Hey guys! Finally nakaraos rin, natapos ko na rin program ko
) Parang kahapon lang ako nagpost dito, and sobrang praning ko about my application lol I'm happy more people are getting their visas, wishing you guys a great journey ahead ;D hehe
Currently waiting for my post-graduate work permit so it's 3 months of doing nothing for me huhu Before anyone says I can work during the transition period, I actually can't, cause I need a valid study permit to work during that period and mine expired on June 30th. I am still legally entitled to stay in Canada until a decision has been made (I have implied status), I just can't work (cause my SIN has expired and I need a new one with my new permit). Di rin ako makauwi sa atin kasi expired na rin visa ko, so I can't re-enter Canada once I leave huhu Trying to find volunteer work for the meantime, but I also have to be careful about it (CIC differentiates unpaid work from volunteer work, it's really tricky) or else I might find myself working illegally lol
Ayaw ko lang sabihin sa September once I start job-hunting wala akong ginawa for 3 months haha Hopefully it works out for all of us! Curious to know saan na kaya yung mga nakasabay ko two years ago...
Did some backreading, here are a couple comments I have:
Re: Transiting in Korea
You
can leave the airport without a visa, as long as Korea is not your final destination (you have to show your onward ticket and boarding pass) and you have a visa to US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Japan (Korea is your stopover on your way to these countries). I also speak from experience since I was able to do this in 2011! It was my first time travelling alone, I was on a Korean Air flight to Vancouver. I had a 7 hr layover, I took the train and was able to visit some friends. We had lunch in Myeongdong, did some shopping (wala pang Uniqlo nun sa atin! haha), and made it in time for my flight back
More info here: http://www.hikorea.go.kr/pt/InfoDetailR_en.pt?categoryId=2&parentId=385&catSeq=401&showMenuId=375
Re: Cheap flights
I still prefer PAL, just because direct flight sya for Manila to Vancouver. Nakakapagod rin mag-layover minsan, gusto ko nang makarating sa pupuntahan ko at maligo hahaha Toronto-bound passengers will have a 2-hr layover sa Vancouver but you can't leave the airport. I also heard EVA Air (via Taipei) is cheap. Other airlines include Korean Air, Asiana, JAL and ANA (pero mahal), and Cathay Pacific. If you're considering a non-PAL flight, I'd pick Korean Air or Asiana, just because of the visa-free transit and may free shower room sa Incheon airport hahaha
Re: Taxes
I filed my taxes for the first time in April hehe Pwede retroactive and walang penalty, as long as you were unemployed. Di ako nagwork kasi nung dumating ako, kailangan ko pa kumuha nung off-campus work permit, and with my workload sa school, I didn't bother. Basically all the money we spent on tuition will be used to calculate our tax credits and it will apply once we work. I also got returns for being low income since I declared $0 world income before coming to Canada (student pa rin ako bago ako nakarating dito). For 2013 and 2014, more or less mga $300 rin nakuha ko for being unemployed lol
