How to extend my IEC work permit
To the maximum allowed time
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 <
You can extend your IEC work permit in three specific situations, but only up to the maximum time your country’s agreement allows. You can’t extend it beyond that limit.
Example to make the rules easier to understand:
- You’re from Germany, where the IEC program allows a 12-month work permit.
- When you arrived in Canada and activated your permit, you provided proof of a 12-month health insurance policy.
- However, due to an error, your work permit was issued for only 8 months.
- In this case, you can apply to extend your work permit so that it matches the 12 months for your country.
The three scenarios where you can extend the IEC to the maximum:
Mistake
The immigration officer accidentally issued a work permit shorter than the maximum allowed for your country. This is the most common issue. If it happens, try to get it corrected immediately while you’re still with the officer.
Passport*
If your passport wasn’t valid long enough, your work permit matches your passport’s expiry. This is actually not considered a mistake, because a work permit cannot be valid beyond your passport’s expiration. In this case, you’ll need a new passport before you can extend your permit to the full allowed time.
Young Professional** job offer
If your employer submitted a job offer for a shorter period, your work permit will match the length of that job offer. Before you can extend the work permit, the same employer must submit a new job offer in the portal and pay the $230 compliance fee. They’ll get a new A number, which you include in your letter of explanation.
In all of the above scenarios, you do not have to pay any fees to get the work permit extended.
The extension can only be done by paper application! Not online. More info >> here <<
Steps for the work permit extension in the above three scenarios:
*Passport: You first must apply for a new passport before you can apply for the work permit extension.
**For the Young Professional work permit extension: The employer has to submit a new job offer in the employer portal and pay the $230 compliance fee again. Then they will get a new A number that you must include in your letter of explanation.
Step 1: Download, fill out and validate Form IMM 5710
Step 2: Include a letter of explanation that explains:
- that you are a participant in the International Experience Canada
- that you apply for an extension of participation
- that you don’t have to pay any fees
- why you apply for an extension
Step 3: Attach additional documents
- A copy of your passport, including the bio page and any pages containing marks or stamps.
- A copy of your work permit.
- A copy of your IEC health insurance, showing coverage from the start of your work permit and for the entire duration of your intended stay (for example, a 2-year policy if your country allows coverage for two years).
You can only extend an IEC work permit to the maximum allowed time if you also had the health insurance for the maximum time.
If you forget or choose not to include proof of your IEC health insurance, your extension application will be refused.
Step 4: Send the paper application via mail
Case Processing Centre Edmonton
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada
c/o Work Permit- IEC Station 404
Suite 55 9700 Jasper Avenue NW
Edmonton AB T5J 4C3
Send the paper application with tracking service so you know when it was received.
What if I didn't have health insurance for my entire stay when I activated the work permit?
In this case, you cannot extend your IEC work permit. This is a strict rule—applications in this situation are refused.
It is a requirement of the IEC program that you have a health insurance for the entire intended duration of your stay when activating the work permit.
Quote from IRCC:
“If your health insurance was going to expire while you were still in Canada and you didn’t receive the maximum length of stay listed in the agreement between Canada and your country, you’re not able to apply to extend your work permit, even if you extend your health insurance after entering Canada.
It’s your responsibility to make sure you have adequate health insurance for the entire length of your stay in Canada before arriving in the country.”
When you submitted your application, you had to electronically sign a disclosure confirming your health insurance coverage. Saying “I didn’t know” is not an excuse—you are responsible for having valid insurance for your entire stay.
What happens if my current work permit expires while I wait for the extension?
After you sent the paper application under any of those three scenarios, and ‘on time‘ (before the current work permit expired) you can benefit from maintained status.
It means you’re allowed to stay in Canada and keep working until you receive the corrected permit.
But be aware: You can only work up to the maximum time allowed for your country. In the above example for Germany it would be up to 12 months. So you’d be able to work for an additional 4 months (8 months originally issued + 4 more to reach the 12-month limit).
If you want to stay in Canada beyond the allowed time, you’ll need to apply for another work permit or a visitor record.