In part 3 of this blog series I will be giving my personal account of using Bunac’s services when it came to applying for my IEC/Working Holiday visa.
Missed the first 2 parts of the series and have no idea what I’m on about? you can catch up here: Part 1 and Part 2.
Starting the process of moving to another country is completely scary, it sounds like a complicated process that you can’t even dream of doing yourself. This is where Bunac comes in. Bunac is an organisation that aims to “assist with visas, jobs, internship placements, travel planning, work abroad travel insurance, accommodation, arrival support, 24/7 emergency assistance and more”. When it comes to IEC visas, Bunac have 2 (paid) programs available; the essentials program and the unltimate program.
The essentials program £389
As stated on their website, the essentials program provides you with the essential information needed to start the visa process, including webinars & a work in Canada handbook. In addition to this you also get access to their closed facebook group, 2 nights hostel accommodation upon your arrival, with access to their resource facilities in Canada & extra job support.
The Ultimate program £529
The ultimate program contains everything within the essentials program, and also includes access to job fairs in London to help you to secure a job before your flight out.
Sounds good right? well, if you want to work in a ski resort then the ultimate program is the one for you as this is the ONLY role they help you to secure. I was adamant that I didn’t want to work in a ski resort so I decided to buy the essentials program… which essentially ended up being nearly £400 down the drain.
To Bunac or not to Bunac
Maybe I had a bad experience, but all the promises that were outlined on the website fell short. I ended up not needing the 2 nights hostel accommodation as I was staying with family. However I didn’t receive any help looking for a Job whilst i was in Canada, I sent out an email detailing my arrival which was never replied to & I ended up feeling more alone than I already did. Also it is key to note that Bunac do not help you with the application process… you still have to do everything by yourself. In hindsight I ended up paying £389 to gain access to a facebook group and a copy of the Lonely Planet’s guide to Canada.
To conclude, I would’t recommend using Bunac seeing as you have to do everything yourself, but if you are keen on securing a job offer before you head out, don’t mind working in a ski resort and have £529 to spare then you should check out their Ultimate package.
Again, this post is based on my own personal experience with Bunac, so there may be more positive accounts out there, it’s always best to do your own research before making a concrete decision 🙂
Hope this helps!!
Adina's Universe 