Can I have another Working Holiday work permit?

"The Working Holiday for Canada is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

A sentence that is only partially true. Yes, for some countries it is true, that with the same citizenship, you can only apply once for the Working Holiday through the regular IEC process. But there are other ways to apply for a Working Holiday a second time.

Option 1: A second participation with the same citizenship

A second Working Holiday

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

Another IEC category

Some countries offer other IEC categories, like the Young Professional work permit, which is a closed work permit in a skilled job. It means that you are tied to that employer and cannot switch jobs. Please enter the country >>here<< to find out if your country offers another IEC category. 

>>> As an overview here is the list of all IEC countries and their categories.  <<<

Be aware that some countries also must have a break of 3 or 6 months between the expiry date of the first IEC work permit and the submission date of the second IEC work permit application. For example Spain must have 3 months break. And Poland must have a 6 months break. 

Option 2: A second citizenship

If you have a valid passport from another citizenship, you can apply for the Working Holiday again with the other passport. The requirement is that the other country participates in the IEC program. The requirements of the second country apply. Please enter the country >>here<< to find out the requirements of the country you have the second citizenship for.

What is the process for the application with another citizenship?

  • Apply to the pool of the second citizenship as usual. For example, if you used the first participation under the UK passport and now would like to use a French passport, you will need to apply into the French pool. This happens automatically when you enter the passport data in the profile.
  • Once you have received an invitation, you have to upload the documents as usual, but you have to keep two important points in mind:

Answer the question of whether you have ever participated in the IEC with “No“. Because with this passport you apply for the first time.

iec repeat participation 2

Answer the question of whether you have ever applied for a visa/work permit with “Yes“. A field opens where you can enter additional information. Mention here,

  • that you are a dual citizen (name both countries)
  • that you have already participated once under the xxxx citizenship and now want to participate with xxxx citizenship.
iec second participation 2

Option 3: Participation through a Recognized Organization (RO)

A Recognized Organization (RO) offers the opportunity to participate in the Working Holiday Program two more times. And this is in addition to the normal process. The RO are very expensive and the places are very limited, so they are taken within days (some within minutes). Prices on the RO vary between $3000-$5000.

There are only a small amount of approved RO that offer this possibility. You can find the list and more information >> here under this link<<

Getting the help of an agency not listed as a Recognized Organization does not count as a participation with a Recognized Organization.

The typical RO process in a nutshell:

  • You contact the RO if they still have places, then apply there first.
  • You pay the fees to the RO.
  • You get an RO support letter (acceptance letter).
  • Then you apply to the Working Holiday Pool as normal and wait for an invitation
  • When you create the profile, answer the question about the letter from an RO with “yes”. 
  • Choose the name of the RO from the dropdown list 

Can I participate with an RO at any time if the pool is open?

Unfortunately, no. The Recognized Organizations (RO) have their own opening days once the IEC pool is open. You have to catch the right moment to apply. After experiences of the last few years, it is a few weeks after pool opening. To do this, it is best to subscribe to the newsletter of the respective RO homepage so that you do not miss the opening. But as long as they have available places, you can apply with them at any time.

Is a participation via an RO a guaranteed Working Holiday?

Basically, yes. The RO have their own number of spots in the pools and once you have paid the fee and put your profile in the pool, an invitation is pretty much guaranteed.

I participated with an RO, can I now apply via the regular process?

Definitely, yes. 

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