Entry requirements for 4 month unpaid internship from UK

[Shotts]

Hi,

I am a UK citizen and am currently a university student. For my 3rd year I have opted to take a placement year and I have just been offered an internship for 4 months in Canada, starting January 2016.

I have tried to look at the websites to see what visa etc I require but it just says it is closed. I am now worried that I won't be able to take up the internship.

I will be undertaking an unpaid internship. I have organised this myself - not through my university.

Any help or advice would be gratefully received. Many thanks.

 

[scylla]

I'll be honest so that you don't waste your time. It's not going to happen - sorry. You should look for a different opportunity. You simply don't have enough time to go through the required processes. Plus the chances of refusal are high.

In order to take an unpaid internship you need a work permit (yes - you need a work permit even though you aren't being paid). In order to qualify to apply for a work permit your employer would first need to obtain an approved LMIA (permission to hire a foreign worker). The LMIA process is long (takes months to complete) and typically is not successful for internships. First of all the employer must spend money to advertise the job on several job sites for at least a month to prove no Canadian could be found for the role (this is the bit that's difficult for internships since there are typically lots of Canadians who might be interested in the role and they must be given priority over you). Then, the employer must submit the LMIA application for processing along with a $1,000 fee. This phase of processing can take over four months. If the LMIA is approved (not all are), you can then obtain a work permit.

 

[Shotts]

I'll be honest so that you don't waste your time. It's not going to happen - sorry. You should look for a different opportunity. You simply don't have enough time to go through the required processes. Plus the chances of refusal are high.

In order to take an unpaid internship you need a work permit (yes - you need a work permit even though you aren't being paid). In order to qualify to apply for a work permit your employer would first need to obtain an approved LMIA (permission to hire a foreign worker). The LMIA process is long (takes months to complete) and typically is not successful for internships. First of all the employer must spend money to advertise the job on several job sites for at least a month to prove no Canadian could be found for the role (this is the bit that's difficult for internships since there are typically lots of Canadians who might be interested in the role and they must be given priority over you). Then, the employer must submit the LMIA application for processing along with a $1,000 fee. This phase of processing can take over four months. If the LMIA is approved (not all are), you can then obtain a work permit.

Thanks for your reply and for being so honest.

What if my employer already had a LMIA - or do you need one for each potential new employee? Also they have told me to apply through International Experience Canada for an international co-op internship - but this appears to be closed to new applicants and i can't find details about when it opens again.

I'm just trying to make sure I've checked all avenues.

Thanks.

 

[scylla]

If your employer already had an LMIA for the specific role you would be performing, then all they would have to do is get it assigned to your name. The LMIA process is long and expensive. I suppose it's possible they may have one - but I find it unlikely.

Yes - the IEC/working holiday visa could be an option - but definitely not for January. The program is closed for this year and won't reopen until sometime in the spring. Also, you should be aware that there are very very few places and they are snapped up extremely quickly from the time the program opens (within minutes). So even if you decided to wait it out and go for the iEC, there's no guarantee you'd get one.