1

came from england 45 yrs ago canada has been good to me but i got to ride thae gravy train been to oz 5 times for winter escape and to my mind oz has it all over canada , myself wish my grandkids would go to oz extremely difficult finding work here unless you know some one. so many refugees etc. you will also compete with mexican and other islanders for the jobs . your acreditations are worthless. r when in hostels many of the kids were working in construction on cash basis. oz health care superior to canada. we not covered if we leave one provincefor another province inside canada oz u covered country wide. thats right extra health coverage required i f travelling INSIDE canada

2

important to remember if you plan on greyhound use that you book at least 7 days or more ahead otherwise you will be severly clipped. booking at the office gets you the discounts. your travel in and around canada will test your budget like you will not believe. greyhound is about your only option . you can rule out the train as its a joke budget wise.

3

I had a two friends take a working holiday in Australia and they had a blast. They didn’t have any problems getting a job or finding a place to live. I live in Ontario so I can’t be 100% sure but I would imagine that outside the oil industry it would be hard to get a job in Alberta. The cost of living out there is quite high as well. Personally I’d avoid Canada right now because of the work situation.

4

there we go yell racist while spouting yourv own bs i live in rural area and migrant workers are here many abuse use our healthcare while not putting in a dime the healthcare is good as long as you stay home . payments for procedures not the same so you could still end up with a substantial medical bill if ill outside your home province .

5

Really, are those migrant workers breaking their backs on Canadian farms really the reason a visiting Brit won't be able to find a job? If he/she comes to work on those farms, is he/she not a migrant worker too? We're all in this together, my friend. Canadian or not, some abuse the system, some don't. Any system in any country can be cheated. Are you really implying that the propensity to cheat is greater among Mexican migrant workers than other communities in Canada?

6

Guys I would appreciate it if this thread didn't turn into an argument about Mexican workers in Canada, I realise you both have strong views over the issue but maybe it is better discussed elsewhere.

Thanks for the advice everybody, would it be as hard a job in a national park like Banff? I have heard that is mostly travelers/tourists there and that most people working there are foreign?

Anybody who has first hand experience please help :)

7

Hey mate,

I went to Australia in 2009 for 12 months. had an ace time. Easy to find work on farms or in pubs/bars. Lots of temping work. Got friends there now doing the same and they see it as the same. Feels like a million years ago now.

I am off to Canada in February with a working holiday visa. The main visa related issues you would need to worry about are:

If you are in any country for over 6 months you will need to provide a police cert from that country. so if you are in Australia for 6 months or more then you will need one.

Also keep in mind that you will need a police check from the UK.

Finally, you must have been in your country of residence for 3 consecutive years. This allows you a period of 18 months out of the country within those 3 years. So if your away for 12 months in Australia before Canada you are fine, 19 and you’re going to encounter problems.

The Australian Visa is really easy to get if you’re from the UK. You can do it online, unlimited numbers and you get it within days.

The Canadian Visa is done via post (if it’s the same this year again), You will need to look up all the documents required. Send it to the Canadian High Commission in London. It has to verified by 2 separate departments. There are also a limited number, around 5,300 I believe. Expect a processing time or 2-3 months.

The Canadian visa is a more drawn out process, but it isn't much more difficult. I think it has to be more drawn out due to the limited number.

My suggestion would be to do Canada before Australia when taking into account police checks etc. But in reality I think you will be fine either way. I’ve heard jobs are more difficult to come across in Canada. But as with anything in life, if you look hard enough I’m sure you will find something.

I hope this is a little bit of help for you mate.

Mort

8

Thanks morton and roremc, really helpful advice. Its great to get some first hand advice from somebody who has gone through the visa process and somebody actually living in Banff.

Sounds like Canada may be the better option first just make 100% sure there are no problems with the visa. Not pick about jobs at all so hopefully will be fairly easy to get something that can keep me going.

Just can't wait to get everything sorted now!

9

If you want to come to Banff first get here as early as you can in the summer. Summer tourism (so jobs as well) really starts drying up around mid-late August. Then you have a bit of a lull before the winter awesomeness kicks off.

10

as an idea. rantings aside i live in sw ontario. neighgbours are vegetable growers pay last year was so much per bushel for pepper picking. average migrant family including all the little kids averaged $200 a day cash , picking hot peppers sunrise to sunset. if you into that kind of work then simcoe ontario and tillsonberg this year would have liked more vegetable and tobacco pickers. you go to town say simcoe ( thats about impossible without own car) and work from there most farmers get workers they think they require ahead of time from the islands but still work could be found but its hard on the back certainelyt not 9 to 5 more like 6 to 9 days friday night go to town and party is general routine i observed. other than that gonna be tough to say the least to find employment without insiders to help.

11

no such animal as relatively easy . nope better have money ahead since after all you are competing for utopian employment in utopia. tremendous competition. so get some cooking skills since thats more than likely your final destination in Banff if lucky The kitchen.