Big problem. Help needed urgently

[movingtoCanada]

I have been planning my working holiday in Canada (Vancouver) for months. My goal was to come to Vancouver for 5 months to gain life experience.
I've been emailing back and forth to my traveling agency and they said that Belgian citizens don't have to have a visum for visiting Canada.
If I can prove that I come back before a certain date and I have enough money to pay for the trip, there was no problem they said.

I had an appointment with them today and now it seems that if a visitor wants to have some side job in Canada to cover some expenses, they are required to have a visum regardless of the shortage of the time they spend in Canada.

The working holiday visa are available at the beginning of the year, they said. Once they are available I can apply but in Canada it would take between 4 and 8 weeks before it gets approved.My goal was to leave on february third, which is at least one month before my visum can get approved. Because I have to be back for an exam in june, I really don't want to ruin my whole trip by delaying it for so long.
Secondly, I can only book a plane ticket AFTER the visum approval. That would mean I have to book last minute which would cost me $2000 instead of the $1000 at the moment.

All my plans seem to be ruined. Is there any side track I can take? The man said I can't apply for a visum, then go to Canada and start working when my visum is approved. He said I should have it before I enter Canada

I had it all figured out and I'm pretty upset about this

 

[scylla]

You definitely need a visa if you want to be able to work. It's true that Belgians do not need a visa to visit Canada - however visitors are not allowed to work. So if you want to work - you need a visa.

Your travel agent is wrong about a few things - you can apply for the IEC from within Canada (you don't have to be in Belgium). Once the IEC is approved, you will have to exit Canada and re-enter to activate the working visa.

Rather than relying on your travel agent for information (they don't seem to know all of the facts), you may want to read through the official website instead:

http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/belgium-belgique/youth-jeunesse/faq.aspx?lang=eng&view=d

Hope this helps.

 

[movingtoCanada]

When I was visiting my traveling agent today it seemed that he was promoting a whole lot of others countries than Canada. Not because he doesn't like Canada, but they offer various different programs in 15 countries and some just don't sell.
So I don't think he was very genuine when he said that I have to have my visum before I enter Canada. I could be wrong but that was my impression.
I believe that it is possible to get my visum once it is approved in Belgium even if I am already in Canada. I would like it if someone could confirm or deny that.

Canada remains my first choice. Not only do I want to get to know your culture, but if I like it there is a decent chance I am permanently moving and I'll apply for a job that suits my master degree from college (I graduate in june)
There was a tv show in Belgium about Canada trying to attract educated foreigners to contribute to their society.

The situation at home is rather complex. During my college period I have made thousands of dollars playing poker online. I paid for my student appartment with that money but parents never accepted it. After the conversation today I said to my dad that I would rely on poker winnings to finance the trip. He went bananas when I said that because poker has never been accepted at home regardless of the money I make.

Leaving without a visum would still allow me to play poker online to cover the expenses (poker is tax free in Canada I heard) and it would also allow me to get a cheap airplane ticket. Because I can book in advance if I don't have to wait for my visum approval. Waiting for a visum would force me to wait a month before I can leave and it would also force me to pay twice as much for an airplane ticket.

It's a hard decision but I'll have to decide this week

 

[loggan]

Below s entirely m opinion- its upto you to take it.


Go under skilled workers category on this site and read the postings under EUROPEANS SHOULD NOT COME TO CANADA. Read all people`s views.

 

[movingtoCanada]

Below s entirely m opinion- its upto you to take it.


Go under skilled workers category on this site and read the postings under EUROPEANS SHOULD NOT COME TO CANADA. Read all people`s views.

canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/-t91826.0.html

So basically you are saying that I should not come to Canada because some dude from Switzerland wrote an anti - Canada thread for ALL Europeans based on his own experience. I am coming with an organisation that has many experiences there and I know people in Vancouver. Students from college in my homecountry have fellows in Vancouver and they all advise me to come over. Because finding some jobs to cover expenses is not that hard, according to all of them.

It's a 4 month period. Not a decade. Your advice reminds me of my parents, trying to warn me about how terrible the experience is going to be and how I will get robbed and lose everything I have. How drug addicts will assault me and how I will get beaten up in night clubs and be screwed by social security.

WTF is wrong with you people?

 

[movingtoCanada]

My biggest question remains unanswered.

If I book a plane ticket for february 18th and my visum is not approved by that time, I can come to Canada as a visitor but I can not work. That's clear.
However, if my visum gets approved 2 weeks after my arrival, can I still work or am I destined to waste everything I have in my bank account?

I'm not sure but I think this answers it

I am in Canada/in another country. Can I participate to the IEC initiative without coming back to Belgium ?

If your domicile is in Belgium and you are temporarily out of the country, you may apply from the country in which you are. You can download the participation kit on our website and send your completed application by mail to the address indicated in the instructions. If your application is accepted, you will receive your Letter of Introduction by email. If you are already in Canada, you will have to leave the country with this letter and present it to an Immigration Officer at a point of re-entry to Canada (i.e. a border crossing) in order to obtain your temporary work permit.

Leaving the country would cost me tons of money

 

[sttn]

My biggest question remains unanswered.

If I book a plane ticket for february 18th and my visum is not approved by that time, I can come to Canada as a visitor but I can not work. That's clear.
However, if my visum gets approved 2 weeks after my arrival, can I still work or am I destined to waste everything I have in my bank account?

I'm not sure but I think this answers it

Leaving the country would cost me tons of money

If you know that leaving the country would cost you alot of money why you need to risk of coming here without having your legal documents that serves the purpose of your visit? If you are coming here as a visitor come here as a visitor.. If you intend to work get your work permit approved beofore arriving in Canada. Simple..

 

[clubcanada]

Leaving the country would cost me tons of money

where are you going? Yukon? i thought you mentioned vancouver...

going to a border doesnt mean a specific border. you take a car or bus or whatever and drive down south to the border to WA. takes maybe 2 hrs... if that's tons of money you got an issue...

 

[odin2404]

canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/-t91826.0.html

So basically you are saying that I should not come to Canada because some dude from Switzerland wrote an anti - Canada thread for ALL Europeans based on his own experience. I am coming with an organisation that has many experiences there and I know people in Vancouver. Students from college in my homecountry have fellows in Vancouver and they all advise me to come over. Because finding some jobs to cover expenses is not that hard, according to all of them.

It's a 4 month period. Not a decade. Your advice reminds me of my parents, trying to warn me about how terrible the experience is going to be and how I will get robbed and lose everything I have. How drug addicts will assault me and how I will get beaten up in night clubs and be screwed by social security.

WTF is wrong with you people?

well said!