Am I Applicable for the ETA?

[Ausada]

Hello, I'm an Australian hoping to move long-term to Canada early next year. Here's some background for my situation.

I first came to Canada as an exchange student a little under a year ago; I spent the first six months of 2018 studying abroad at the University of British Columbia. In that time I fell in love with the place, and decided that once I graduated with my degree (which is just about to happen) I would like to move back to live there in a more permanent capacity. Now obviously this would require some kind of work-related or residential visa, but I have read that as an Australian I do not need a visa for simple entry to the country, just an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).

My question is two-fold: am I still applicable for this, being someone who has already lived in Vancouver for six months? And would it be possible (or advisable) to enter through the ETA, and then apply for a work visa once I've arrived? Now that I've finished studying, I would just like to be over there as quickly as possible, and I have enough money saved to last a little while as I search for work.

Thank you guys for your help - hopefully my questions are clear.

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[Bs65]

So as an Australian passport holder you are visa exempt to enter Canada but you need an ETA to be able to board a plane which is all an ETA is for.

Only apply at the official ETA site given there are plenty of sites wanting to take a lot more than the 7 dollar fee

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eta.html

Not so easy to get a work permit as you would need to find an employer to sponsor an LMIA which employers are not that keen to do given both the cost and time to process. Plus no guarantee of course as a visitor you would get a 6 month stay anyway as a visitor for the process to complete.

If you are 35 and under why not apply for the IEC program which gives you an open work permit for upto 24 months giving plenty of time to maybe find an employer or even apply for PR at some point with Canadian work experience .

The 2019 IEC program has just opened and as said if age wise you qualify no reason why any other previous time spent in Canada should have any negative effect, personal view anyway.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/English/work/iec/eligibility.asp?country=au&cat=wh&#country_category_name

 

[Ausada]

So as an Australian passport holder you are visa exempt to enter Canada but you need an ETA to be able to board a plane which is all an ETA is for.

Not so easy to get a work permit as you would need to find an employer to sponsor an LMIA which employers are not that keen to do given both the cost and time to process. Plus no guarantee of course as a visitor you would get a 6 month stay anyway as a visitor for the process to complete.

If you are 35 and under why not apply for the IEC program which gives you an open work permit for upto 24 months giving plenty of time to maybe find an employer or even apply for PR at some point

http://www.cic.gc.ca/English/work/iec/eligibility.asp?country=au&cat=wh&#country_category_name

Thank you so much for your help! I'd like to move in February of next year, and I doubt that the IEC application process would take fewer than two months to be confirmed, so would you recommend that I move over there after applying and just hope for the best with the IEC? I understand that that is a riskier option financially, but I've saved enough to sustain me for a few months over there.

 

[canuck78]

Thank you so much for your help! I'd like to move in February of next year, and I doubt that the IEC application process would take fewer than two months to be confirmed, so would you recommend that I move over there after applying and just hope for the best with the IEC? I understand that that is a riskier option financially, but I've saved enough to sustain me for a few months over there.

No that's a bad idea. If you don't get IEC it will be very difficult o get a work permit and even if you do it could take 6 months. Best option is to apply for IEC from Australia. A delay of a few months is not a big deal. Arriving at customs with no job and belongings to remain in Canada could create concerns that you are planing on working illegally,

 

[Bs65]

Would agree with Canuck not sure what the rush is if you are eligible for an IEC which once you get it is a 2 year open work permit. It is not as though Australian applicants have a quota of applications unlike say the UK.

Australia quota is stated as unlimited so get your profile in and you could be surprised how quickly the process moves along once they start processing despite the quoted 8 weeks usually a lot quicker than that if all the documentation is provided.

Getting a work permit through any other route will be difficult if not impossible for a new graduate without unique work experience that is in short supply in Canada.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/iec/selections.asp