BritishExpatriate

I've read that it is not actually a requirement for non-IEC temporary workers to have health insurance. The reason for this is because in order to obtain their visa, non-IEC temporary workers need to have already been offered a job by a Canadian employer. That employer is then required to pay for the worker's insurance for the first 3 months, after which the worker is registered under the provincial healthcare system for their province. Obviously, with the IEC there is no specific employer lined up who can pay for our healthcare and that, along with the fact that we're only there for 1 year as opposed to those on the temporary work permit who may be there for up to 3 years I believe, is probably why they require IEC applicants to pay for their own insurance to cover the duration of their stay.

roberto_the_besto

Hello everyone, it's been a while since I've been on here. I'm loving Montreal now.

Winter has arrived and I need to buy a winter jacket. Do you have any ideas? I also need to get a pre-paid Visa/Mastercard because I cannot use my other cards on-line and my Visa Debit card with CIBC is practically useless.

Any advice about the jacket would be appreciated :-)

catpea33

I bought a Canada Goose and love it. It was expensive (about $800 in downtown Montreal) but I got one of the big expedition coats and it's also really warm. Last year when it hit -38C in Sept-Iles I was wearing it and felt fine. It's great in the Montreal metro too because the goose feathers insulate in the cold but seem to breathe in the warmth so I've never overheated wearing it. If you were looking for something cheaper, maybe a fleece worn under a ski jacket would help?

catpea33

DON'T DO THAT!!! Quebec / RAMQ doesn't cover IEC workers in their health care scheme. They'll only cover temporary workers (non-IEC) because temporary workers are specifically tied to the province of Quebec or a Quebec employer by their permit; IEC is open so you aren't eligible. You can check it out here: http://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/fr/immigr...scription.aspx
If you only have 3 months of travel insurance and get sick after that then you're screwed. Health care in Quebec (or Canada actually) is extremely expensive so without travel insurance you'd be looking at a huge bill. I was in the ER last December and just being accepted into ER costs $700; luckily I had my health insurance. Even milder things, like visiting a family doctor, is expensive. If you go to Quebec with just 3 months of insurance then you're playing Russian Roulette...

Cat

frankyboy

Hi folks, first post on here! I'm looking to do the IEC sometime next year so I'm looking to get a head start by doing what forms I can now and generally getting things together. Though knowing my luck they'll probably have changed all the forms by then!

I've heard that the 2013 application open sometime this month?

BritishExpatriate

Thanks for this. Though I thought IEC workers fell under the other option on that list of:

Ressortissant étranger en séjour au Québec en tant que travailleur saisonnier

l'original de l'autorisation d'emploi délivrée par les autorités canadiennes de l'immigration.

Or does that option not cover us?

Many thanks

catpea33

No, it doesn't cover us. That option covers people who have a contract with a Quebec employer of a specific length, usually to cover some sort of tourism or agricultural activity.

BritishExpatriate

Oh ok, thanks so much for clarifying all this for me, looks like I will be buying health insurance to cover the whole IEC period after all then...

I'm also thinking of applying for PR after arriving in Montreal. I was just wandering, do you become eligible for RAMQ as soon as you get the selection certificate, or do you have to wait for the full PR to come through first?

catpea33

Unfortunately you have to wait for full PR - you have to take both your PR card and CSQ to apply for it. Sucks!

BritishExpatriate

Yeah that does suck! Thanks for pointing this out to me as I had wrongly thought that category covered IEC workers so I'll now definitely buy insurance to cover my whole time there.


When applying for the CSQ under the new rules for applying before March 2013, if you fall into the...

"You reside temporarily in Québec within the framework of a youth exchange program subject to an international agreement, such as a work holiday program. You are working full time in Québec, you are eligible to apply for a selection certificate under the regular program for skilled workers and you are submitting your application in Québec."

...category, do you know per chance if you have to have the full time job only on the day you submit the CSQ application? If not, how long do you have to keep the job for, for as many months as it takes them to process the application?
Personally I already have to do 3 months working there before I can even apply for the CSQ as I currently don't have enough points and I really hope they don't indefinitely require me to hold down a full time job out there while the application is being processed, in case I'm not happy and want to come back to the UK for a few months...

Oh + I can't believe they have doubled the cost of the CSQ! I think you applied at just the right time!

BritishExpatriate

Oh sorry I misread your timeline it looks like the fee increase would have caught you out by a few days that really sucks! I can't believe they make all these changes 'retroactively' + I'm sure these go against basic principles of law, though I guess they're free to do what they want anyway... I just hope I at least get a free hot chocolate if they do call me to interview, in return for the best part of £500 I will have given them for the privilege!

kangoolari

They should be releasing details about the 2013 IEC sometime this month, but applications will likely open in December/January

catpea33

I think you need to keep working full-time, although not necessarily the same job. I know they ask at interview about it and you also have to provide a work certificate with your dates at each company. There's no reason why you couldn't get a job and then take unpaid leave if you wanted to go back to the UK. That's what I've done at the moment - three months holiday and then back in January to active my 2nd IEC. You'd technically still be employed so you'd meet the CSQ requirements.

And yes, unfortunately I was caught by the increase in cost. I also got caught by new forms. Took me ages to get my application ready and then when they changed the forms I had to fill everything out again. Grrr.

Kitslane

Hi everyone,

I too am planning on applying for an IEC visa when applications open (moving to Van). I had an email yest. from BUNAC which suggested they expect to open their Work Canada program at the end of the month. Do you think this then means that all applications (i.e. without BUNAC) will be open at the end of the month?

I went on a working holiday visa previously through BUNAC and didn't find their services all that useful for what we needed so am planning to apply independently. Like everyone else, we're desperate to get over there! We've been waiting since May 2010 for a PR visa (which is still ongoing) and can't wait to get settled for much longer so going to sit out the wait over there and hope we are granted our visa!!

Thanks in advance for any help!

RickD

Hey Everyone, new to the forum, so much info to take in....

I'm headig out to Vancouver under the 2012 IEC progamme in a couple of months but have a few questions that I cant seem to find the answer to;

I'm 30 years old (31 in May), and plan on applying for my second year when when IEC opens for 2013, how will this work as when my current one is activated and expires, I'll already be 31, does that make me ineligible for a second year, or does it go by how old you are when you apply and are issued LOI

IEC already have all my docs on file from my 2012 application, will I need to obtain a new police certificate, and other proofs of address etc, or will my current ones suffice.

Can't wait to get out of the UK, I visited Van for 4 months at the end of 2011 and love it. So excited to experience working life in a different country