Work in Canada 2012 Programme

What's included?

Book now and receive Assistance with form filling and application checking for FREE!

The following services are included in the Programme Fee:

1. Avail of the following SWAP Arrival Services when you arrive
   • Orientation in Toronto, Vancouver & more
   • On site support - assistance with tailoring your resume
   • Free Internet access
   • Landline usage for local outbound calls
   • Employment and accommodation assistance
   • Fast track Social Insurance Number application
   • Access to social events
2. 1st Nights Accommodation on arrival

USIT flights are changeable, fully flexible and our insurance includes the highest work and travel cover available for Canada!

Application procedure

1. Click on the book now button and complete the application form.
2. Once you have comleted the application form, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit of €399 (€299 Programme Fee + €100 Flight Deposit) by credit card online or your place will not be confirmed.

Why book with USIT?

• You receive your first nights accomodation and all of the SWAP arrival services
• You can have your application forms checked by experienced staff who will ensure your forms are completed correctly.

This 12-month work permit allows Irish passport holders aged 18-35 to work anywhere in Canada for up to 12 months.

Eligibility requirements

• Be 18-35 years old inclusive at the time your application is received by the IEC. Your application must be stamped as received by the High Commission of Canada to the UK in London on or after your 18th birthday, and before your 36th birthday
• Be a citizen of Ireland and be able to demonstrate habitual residency (physically living) in Ireland for a minimum of three years directly prior to your application to the IEC (please see FAQ's for further details
• Be holding an Irish passport that remains valid throughout the period of stay in Canada. This means that at the time of application your passport should be valid for approximately another 26 months to account for the application processing time of 8 weeks, the one year validity of the Letter of Introduction, and the normal stay of 12 months. When the work permit is issued in Canada, it will not be longer than the validity of the passport.
• Be in possession of a departure ticket leaving Canada at the end of your authorized period of stay or sufficient financial resources to purchase such a ticket;
• Have the equivalent of CAD $2,500 to cover the expenses at the beginning of your stay, for the first 3 months of the stay
• Medical Insurance - prior to entering Canada, insurance for medical and health care, including hospitalization and repatriation, for the entire authorized period of stay. Proof of this insurance coverage must be presented to Immigration officials upon arrival in Canada.
• Pay a participation fee when prompted to do so by the High Commission of Canada to the UK

General work permit information

• You can apply to this programme twice in your lifetime even if you have participated in the programme before subject to you fulfilling the eligibility criteria
• Once you obtain the Letter of Introduction from the Canadian High Commission, this will count as participation on the programme, even if you don't travel to Canada
• If you change your passport, name or any personal details between time of applying for the visa through the IEC and travelling to Canada then your visa will not be valid, you should contact the IEC for advice regarding this
• Every person who enters Canada as a temporary resident (visitor, worker or student) must meet general requirements for temporary entry as set out by Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations
• At any time during the processing of your application, Citizenship and Immigration Canada may request additional information or documents to determine your admissibility. (It is likely this will increase the time it takes to process your application.)

Oh Canada - It's the great country that has given the world Bryan Adams, Degrassi High and Canada Dry. Now is your chance to live, work and travel the breadth of the second largest land mass on the planet!

The Usit Canada Programme, in co-operation with the IEC (International Experience Canada), allows participants to obtain a 12 month open employment permit for Canada. You may go for a short break or use the whole year and you can work at almost whatever you want, wherever you want in this huge country, from Newfoundland to British Columbia supporting yourself along your travels!

This is a programme agreed by the Irish and Canadian governments and co-sponsored by Usit and SWAP, Canada's leading provider of work exchange programmes.

• Being part of the Usit SWAP programme ensures you have the best possible opportunity to secure your place and to obtain the benefit of our years of experience in running this programme.  You can apply to this programme twice in your lifetime, if eligible, even if you have participated in the programme before.
• Your family can come to Canada with you - if you have dependents (spouse/child/children), they can accompany you to Canada.  However each of your dependents will need to apply for their own visa status - please see Frequently Asked Questions for full details.
• Applications are submitted directly to the IEC

For the ultimate work and travel experience - head to Canada for up to one year with Usit. With work permit application assistance, help with finding a job and accommodation as well 24/7 support in Canada, the USIT/SWAP Work in Canada programme is the perfect way to explore this beautiful and vast country.

All applicants are required to submit an original, signed and stamped Police Certificate from An Garda Siochana as part of their application form. This is a Canadian High Commission requirement and there is absolutely no exception to it.

You are also required to submit Police Certificates from ALL countries you have lived in for 6 months or more since turning 18. We would suggest you begin applying for these immediately as these can take time to obtain.

You should begin applying for your Police Certificate as soon as you have decided you wish to go on this programme. Please be aware that Police Certificates from your country of residence must have been issued within the last 3 months.

Please make sure that your Police Certificates are returned directly to YOU. Under no circumstances should they be returned directly from the issuing authority to USIT or the IEC as this will likely lead to them being misplaced, lost or ignored. You should have them returned to yourself, so that you are able to ensure that they are correct, match exactly the details on your passport and so you may take a photocopy for your records. You should then forward them to the IEC along with your completed application forms. Please note that the IEC cannot move forward in the application process until they have all of your completed documents, including your original, signed and stamped Police Certificates - there are no exceptions to this.

Police Certificate FAQs

I don't have a criminal record. Do I still have to obtain a Police Certificate?

Yes, there are no exceptions to this. Your application cannot be processed by the Canadian High Commission without the relevant Police Certificates.

I have a criminal record. Will this effect my application?

Yes this will have an effect on your application. All applicants that have an offence listed on their Police Certificate(s) will be subject to extra processing and will be required to submit extra documentation. Please email Canada@usit.ie and state the exact offence(s) as listed on your documentation and we will advise you further on how to proceed.

How do I obtain a Police Certificate from An Garda Siochana?

Please go to the following link http://www.garda.ie/. Please note that the processing time for obtaining documents from An Garda Siochana varies depending upon a number of factors, we suggest you ask the station how long they think it will take and if you do not receive it in that amount of time contact the station to follow up on it. (Average processing time: 4 weeks)

My local Garda station says they don't know what this is and/or that I must contact the Central Vetting Unit in Thurles. What should I do?

In this case we recommend that you kindly point out to the Gardai that their own FAQ section at www.garda.ie under the question 'How do I obtain a Police Certificate?' specifically states that applicants for this must obtain it from their local Garda station. If you would like you can request a sample Police Certificate by emailing canada@usit.ie

How do I obtain a Police Certificate for the UK?

Please see the following link, you will need to follow the instructions for the particular country in the UK you were living: http://www.acpo.police.uk/certificates.asp. The only accepted type of Police Certificate is the one issued by the ACPO. Please remember that the Police certificate should be returned to your postal address! (Average processing time for expedited service: 1 to 2 weeks; average processing time for normal service: 4 to 6 weeks)

Does it cost anything to obtain a Police Certificate?

At present the Gardai are not charging anything for this, however it is at their discretion. If you must obtain Police Certificates from other countries they may charge a fee - this varies from place to place.

How do I obtain a Police Certificate for countries other than Ireland and the UK?

You will need to go to this link.

Can I get my original Police Certificate(s) back?

Police Certificates, once submitted, cannot be returned under any circumstances. If you feel that you may need one in the future, you should request two copies from the issuing authorities. This especially applies to people obtaining Police Certificates from countries other than Ireland.

For FAQs and application process information for Ireland please visit this link!