International Experience Canada

[JessSusz97]

Good Evening,
I have been in a long-distance relationship with a guy from Toronto for over 2 years, and since both of us are still in full-time higher education we cannot be together for longer than a few weeks since our funds run out. I want to go to Canada for the summer which is 4 months but in order to explore the Canadian lifestyle more and spend some quality time with my boyfriend I need to work, however in order to work I need a visa , the only thing I am eligible since we are not married or in a common- law partners (since we can't) is the Internation Experience visa however I am afraid I won't get an invitation for a work permit since I live in the UK and the chances are VERY LOW. Is there any other options for me ? We are so upset that they chances are so low, and I am willing to pay the fees and work any job and pay taxes as required as long as I can spend the summer there.

 

[scylla]

The IEC visa is definitely the easiest option. Yes - unfortunately the UK program is quite oversubscribed. But you never know, you might get lucky and be selected out of the pool.

The alternative is much harder and really not feasible for a 4 months job. You would need to obtain a closed work permit. In order to do this, you would first need to secure a job offer in Canada. Next, your employer would need to obtain an approved LMIA (permission to hire you). This is the difficult part since the LMIA process is expensive ($1K fee for the employer), involves lots of paperwork, takes a long time (typically 3-6 months) and there's no guarantee of approval. The first step is for the employer to advertise the job for at least a month to prove no Canadians could be found for the role. I'll be honest, I think your chances of obtaining a work permit through the LMIA route are nil. As it is, it's extremely difficult to find an employer willing to go through this process. I can't imagine any employer will be willing to do it for a four month job. And even if they were, the LMIA would likely be refused by the government since they would most likely say that a Canadian could have reasonably been found for the role.

Lost story short, the IEC really is your best (and probably only) bet for what you're trying to achieve.

Good luck - again, it's quite possible you'll get lucky and be selected.

 

[JessSusz97]

Thank you for such a quick response , I guess I will have to wait until I get lucky .

Just a quick question though , I graduate in computer science degree next year and I was thinking of moving there to live with my partner , would there be any other option for me than The international experience canada program ? I won't qualify for the express visa since I won't have any experience in the field , is there a visa program which I can apply that would take into consideration that I have a partner there and I am a educated individual ?
I am a dual citizen in Poland and the UK on which on is easiest to apply ?

 

[scylla]

Once you are married or common law (this means you have lived together continuously for at least one full year), your partner in Canada will be able to sponsor you for PR. That's the only program that gives you a benefit for having a partner in Canada.