orly

Pretty much.

beckiwoo

yes you will need a police check for every country you have lived in for 6 months or more since you were 18. Police check cannot be more then 3 months old when you submit it.

You don't need to police certificate until stage 2 and if only getting one from the UK it will take up to 10 days to arrive

beckiwoo

got my photo and form signed before I left. (Just haven't dated it). Left the form with family member all signed but they just have to add my Canadian address

ChrisBan

No-one knows when it'll open, all we know is that it wont be before January 2015.

You will need a police certificate for each country you have lived in since 18 yrs old for 6 months or more.

All official info is here:

Travel and Work in Canada | Temporary Work Visa For Work Holidays in Canada for Students and Youth | International Experience Canada

Leaf25

It says on the application that it can be sent to anyone in the world that has known you......which kinda confuses the whole point of the witnessing bit!!!!!! Clear as mud...like alot of this!!!

I didn't realise you can leave and come back. I only have a one trip policy on my insurance so not much use to me.

WildfireV2

Hey guys, wondering if anyone can help give me a bit of perspective, maybe some people who have done the program before.

I'm 25 years old, still live at home (Grandparents) & currently working in an Accounting practice trying to save money & what not. I have a degree in Accounting although working in it, I hate it. I hate the whole 9-5 working in accounts thing, it basically makes me feel like I am depressed or wasting away everyday, until I get to the weekend which is the most enjoyable time because I get to switch off & relax, play videos games, whatever.

My work wants me to study ACCA & that was part of the reason I took the job, the big part actually, as I thought it would lead to a designation and make me happy, but it does not. None of it

I have had thoughts about doing the IEC program for about 9 months now, as I have always wanted to live/work in North America & this seems like my only somewhat realistic chance.

My major reservations & psychological chains if you will are the following:

- If I love it out there, I would want to get PR & the thought of returning to the UK would be horrible

- If I managed to get 2 years what are the things I would need to actually move towards PR, otherwise am I taking a possible 2 years out & risking my whole life

-What is the best time of year to actually leave the UK & go out to Canada if you successfully get through the application? Ideally I would want to leave it until june/july maybe August just to bank more money but would that mean that, the following December/January I would have to start re-applying for the IEC again while I am out there? & what kind of chance do you have of getting the second year if you're out there? unlikely?

-What kind of jobs help give you relevant experience for PR, I have my degree in Accounting but I would not really want to work in that at all... Are there other areas I could go into with this degree in a place like Toronto?

-The thought of doing the program is great & in my heart I want to do it, I love travel, & I want to give myself a shot at PR in North America, but I am, so conscious and afraid of "wasting more years of my life" especially my "youth". If I got PR or was significantly close to it I would not call it wasted, however... If I didn't I would be right back where I am, but no further along with no clue what to do.

- Financially speaking, how much should someone have before doing the program, especially if they want back to back programs. I will probably only have anywhere from £6,000 - £9,000 in my bank depending on the month I would choose to go... Which I believe is around $10,000 - $16,000 Canadian.

Is that a "pick up your whole life & risk it" amount of money.. or too risky.

Sorry for all the questions, just that I am at a crossroads psychologically, and have no idea what to do. I have no social life in the small town I am in because all of my friends are in different cities around the UK, I wasted some years when I was younger & feel I am always behind & so it has made me ultra sensitive to taking big life decisions. I do have a few friends in Toronto & that would be the place I would ideally want to go to because quite possibly I think that the whole big city lifestyle would suit me more for it's diversity & opportunity, and maybe take my mind off where my life is heading dramas.

Thanks in advance.

Edit: I have no idea what work I would do when I got there, I suppose I wouldn't really be fussed as I would try whatever. If there was a possibility of getting junior analyst type stuff or maybe something more IT related, I guess I would try that, but I honesty have no clue. If my only realistic chance was working in some kind of finance then I would do it & hope that being in a bigger city with more people & more social side would not make it so horrible.

EightFourTD

It might work, it might not. For some it has, for others I'm sure after 12 months or less they were chomping at the bit to return home. Money has a habit of coming and going, you've got this far, right?

I'm 30, have a good career, and a well paid job, but I have always fancied sampling life outside the UK, either in Canada or the US. This is the last chance I have to take advantage of the IEC scheme, and I'm going to take it, or at least try.

kswoosh

Another quick Q...

The IEC is allocated on first come first served basis.

So when it opens in January (or whenever) the first 2,000 people who register get the chance to apply for the IEC.

Then the second batch opens, and a further 1,340 (or whatever the number was) get the chance to apply.

Then the third batch opens, and the final 2,000 people get to apply.

If I apply in batch one, but am, say, 2521. Assuming all 2,000 people in batch one continue and complete the process... do I then become number 521 in batch 2? Or do I have to log in and register/do whatever on the opening day for batch 2?

If I register on the opening day, and get number 2521, can I assume, that because the allocation total is 5,340, that I am far enough up the waiting list that I will eventually get a visa, whether it be in batch 1, 2 or 3? Or is each batch dealt with entirely separately?

If you are just added to the wait list, and are auto allocated a number - then what is the point in the batches?

christmasoompa

Honestly? I think you're massively overthinking it. You're 25 and have no ties, so just go for it. If you love it there, then you can figure out your Plan B and work out how to get PR, if you don't, then you've had a great life experience and you return to the UK.

I travelled independently from the age of 18 and other than booking flights, I never really gave it much of a thought! Best experiences of my life.

Go for it!

kswoosh

Best advice ever given.

bc2015

IIRC they will only allocate 2000 WTNs (or whatever the number is) for the first round. After the third round they will allocate WTNs above the quota.

beckiwoo

Last year there were 5,350 visas in 3 batches: 2000, 1350 and 2000.

If you go for round one and are not in the first 2000, it will tell you you can't continue and lock out.

When round 2 opens, you can log back into your account and carry on where you left off, same with round 3. So say you didn't get through round one but you got through in round 2 - your number would be 2051 in round 2.

If you didn't get through in round 3, you would go on wait list (last year I kept checking even though I already had my WTN number to see how long it stay opened for - it was about one hour afterwards). Depending how far away from the 5,350 you will get an idea. Although from what I remember they didn't start going through the wait list till March/April time at least.

I can't wait just to get this done and out of the way in January. It's such a stressful time and I don't think even if we were allowed to - apply for a a third year. I found the process after the initial getting the WTN to be fine though

kswoosh

Great info - thanks.

I'll just have to make sure I'm on the ball.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the 3rd batch took 3 days to fill up last year, so I'm considering that to be good prospects for anyone whos on the ball enough to get online on the day the third batch opens, even if they are unlucky enough to miss the first two.

beckiwoo

Maybe it was 3 days, not sure.

I know the Irish one took some time and apparently you can still apply (grrr!).

Even if your on the waitlist, chances are you will probably be lucky

bc2015

If you have an Irish passport and are thinking of going on the 2015 IEC, then they are definitely still processing people on the wait list for 2014. One person that I am aware of applied on Wednesday (just gone) and got allocated a space on Friday.