Volunteering

[little_apple]

Long story short: I've been in Canada for almost 2 years now and my work permit expires next week. I applied for PR outland in April 2013 and I still don't know if the end is near. My employer is not able to get a LMO so I will stop working next week.

I applied for a visitor record which is valid until September 2014.

I know the volunteering thing is a fine line but is it possible to volunteer if the organization only looks for volunteers and doesn't offer any paid jobs?
I was looking into an animal shelter or a homeless shelter. I can't find any official information online. I think I will be okay if I decide to do something like this but I'm not 100% sure and I don't want to risk my future here.

Does anybody know?

 

[QuebecOkie]

From what I've read, that would be the best kind of organization to volunteer for. Visitors may volunteer as long as they aren't working for free doing what would normally be paid work for a Canadian.

 

[Spikey92]

Isnt it odd how they always say "go outland! Its definitely faster" and still I applied inland in May 2013 and became a PR last Wednesday.

I wish you good luck and a soon ending to the process.

I too believe that as long as the organisation consists of volunteers only and they wouldnt usually offer the "position" to a paid worker , you should be fine.

 

[little_apple]

Isnt it odd how they always say "go outland! Its definitely faster" and still I applied inland in May 2013 and became a PR last Wednesday.

I wish you good luck and a soon ending to the process.

I too believe that as long as the organisation consists of volunteers only and they wouldnt usually offer the "position" to a paid worker , you should be fine.

Thank you both. Yeah, it's funny. I applied outland because everybody said it's faster. Now processing time in Vienna is almost the same as inland or even longer for many applicants

 

[Rob_TO]

I know the volunteering thing is a fine line but is it possible to volunteer if the organization only looks for volunteers and doesn't offer any paid jobs?

I think this is a basic correct assumption, although each case is unique. It's best to ask the company you want to volunteer for.
Here is some light reading on the subject: https://volunteer.ca/content/volunteering-and-law
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/institutions/work-volunteer.asp
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/fw/fw01-eng.pdf (5.1. Overview, 5.39. Canadian interests: Charitable or religious work)

 

[Rob_TO]

Isnt it odd how they always say "go outland! Its definitely faster" and still I applied inland in May 2013 and became a PR last Wednesday.

Lots of it comes down to dumb luck. You got a time freakishly fast for an inland app at only 10 months. This is not considered typical, and vast majority of people don't get this time. I met a couple just the other day that has now been waiting 2 years for their inland app for a pretty straightforward case, and she is devastated at not being able to return home to see her family in so long. So consider yourself very lucky!

 

[keesio]

Isnt it odd how they always say "go outland! Its definitely faster" and still I applied inland in May 2013 and became a PR last Wednesday.

The recommendation that I see to go outland over inland is usually for American citizens because of the relatively speedy processing time of CPP-Ottawa and the fact that Americans, more than any other, are more likely to be bothered by the requirement to stay in Canada for the entire duration of the inland application. This is because it is simply easier (physically and economically) for Americans to hop over the border to see family (sometimes just a quick drive over the border). Any other nationality (visa-exempt or not), I am more hesitant to recommend.

 

[QuebecOkie]

The recommendation that I see to go outland over inland is usually for American citizens because of the relatively speedy processing time of CPP-Ottawa and the fact that Americans, more than any other, are more likely to be bothered by the requirement to stay in Canada for the entire duration of the inland application. This is because it is simply easier (physically and economically) for Americans to hop over the border to see family (sometimes just a quick drive over the border). Any other nationality (visa-exempt or not), I am more hesitant to recommend.

Exactly. I recommend outland to other Americans based on my experiences. While I ended up getting incredibly lucky and getting AIP and DM together after what I still think of as the Silent Summer of 2012 (almost ZERO progress for inland 2012 apps for four months or more) and landing in just under a year from when I submitted my app, I rued the decision to go inland long and often. My husband was gone for over half of our first year here, and I desperately wanted to visit my family, but felt trapped by my inland app. I don't recommend outland to anyone else; rather, I try to help them understand the differences between the two, how to do a best guess of which is faster, and then decide for themselves. The game can ALWAYS change after submitting an app, with timelines for both inland and outland apps lengthening and shortening drastically during just the year and a half that I've been watching.

 

[sophieee]

I used this site to find volunteer works: http://govolunteer.ca/
It's only for BC and Alberta, but there must be same collecting sites for the other provinces, and I think it's the safest if you are looking for a volunteer job on sites like this.

 

[little_apple]

I used this site to find volunteer works: http://govolunteer.ca/
It's only for BC and Alberta, but there must be same collecting sites for the other provinces, and I think it's the safest if you are looking for a volunteer job on sites like this.

Thank you. I'm in Alberta so that's perfect