Number of Irish applications for Canadian work visas soar

Irish applications for Canadian work visas have reached record highs.

According to visafirst.com, 2017 figures have already surpassed the numbers for 2016 in its entirety.

Almost 5,500 visas have been issued so far this year with a further 1,800 being processed.

People are being urged to apply as soon as possible as there are less than 500 places left.

The IEC program allows people from many countries up to the age of 35 (30 for some countries) to live and work in Canada for a period of 12 or 24 months.

The applicant should hold a passport from an eligible country of which Ireland is one and the passport must be valid for the duration of their stay. They must have sufficient funds to support your stay (C$2500), have health insurance and a clean criminal record.

Edwina explained, “Before you can apply for the IEC working holiday visa, you need to register your interest under the various IEC streams that you want to be considered for. Invitations are then issued. If accepted for a particular stream, you have only 10 days to accept or reject the offer before it expires.

"Once you accept your invitation from IEC, you must get your work permit documentation submitted and pay the required immigration fees. You have just 20 days for this stage so again you need to be really focused and ensure that you have your documents submitted on time. Note that some documents can take a few weeks to obtain. If you are not prepared, it could result in you missing out on your opportunity for Canada’s working Holiday program 2017 if you don’t get them submitted within the timeframe.

"After reviewing your application, the CIC may request even more supporting documents. If you are approved, you will be sent a letter of introduction (LOI) which you need to present to immigration when entering the country in order to be granted the work permit.

"The application process needs to be handled properly to ensure you get your IEC Working Holiday visa for Canada granted successfully. A mistake on any part of your application can cost you a few months of time or can result in the application being rejected”.