From Cork to Vancouver

Ever wondered what moving to Vancouver on an International Experience Canada (IEC) visa is actually like? Meet Laura Healy.

Originally from Cork, Laura (25) moved to Vancouver three months ago with her boyfriend, Alex. She took some time from her new Canadian adventures to answer some questions about her experience thus far.

How did you decide to move abroad?

I had always wanted to move abroad and having graduated 18 months ago, my boyfriend and I decided now was the right time to go! We considered Canada, the United States, and Australia. After researching all of our options, we decided to go with Canada.

How did you prepare to move to Canada?

We entered the pools for the IEC working holiday visa in October, and were picked from the pools to apply within a week. We gathered all of the documents that were required, submitted our applications, and travelled to Dublin to complete our biometrics. This all went very smoothly and we had our visas the day after we submitted our biometrics.

We had not decided when to travel and were keeping an eye on flights, I checked WestJet one day and found really reasonable flights for the end of April which made the decision very easy! We were lucky and found an Airbnb which we booked for one month (the rules for Airbnb have since changed so a sublet is probably a better option now). Having an Airbnb booked for a month meant that we were in no rush to find accommodation once we landed, and really helped us have a stress-free beginning to our new lives in Canada.

What advice would you have for others considering a similar move?

Go for it!! If you are thinking about moving I couldn’t recommend it more.

I would of course recommend doing your research about where you want to live and others’ experiences, but on the flipside, I think sometimes reading into others experiences too much can make the idea of moving a bit daunting. It is important to remember that everyone’s experience is going to be different and you have to make the decision that is right for yourself. I remember in the months before we left Ireland, seeing so much on social media about how difficult it is to get accommodation and the cost of living crisis over here, but for us, we had a seamless experience finding accommodation and we don’t find the cost of living to be all that different to Ireland.

Another thing to consider is the time of year that you move at. We moved at the very end of April, and we really found that this helped with meeting new people and socialising, as we have spent so much time outdoors. It is so easy to meet new friends on the beach in the evening and there are lots of free events organised in the summer months such as outdoor cinemas, firework displays, and street parties.

What would you do similarly/differently if you had to do it all over again?

Things I would do similarly:

1. Have accommodation organised for your first month (the 1st and the 15th are the typical start dates for new leases so this is good to keep in mind when you are booking accommodation)
2. Save as much as you can before coming – it can take a while to get sorted with jobs etc., having savings really helps reduce the stress while you look for a job
3. Attend as many events as possible in the first couple of weeks to meet new people and gather as much information as you can (I/CAN was a great place to start)
4. Pack as lightly as you can! We each brought one check in suitcase and our carry on allowance and this has been plenty so far. It also is a lot easier to travel lightly when you will likely be moving accommodation at least once after you have arrived

Things I would do differently:

1. I don’t think I would start looking for a job until I got here. I had started looking when I was still in Ireland, but I really didn’t find this helped my job search

What resources have been most helpful throughout your journey?

Facebook groups have probably been the most beneficial tool we have used in our journey (I have a list on my TikTok).

• O Canada IEC is a great resource, it is great to hear about other peoples experiences applying for a visa and chances are any question you have may already have been asked so make sure to use the search function!
• Irish and New in Vancouver is another great Facebook group. It’s useful for just about everything, from finding sublets, long term accommodation, and furniture for your apartment to job hunting, making friends and finding clubs to join.
• Local buy nothing groups on Facebook are a great way to help furnish your new apartment / room without breaking the bank.

The Irish Consulate in Vancouver and I/CAN have been great and I would definitely recommend attending any events they hold. The I/CAN newcomers event is held every Thursday in the Irish Consulate and it is a really good way to learn about the resources available to you in Vancouver and also what you need to do to get set up when you first arrive. The I/CAN employment webinar is helpful to ensure you have your CV optimised for Canadian employers.

What lessons have you learned?

• Patience is key!! The job market is definitely challenging over here at the moment, but we knew that coming over! It can be really frustrating applying to jobs and feeling like you are getting nowhere.
• You have to make the most of the opportunities you have! For example, we had two days in between our month in the Airbnb finishing and moving into our new apartment. Originally we were going to stay local, but instead we decided to take this opportunity to visit Whistler for two nights which was amazing!! Even though it is the off season, it was beautiful to see and this actually meant that it was much more affordable to visit.

Laura in the mountains in Canada.

How do you build community?

You really have to put yourself out there when you move somewhere new! We didn’t know too many people in Vancouver when we moved over. We have both reached out to old friends, people we worked with / studied with back home and met up with them! It’s always nice to meet people you know from home and it is great to talk to people who are settled here as they can provide such valuable insights.

We also have tried to make an effort to go to as many events as we can, such as the coffee morning in the Irish Consulate which is held once a month and the ‘New and not so new’ event held in Donnellan’s Irish Pub once a month.

I have also started going to yoga classes on the beach and Alex has joined Tag Rugby, both of which are great ways to get out and meet people.

Laura and her boyfriend Alex exploring Canada.

When moving over here, I decided to start posting a couple of videos on my TikTok, mostly as a journal I can look back on in years to come, but also because I found these videos so helpful when I was researching Vancouver. This is something that is totally out of my comfort zone, but actually I’ve met some amazing people from this as I’ve had people reach out to me from TikTok.

What is the Irish community like in Vancouver?

There is a huge Irish community in Vancouver, not a day goes by that I don’t spot someone Irish out and about. It is lovely to know there is such a big Irish community 7000km from home.

There is also something for everyone over here, from GAA teams, to yoga classes, to hiking clubs – there really seems to be an Irish community for just about everything.

About Laura

Our sincere thanks to Laura for taking the time to share her story and some tips! You can follow Laura’s journey on TikTok @_laurahealy.

IEC Webinar

Interested in following in Laura’s footsteps and making the move to Canada on an IEC visa? Do not miss our upcoming webinar, Canada: Know Before You Go on Monday, 16 September at 7pm (GMT). Hosted in partnership with I/CAN, this information session will help you prepare to move to Canada, covering everything from visa requirements to employment, as well as healthcare and wellness. Register free at diasporasupport.ie/events/.

Additional Resources

• diasporasupport.ie – Know Before You Go Blog: Canada
• diasporasupport.ie – Working Holidays: International Experience Canada
• Crosscare Irish Diaspora Support Project and I/CAN Webinar – Canada: Know Before You Go
• I/CAN (The Eamonn O’Loghlin Irish Canadian Immigration Centre)
• diasporasupport.ie – Irish Diaspora Directory