On Friday night, 10,000 Canadian visas were released for young Irish people.
The visas are for anyone aged 18-35 and include Young Professional and Working Holiday permits.
What type of visas are available and how much do they cost?
The Young Professional Permit allows you to live and work in Canada for up to two years. For this permit you must have work already lined up before you leave Ireland. Your employer will pay a CAD$230 (approx €200) Employer Compliance Fee. You will also have to pay around €130 yourself to apply.
The Working Holiday Visa in Canada also allows you to live and work in Canada for up to two years. However this work permit is deemed 'open' meaning you can find work with any eligible employer when you arrive in Canada. The cost of this visa is CAD$150 plus an open work permit holder fee of CAD$100. This means in total it will cost around €220.
The International Co-Op permit allows you to live and work in Canada for up to one year. This permit is specifically aimed at internships and you must have your internship organised before you leave Ireland. Your employer will pay a CAD$230 (approx €200) Employer Compliance Fee. You will also have to pay around €130 yourself to apply.
What are the steps for applying?
- Apply online with your passport number and basic contact information.
- If you receive an invitation to apply this is the stage you make your payment.
- You apply fully and it is then that you will be granted a visa. This process can take up to six months.
- Once your visa is granted you have one year to travel to Canada and activate the visa.
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Until 2015, candidates would need to be among the first to apply in order to receive their IEC Working Holiday Canada work permit, as they were issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
But changes were introduced for the 2016 program, meaning applicants could submit a profile at their leisure, and candidates would be selected to complete their application at random.
Candidates will be required to create a profile, and become accepted into a pool of potential candidates.
So although there's no rush, candidates are being advised to apply early to avail of being in as many pools as possible.
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