Can I have another Working Holiday?

Your full guide for a second IEC participation

First and foremost, an IEC work permit (including the Working Holiday) cannot be extended beyond the max. allowed time under the agreement with your country.

See extra info blog post > here <

Option 1:

A second participation with the same citizenship

Second Working Holiday with the same citizenship passport

Very few of the IEC countries allow a second Working Holiday. Enter your country >> here << to read the requirements. Italy, United Kingdom, Croatia and Chile are among those few countries.

Another IEC category with the same citizenship passport ​

Some countries offer other IEC categories, like the Young Professional work permit, which is a closed work permit in a skilled job in TEER 0-3. It means that you are tied to that employer and cannot switch jobs. Enter the country >>here<< to find out if your country offers another IEC category. >>  Here is an overview of all IEC countries and their categories.  <<

Discontinuance Requirement

Some countries must have a break between the expiry date of the first IEC work permit and the application of the second IEC work permit. This waiting period applies to citizens of the following countries:

  • Croatia (3 months)
  • Latvia (1 year)
  • Lithuania (3 months)
  • Poland (6 months)
  • Slovakia (3 months)
  • Spain (3 months)

The waiting period starts after your first IEC work permit expires.
If you submit a new IEC application before this break is over, your application will be refused.

Option 2:

A participation with a second citizenship

If you have a valid passport from another country, you can apply for the Working Holiday again using that passport — as long as that country participates in the IEC program. Keep in mind that you’ll need to meet that country’s IEC requirements. For example it could have a different age limit. 

To check the exact eligibility rules for your second citizenship, select your country >>here<< 

What is the process for the application with another citizenship?

  • You must apply from scratch, as this is a completely new application. 
  • After approval, you will have 12 months to activate the new work permit.
  • Apply to the pool of your second citizenship just as you did with the first participation.
    • For example, if you used the Irish passport for your first participation and now want to use a UK passport, you must apply into the UK pool. However, this happens automatically when you enter the passport data into your profile.
  • Once you receive an invitation, you will need to upload the documents as usual, but remember to keep two important points in mind:

When asked whether you have ever participated in the IEC, answer “No.” With this passport, it’s considered your first time applying, even if you’ve previously participated with another citizenship.

When asked whether you have ever applied for a visa or work permit, answer “Yes.” A field will appear where you can provide additional details. In this field, mention:

  • That you are a dual citizen (name both countries)
  • That you have already participated once under the [first country] citizenship and now want to participate using the [second country] citizenship

Option 3:

Participation through a Recognized Organization (RO)

A Recognized Organization (RO), selected and vetted by the Canadian government, gives you the chance to get the Working Holiday two additional times — on top of the regular IEC process. It’s one of the easiest ways to get another open work permit for Canada.

RO spots are very limited and have become extremely popular among travellers aged 18–35. Even though ROs are quite expensive, places often sell out fast — sometimes within minutes of opening.

Fees vary widely, typically between $1,800 and $5,000, and only a handful of approved ROs offer this option.

For more details on the RO option >> click here<<

Does this really mean I can get multiple years of Working Holiday in Canada?

Definitely, you can even have up to two additional Working Holiday work permits with the RO option. However, you need to act quickly, so it is best to subscribe to the newsletter of all the ROs you are interested in. Then, as soon as they open the application process, you can apply.

Let’s use the UK as an example. As a British citizen, you can participate in the IEC:

  • Regular participation for 2 years, plus
  • Regular participation for 1 year, plus
  • RO participation for 2 years, plus
  • RO participation for 2 years

In total, you can spend 7 years in Canada under the IEC program as a British citizen. This gives you enough time to figure out the next pathway if your goal is permanent residency.

Common Q&A for repeat IEC participants

Can I use the same GCKey Account for the second IEC participation?

Yes, you can use the same GCKey account. Your new application will be treated as a completely separate application. Simply log in with your existing GCKey and start the new application.

If you don’t see the “International Experience Canada (IEC)” button in your selections:

  • Log out of your GCKey account
  • Complete the questionnaire using >> this link
  • Your eligibility result must show the IEC
  • You will then receive a Personal Reference Code.
  • Enter the Personal Reference Code in the top field shown in the screenshot.

Can I apply now even though I am still on the current participation?

Yes, you can apply anytime while the IEC pools are open — you don’t need to wait for your current work permit to expire (except for citizens of countries with a discontinuance requirement).

Keep in mind that once your application is approved, your Port of Entry (POE) Letter is valid for 12 months. You must activate your new work permit within that timeframe.

To avoid wasting time on your current permit, it’s best to apply about 12 months before your current work permit expires. 

What are my chances to receive an invitation?

Keep in mind that being in the IEC pool does not guarantee an invitation. Your chances depend on your country’s pool, the number of applicants, and how many spots are available.

For example, Australia had unlimited spots in 2025, so all candidates received invitations, while other countries have set quotas and face higher competition. 

While the pool is open, IRCC updates the numbers every Friday, showing how many spots are left and how many people are waiting. This can help you get a sense of your chances of receiving an invitation.

To see the odds for your country, select your country here. (only while the pools are open)

If I did not activate a previous POE; can I participate again?

Yes, you can!
It only counts as participation if you enter Canada and activate your work permit at the border. If you never travelled to Canada and did not activate your permit, it does not count as a participation. That means you can apply again without penalty. 

When can I apply again?

You’ll need to wait until your current Port of Entry (POE) Letter of Introduction expires before submitting a new IEC profile.

  • You cannot cancel the POE early
  • You must wait until the exact expiry date shown on the POE has passed
  • Once that date has passed, you can create a new IEC profile and enter the pool again

>> Official info here << 

⚠️Important info if you apply for a second Working Holiday⚠️

Some IEC countries offer the Young Professional category, which is a closed work permit and where a job is a requirement. 

Entering the wrong pool is a common mistake from repeat IEC participants or those who already have a job lined up in Canada. This mistake can delay your application big time. 

A job is not a requirement for the Working Holiday because it is an open work permit.

If you’re applying for another Working Holiday but already have a job, you should answer “No” to the job offer question — even if you’re currently employed or have a job lined up in Canada.

By answering “Yes” you could accidentally enter the Young Professionals pool, which might not be what you want.

ONLY ENTER the Young Professional pool if you are eligible for it.

The Young Professional category has strict requirements, and you might not meet them.

If you enter both the Working Holiday and Young Professional pools, the system prioritizes Young Professional invitations first. This means you’ll receive an invitation from the Young Professionals pool.

Once this happens, your profile is blocked from receiving invitations from other categories. Even if you’re also in the Working Holiday pool, you won’t get an invitation from there.

Declining a Young Professional invitation in hopes of getting a Working Holiday invitation won’t work. As long as there are spots available in the Young Professionals pool, you’ll only receive invitations from that pool.

What to do if you get a Young Professionals invitation but wanted a Working Holiday

If you receive an invitation from the Young Professionals pool but your goal was a Working Holiday, you’ll need to start over, as your profile was in the wrong pool.

  1. Decline the invitation from the Young Professionals category.
  2. Delete your current profile from the IEC pool.
  3. Create a new profile.
  4. Answer “No” when asked about a job offer.
  5. Select only the Working Holiday category to re-enter the Working Holiday pool.
  6. Wait for a new invitation for the Working Holiday category.

Passport

Very important! A work permit will only be issued until the expiry of your passport. For example, if your passport expires in 8 months, you will only get an 8-month work permit instead of the full 12 or 24 months.

Therefore, it is crucial that you have a passport that is valid for the entire duration you plan to stay and work in Canada.

If your passport is set to expire during your second planned IEC participation:

Option 1:

  • Renew your passport before applying, and use the new passport for your application.
  • Using a new passport helps avoid the need to update documents or apply for extensions later.
  • This also ensures that your POE, and your eTA, are correctly linked to your new passport.

Option 2:

  • Apply using your current (old) passport.
  • Once you receive your approval (POE), renew your passport before you travel to Canada to activate your work permit.
  • If you are flying to Canada, you will need to apply for a new Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) linked to your new passport, even if you already had one for the old passport. You can apply for a new eTA >> here.
  • At the time of entry into Canada, show both your old passport (or a copy of it) and your new passport to the border officer.

Option 3 (not recommendable):

  • Apply using your current (old) passport.
  • Activate the work permit with the old passport.
  • The border officer will issue a work permit that’s shorter than the maximum time.
  • Once in Canada, apply for an extension of the work permit to get the maximum allowed time. 

Why is this not recommendable?

  • Applying for an extension means extra paperwork because you must apply on paper to extend the work permit. 
  • You must send the application via snail mail; you cannot apply online. 
  • Some employers may be hesitant to hire if your work permit is too short. This can limit your job options.

When is this recommendable?

Here are a few situations where this option might be advisable because you need a fast process/approval. In all of those cases, apply with the old passport:

  • The IEC season is about to close.
  • Very few spots are left in your country’s IEC pool.
  • Your work permit is about to expire and you don’t want to stop working for too long while you wait for a new approval.
  • You are close to the maximum age limit for IEC. It means waiting for a new passport could make you ineligible by the time it’s processed.

Biometrics

Do I have to give biometrics again?

Good news. If you gave biometrics for another Canadian work permit application, they are valid for 10 years and can be used for all future temporary resident applications. 

During the application process, you will answer “yes” to the question about whether you’ve given biometrics. Additionally, once you submit the application, they will automatically be assigned to your profile within a few days. 

If you’re unsure whether your biometrics are still valid you can check > here < . If they show ‘expired’ then the processing agent will request new biometrics. 

Police certificates

Can I re-use the police certificates from the first IEC application?

This will depend. Here the general rules:

➡️ First check: Is the police certificate under 6 months old? > You can use it.
➡️ Second check: Is the police certificate over 6 months old? Then this applies to you:

  1. If the police certificate was issued while you were still in the country > you need a new one. 
  2. If the police certificate was issued after you left the country, but you were back to that country >  you need a new one.
  3. If the police certificate was issued after you left the country, but have never been back > you can re-use it

❗️In other words: Police certificates are valid indefinitely and can only be re-used, if:

  • they were issued after you left that country and
  • you have never been back to that country (not even for a few days to visit). 

The graph below helps you decide and applies to the time when you submit your IEC work permit application.

When I activate my work permit, my police certificate will be older than 6 months

If your police certificate is older than six months when you activate your work permit, that’s okay. Once you’ve received your POE (approval), you do not need a new certificate — you can use the same one you uploaded with your original application.

I spent more than 6 months in Canada; do I need a police certificate from Canada?

No, a police certificate from Canada is not required. Canada conducts its own background checks. A certificate is only needed if IRCC specifically requests it during your application, and this request will come after you’ve submitted your application.

Medical exam

Do I need a new medical exam?

If you are planning to work in child care, health care, or elderly care, a medical exam is required, even if you have done one before. This is because the medical exam is only valid for 12 months.

There is an exception for the medical exam if you apply from within Canada:

If you completed a medical exam within 5 years of submitting your new application, include the IME number (or the unique medical identifier number) from your previous exam in your current application.
You may be exempt from completing another IME if you meet all of these conditions:
  • You applied, or are applying, for either permanent residence or temporary residence.
  • You already live in Canada.
  • You completed your previous IME in the last 5 years.
  • Your previous IME indicated a low risk or no risk to public health or public safety.

>> Official info at the top of the page here << 

However, recent experiences have shown the work permit might still be issued with restrictions.

If you need a work permit without restrictions right from activation and can’t afford to wait for a new or amended permit (because the border officer issued it with restrictions), I strongly recommend completing a new medical exam at least 4 to 6 weeks before activating your work permit.

Here’s why this matters:

An IEC work permit is a special type of permit considered an application “from outside Canada,” even if you are already in the country when you apply. Because of this, IRCC may not allow your previous medical exam to be reused for the IEC stream, which could cause delays or complications. 

If you received a work permit with restrictions at the port of entry, here you can find out how to remove them. 

IEC health insurance

Do I need IEC health insurance again?

Yes. When activating an IEC work permit, you always must have a health insurance that must be valid for the entire length of your intended stay in Canada (the length of the work permit). Be aware, if you are already in Canada, you need an ‘already travelling’ policy. 

Your IEC health insurance must cover:

  • medical care
  • hospitalization and
  • repatriation (returning you to your country in the event of severe illness, injury or death)

If your insurance policy is valid for less than your expected stay, you will receive a work permit that expires at the same time as your insurance. If this happens, you will not be able to extend your work permit later.

I am already in Canada and have provincial health care

If you have provincial health care or employer-provided benefits, they are not enough for your IEC activation. Provincial health insurance doesn’t include repatriation to your home country, and employer benefits don’t cover it either.

The best IEC health insurance for European and UK citizens

recommended by other IEC participants who used them

If you are not from Europe, check out > BestQuote

Other info and common questions

IRCC might request additional information

After you submit your application, a processing officer may request additional or updated documents, such as a new police certificate, and will provide a new deadline.

Once you upload the document, make sure to click “Next” all the way through until the document status shows “Replacement provided.”

If you don’t complete all the steps, your application will be refused, because the document was not submitted — it’s like writing a letter but never mailing it.

Follow all steps from the first link >> on this page << to find the upload spot and how to submit the document.

If the new request is for a police certificate, the upload form will ask for some details:

  • When the certificate doesn’t have an expiry date, enter a date at least one year after it was issued.
  • When the certificate doesn’t have a document number, simply enter N/A in the field.

I am in Canada; can I keep working while I wait for the new IEC?

There is no maintained status between two IEC participations.

To stay in Canada legally after the first IEC, you must apply for a visitor record before your current status expires. You can generally apply about 7 days before expiry — this should also be the latest, as the system can be unreliable.

  • The visitor record costs $100.
  • You can apply online using the same GCKey account. Just start the application and complete the questionnaire.
  • Once your current work permit expires, you will be in maintained visitor status, which allows you to stay in Canada as a visitor until a decision is made on your visitor record application or until you activate a new work permit — whichever comes first.
  • The visitor record is sent to you by post, so you do not need to visit the border to activate it.
  • Remember: once your work permit expires, you must stop working until your new work permit is activated.

For more detailed information about the visitor record and many additional questions, click  > here < 

When I activate the second IEC work permit, do I need all documents again?

Yes. When you activate any new IEC work permit (first or second), you must bring paper copies of all supporting documents. 

Prepare the following documents for activation (border officers will typically focus on the IEC health insurance):

  • Passport
  • POE Letter of Introduction
  • Proof of funds (minimum $2,500)
  • Proof of valid health insurance for entire stay
  • Return ticket or funds sufficient to purchase one
  • Printed copies of all documents you submitted with your IEC application (police certificates, resume, family form, etc.)

I am already in Canada. Can I activate the work permit at the US border via flagpoling?

No. The Canadian government ended flagpoling on December 24, 2024. The announcement can be found > here <. Due to this change, a short visit to the USA is not an option either, because this is how the government defines ‘flagpoling’: 

“Flagpoling occurs when foreign nationals who hold temporary resident status in Canada, leave Canada and, after a visit to the United States or St. Pierre and Miquelon, re-enter to access immigration services at a port of entry.”

As crazy as it sounds, many travellers have a short trip to Mexico and back. Or they use the opportunity to visit their family at home and then activate the work permit on the way back to Canada.  

Can I activate the IEC work permit without leaving Canada?

Yes, you can activate the second IEC work permit online if you meet all 3 requirements mentioned here. 

When I activated the second IEC work permit I got another 2 years, is this legit?

Yes, it can happen. If the border officer accidentally issued you a 2-year work permit instead of 1 year, that was a mistake on their part. Occasionally, applicants benefit from such administrative errors. And in this case, it means you get to enjoy an extra year in Canada!

Good news: You’re not required to correct the error, and the work permit remains valid until the date printed on it.

But don’t forget: To remain compliant with the IEC program requirements, you must also have IEC health insurance that covers the full length of your stay, including that extra year. If your original insurance only covered 12 months, be sure to extend or purchase additional coverage to match the new end date of your work permit.

Something else I have to think about?

Once you’ve successfully activated your work permit, there’s just one important step left:

  • You must extend your SIN to match your new work permit.
    Keep in mind, your SIN expires on the same day as your work permit, so it must be renewed whenever you receive a new one.

Summary on how to apply for a second Working Holiday

  • Create a new profile into the IEC pool. You can use the same GCKey Account. 
  • Answer the question for the job with ‘no’ because a job is not a requirement for the Working Holiday
  • Wait for an invitation
  • In the meantime, get new police certificates, at least from your home country. 
  • No police certificate from Canada, unless they specifically request it.
  • Update your work history and resume. List everything without gaps!
  • After you received the invitation upload all required and updated documents. 
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