After 10 long weeks, I have finally got my hands on my POE. Celebrations all around. A lot of people get confused when the open it on their mobile device and see no personal details. You need to open it on a desktop or laptop to see the information.

The validity date on the document also means the last date you can enter Canada to get the visa not the validity of the visa itself, which you don't get until you enter the country.

I guess the next steps are to try to look for jobs, flights, insurance, accommodation...

For those under the age of 30, a working holiday visa is one of the easiest way for you to visit and work in Canada for up to 2 years. There are 2 other options if applying from Australia, the Young Professional, and International Co-op internship.

Luckily, there is an unlimited quota for Australians in 2015. Applications opened March 3, 2015.
From the website;

• be an Australian citizen,
• have a valid Australian passport for the duration of your stay in Canada – your work permit in Canada will not be longer than the validity of your passport,
• be between the ages of 18 and 30 (inclusive) at the time of application,
• have the equivalent of C$2,500 to help cover your expenses,
• be able to take out health insurance for the duration of your stay – you may have to present evidence of this insurance when you enter Canada,
• be admissible to Canada,
• have, prior to departure, a round-trip ticket or the financial resources to purchase a departure ticket for the end of your authorized stay in Canada,
• not be accompanied by dependents and
• pay the fees.

For me the process was relatively stressful considering I was applying whilst working full time.

Step 1: Apply online to participate in IEC and to receive a Conditional Acceptance Letter (CAL) - Applied 12 April 2015, C$150, Outcome 19 April 2015

I had to create a Kompass account, upload relevant documents (valid passport, resume) and pay the fee.
I then waited for the CAL notification in my email account (the website said it could take up to 14 days but it only took me 2 days to receive this).

Step 2: Apply online for a work permit through a MyCIC account- Applied 24 April 2015, C$100

From the day you receive your CAL, you only have 14 days to submit your actual IEP application through CIC. You have to create your MyCIC account (REMEMBER the password and secret answers!), submit relevant paperwork (police check, traffic history, family information, digital photo, travel plan, Application for Work Permit Made Outside of Canada (IMM1295)).

The police check was a bit of a drama because the Australia Federal Police takes MANY days to process and mail the copy to you (up to 7 days), so my personal tip is to arrange for this when you apply for your CAL AND this Police check is only valid for 3 months.

Because I didn't have all the materials submitted by the time my CAL would expire, I was asked for additional information on 26 June 2015.

Step 3: Wait for port of entry (POE) letter 

The website promised 42 days. Many people from this Facebook forum (https://www.facebook.com/groups/662866693822223/) were waiting approximately 11 weeks. It was a very useful resource for the application process and social support during the waiting period. It was one of the most stressful periods during the wait time.

Once you get the POE letter, this is not actually your visa, but a letter you bring to the border to get your visa.

To find out more information, follow this link.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/iec/