Working Holiday processing time
When will I get my Working Holiday approval?
Officially, the processing time for the International Experience Canada (IEC) Program, can take up to 8 weeks. The time starts after all documents are provided, including your biometrics. The actual processing time can be delayed depending on various factors, such as missing documents.
Processing times vary depending on how far along the season is
At the beginning of each International Experience Canada (IEC) season, typically around January, processing times are much faster. In some cases, you may receive an approval within just a few days. This is because of the low number of applications in the system.
However, as the season progresses, more applicants get invited and the workload for processing officers increases. As a result, the average processing time will increase. Officers must now process and review more and more applications.
By the middle of the season, usually around May, average processing times rise to about 5 weeks. As the season nears its end, typically around October, they often reach the full 8-week processing window.
This means if you apply early in the season you have good chances of a fast approval. But for those who enter the IEC pools later in the season, patience is the key.
Medical Exams (If required)
If you plan to work in jobs such as healthcare, child care, or elder care while in Canada, you must do a medical exam as part of your IEC application.
If you’re unable to complete the exam before your deadline, you can upload proof that you’ve made an appointment. However, this will pause your application and the system will wait for the medical results from the panel physician.
Additionally, it can take up to 30 days to submit the results directly to IRCC after your exam is completed. Only then a processing officer will start the processing.
The processing time starts counting after all documents are provided, including your biometrics.
After you submitted your application, you must provide the biometrics. You will receive a Biometrics Instruction Letter (BIL) shortly after you apply and it gives you a 30-day-deadline.
If you can book your biometrics appointment asap after receiving that letter, perfect. The sooner, the faster the process moves.
After you give your biometrics, it usually takes a few days for the information to appear in your IRCC account. You can track your application status online, and once the system updates, you’ll see the biometrics submission date listed in your application details.
The processing of your application starts after your biometrics are submitted and processed. Start counting the time from the date you see the biometrics in the GCKey Account.
Additional documents might be requested
Until the biometrics step, the application process is fully automated by the system. Only after the biometrics are registered in the GCKey account, a human processing officer will review your application.
Then the officer will go through your application to verify your eligibility and ensure all required information has been provided. If something is missing, such as a police certificate or other documents, the officer will request the additional document.
If an additional document is requested, the processing time pauses and the review process continues only after you’ve submitted the required document.
The dreaded Travel History form: IMM5257 - Schedule 1
One of the most frustrating and unexpected document requests during the IEC process is the travel history form, officially known as IMM5257 – Schedule 1. In the IEC community, it’s often (half-jokingly) called the “pain-in-the-ass form”.
This request comes after you’ve submitted your biometrics, and once a human officer reviews your application. Just when you think you’re nearly done, IRCC may ask you to complete this detailed form, often leading to unexpected delays.
The IRCC processing officer will request this form if you
- left gaps in your work history
- or if you didn’t go back to your 18th birthday with the entries.
If your work history was short because you are a younger applicant, filling out the travel history form is fairly straightforward. But if your work history in the application has a lot of gaps, IRCC may require you to provide a multi-year travel history with dates and destinations. This is annoying and can take time to piece together, especially if you didn’t keep detailed records of your past travel trips.
Your additional document is not submitted
One of the most common and avoidable mistakes IEC applicants make, is when IRCC requests additional documents. Here’s what happens:
You receive a message asking for something missing, like a police certificate or the above-mentioned travel history form. You upload the document into your GCKey account and assume that’s all you need to do. Weeks later, instead of an approval, you receive a refusal because you missed the deadline to submit the document.
What went wrong?
The document was uploaded but not submitted so the document never reached the processing officer. As a result, the officer must assess your application as incomplete and refuse the application.
How to Avoid This:
After uploading your document, you must submit it properly:
- Upload the document in the spot of your GCKey account.
- Click “Next” at the bottom of the page after uploading.
- Continue through all the remaining steps until the document is received and marked as “Replacement Provided.”
Your police certificate is not clear
One of the biggest causes of delay in the International Experience Canada (IEC) process is a problem with your police certificate, especially if you’ve disclosed a criminal conviction.
When a processing officer reviews your police certificates, they sometimes need more information before they can make a decision. In these cases, IRCC will request official court records related to the conviction. Your application processing time will pause until you provide the required documents.
If you have a criminal conviction that matches a crime under Canadian law, IRCC will pause your application while they assess your admissibility. This isn’t a minor delay and in many cases, processing stops entirely until IRCC decides whether you’re allowed to enter Canada.
If the conviction is serious, IRCC may require you to apply for criminal rehabilitation. This process can take 1–2 years, depending on the complexity of your case and how quickly you submit the necessary documents.
UK Applicants: “No Live Trace”
If you’re from the UK, and your ACRO Police Certificate states “No Live Trace” instead of “No Trace,” this indicates that you have a police record that’s no longer active, but still exists in your file. In such cases, IRCC usually requires a Subject Access Request (SAR) to review the full details of your criminal history.
The SAR is a record that you can request from ACRO, which provides the processing officer with the information they need to assess whether your past record makes you admissible or not.
Australian Applicants: The police certificate is incomplete
The most common delay for applicants from Australia and participants who spent more than 6 months in Australis, is they don’t provide the additional traffic reports. You can find all information here on the website of the Canadian government.
Queensland
If you live or have lived in Queensland, you must submit a traffic history with your police certificate that goes back to your 18th birthday or the day on which your first Australian driver’s licence was issued.
Victoria
If you live or have lived in Victoria, you must submit a full licence history search with your police certificate that goes back to your 18th birthday or the day on which your first Australian driver’s licence was issued.
What you can do while you wait for the IEC approval
- Check processing times on the IRCC website > here <, to see the current timelines.
- Monitor your IRCC account regularly for messages or requests. Log in at least once a week.
- Brew some tea, expect an 8-week processing period, and be happy if you get your approval earlier.
What can I do if my application takes longer than 8 weeks?
If IRCC hasn’t requested any additional documents and it’s been 8 full weeks since you submitted your biometrics, you can use the IRCC web form to request an update on your application status. Replies to the webform usually take 10 business days.
Important: If the 8-week processing period hasn’t passed, be aware that IRCC will not respond to your webform. They only respond to status inquiries once the processing time has officially elapsed.
Tip: Double-check the exact date your biometrics were submitted and received in your IRCC account before reaching out. The 8-week timeline starts only after biometrics are submitted, not when you first apply or receive your invitation from the IEC pool.
Can I travel to Canada and wait for the IEC approval there?
Short answer: No, it’s not recommended.
Until your IEC application is officially approved and you receive your POE (approval) your application can still be refused. It might feel like you’re close to the finish line, but until that approval letter is in hand, nothing is guaranteed.
Common reasons for refusals include:
- Missed document submission deadlines
- Incomplete or incorrect documents
- Ineligibility based on program requirements
- Medical or criminal inadmissibility
My advice: Wait until you receive your Port of Entry (POE) before making travel plans. Even IRCC advises this.
Official government Source
Can I come to Canada before I receive my POE letter? – We strongly recommend you wait until you receive your port of entry (POE) letter of introduction (LOI) before travelling to Canada.
You can't activate the work permit from inside Canada
If you’re already in Canada when you receive your POE (approval) you cannot activate your work permit from inside the country. You’ll need to leave Canada and re-enter to officially activate your permit.
Previously, many applicants used flagpoling at the U.S. land border for this purpose. However, IRCC has ended flagpoling, meaning you can no longer activate at the U.S. border.
To activate your permit now, you must travel to another country (not the U.S.) and return to Canada by air. This change adds time, logistics, and expense to the process.
⚠️NEW! If this is your second IEC participation, you can activate the work permit online, if you meet all 3 requirements here.
Over the past 10 years of being active in the Work and Travel community, I’ve seen a few situations where families made plans for their move to Canada before they received the POE (approval). In some cases, they quit their jobs, sold their homes, and even booked flights, only to face a sudden and unexpected setback.
For instance, just days before their flight, one partner received a refusal due to inadmissibility, which was due to a past conviction. Understandably, the rest of the family didn’t want to travel without their loved one. So they decided to cancel their Canadian dream.