Eager to start in Canada

  
So as part of my course which is a BA (Hons) in Culinary Arts, in our 3rd year we are required to do placement outside the region of Ireland. I have been so excited for this year ever since I filled out my CAO application in 6th year of secondary school. I knew I'd want to head to Canada or America and take advantage of this amazing opportunity. Luckily I'm heading to The Fairmont Banff Springs in Canada hopefully any day now! It has been a long and stressful process. Between applying, over the phone interviews and Visas. My only regret is staying home for the summer. I didn't think it would be this complicated. I thought I'd hop on a plane at the start of September and that would be it, but no 5th of October and I'm still stuck in Waterford. So my advice to the current 2nd years would be plan to even leave at the start of July or earlier if desired (I highly  recommend). As you cannot apply for your work permit and ETA (used to enter the country) until you have an offer of employment. Even though I was on the hunt all summer for work I wasn't fortunate enough to get anywhere. Luckily Sherry Haines offered me a position in The Fairmont Banff Springs in mid September. I still had a long way to go though. Things started to get really serious and I needed to apply for what I thought was a visa but if your not studying in Canada it is not a Visa you need. You need an ETA to enter the country and a Work Permit that gives you permission to work in Canada. You also need letters from the college, the garda , your employer, excetera excetera.  Now the reason I am going into so much detail is I hope the current second years are reading this in case any of them are thinking about heading to the States or Canada, as I wish I had the heads up! Apply to go away as early as you can as the process can take up to 4-6 weeks!! I am studying  in Johnston and Wales University in Providence but I need to head to Dublin to sort out my study Visa before I can head over there. So I am now taking the advantage of still being here and am planning a trip to Dublin to start the process for February. I have kept in touch with Sherry Haines and Angela Summerfeld who both work in Fairmont about my current situation and they have been the most kind and helpful people during all of this. I was originally supposed to start on October 3rd, but as my work permit is still not here they are now looking at the 17th of October. I am allowed move in to my staff housing the Friday before I start to settle in. It will work out (in euros) as 10 euro a day which I am delighted with. I had the option to stay in single housing which was slightly dearer or shared housing. I opted for the shared housing as in the single housing there was no kitchen, only a mini fridge  and as a chef a kitchen is a bare necessity!! Also it will give me the oppurtunity to meet new people on my great adventure. I have been researching Fairmont and Alberta which is in Calgary and the excitement is unbearable. I wish this work permit would hurry up! Get me out of Ireland before I pull my hair out!!!! By Beth Murphy