarySquirrel · 18 Aug 2013 at 04:35

Well done on the job

I took proper a proper suitcase, in fact my girlfriend and I had 3 between us, plus rucksacks.

Marky · 18 Aug 2013 at 17:14

Nexus said:
Owen - Probably for the best, not worth jeopardising your relationship being gone for a year. If you are going for the skiing you will enjoy winter most anyway.

Marky - A job with the mountain themselves?
Doing what?
You managed to get hired from the UK, without an interview?

-westy- said:
Congrats Marky

What job are you going to be doing? I'd love a job in Whistler for the winter season, am currently doing some research.

Quick one, are people planning on taking proper suitcases, or backpacks/holdalls?

ScarySquirrel said:
Well done on the job

I took proper a proper suitcase, in fact my girlfriend and I had 3 between us, plus rucksacks.

Thanks guys

It's a job at a Rental Shop with Whistler Blackcomb. They came over and I had a face to face interview in London, after a over-the-phone interview earlier on.

Nexus · 18 Aug 2013 at 18:15

Ah I did wonder, as they didn't do anything like that back when I worked for them.

I think they started doing some kind of job fair in London a few years back.

Westyfield2 · 19 Aug 2013 at 12:15

Used to be that half the people working on Whistler are Aussies!

Marky · 19 Aug 2013 at 16:42

Nexus said:
Ah I did wonder, as they didn't do anything like that back when I worked for them.

I think they started doing some kind of job fair in London a few years back.

Yeah that's right

Westyfield2 said:
Used to be that half the people working on Whistler are Aussies!

And that is also right

I've been told to bleed the Aussies dry when it comes to Australia Day next year and they want to swap shifts to have the day off

ScarySquirrel · 27 Aug 2013 at 03:25

We finally went up Whistler mountain (and Blackcomb) at the weekend so I thought I'd share some pictures.

We can't wait to go skiing/snowboarding there!

Marky · 23 Sep 2013 at 18:07

Great pictures as always bud. Quick question for you... With regards to insurance: Did you get any single item insurance? I've been thinking about bringing my MacBook Pro and wondered about getting it insured for theft etc. I'm still looking at getting an annual travel insurance package, but many of them are saying they'll only cover around £300-£500 on items...

ScarySquirrel · 23 Sep 2013 at 18:10

No, we ended up just getting the cheapest insurance we could. It was risky but fingers crossed it'll be ok in the long run. As you say, most of the cover doesn't really provide enough to cover more expensive items. You may be better off looking for a item specific insurance for those items.

Marky · 23 Sep 2013 at 18:19

ScarySquirrel said:
No, we ended up just getting the cheapest insurance we could. It was risky but fingers crossed it'll be ok in the long run. As you say, most of the cover doesn't really provide enough to cover more expensive items. You may be better off looking for a item specific insurance for those items.

Yeah I think you're probably right. It's looking like it's going to cost me £600-£800 for the year :eek:

It's the Winter Sports that really bumps up the cost

Who did you book with?