New UK rules for the IEC Canada
Get an extra 12 months Working Holiday
Starting with the 2024 IEC season, a new youth mobility agreement between the UK and Canada is in effect. This updated agreement introduces key changes that expand opportunities for UK citizens under the International Experience Canada (IEC) program.
As a British citizen, you can now participate in the IEC program twice:
- a first participation of 24 months under any category
- a second participation of 12 months under any category
If you participated in IEC before 2015 for a period of up to 12 months, you are eligible for a second participation of up to 24 months in any category.
Those who already participated in IEC twice are no longer eligible to apply under the regular IEC stream.
>> Official info here.<<
The age has been raised from 30 years to 35 years inclusive
It means, you must receive an invitation before turning 36 years old to meet the age requirement. When you travel to Canada to activate the work permit, the age is irrelevant and you can be over 36 years old.
Two common misconceptions in this new agreement:
Many UK participants mistakenly refer to their second IEC participation as a “work permit extension” and ask questions like:
- “How can I extend my IEC work permit by 12 months?”
- “Can I apply for an IEC extension?”
However, this is not an extension of your current work permit. In general, an IEC cannot be extended beyond the allowed time.
Another common misunderstanding is the belief that you will automatically receive a 3-year work permit when activating your IEC work permit at the border. This is incorrect.
How it actually works:
- Your first IEC participation (e.g., through the Working Holiday stream) is valid for 24 months.
- You are eligible for a second participation for 12 months
- This is not an extension of the first.
- Instead, you must go through the entire application process again:
- Create a new IEC profile and enter the pool
- Wait for a new invitation to apply (ITA)
- Submit your documents again
- Pay the required fees again (except for the biometrics fee if you’ve already provided biometrics for another application)
The three IEC categories for UK participants
Existing and unchanged: Working Holiday
Participants in this program receive an “open work permit”.
In this category, you:
- don’t need a job to participate
- can choose where you want to work
- can work for more than one employer in Canada
New: Young Professionals
Participants in this program receive a “closed work permit” or officially called “employer-specific work permit”. The name of the employer and location will be printed on the work permit.
In this category:
- you can only work for one employer in the same location
- the job offered must be a skilled job in TEER category 0, 1, 2, 3
- After you received an invitation, the employer must create a profile in the employer portal and submit the job offer
- the employer must pay a $230 compliance fee
A job in TEER category 4 is allowed,
if you and can provide a post-secondary diploma, certificate or degree in that job, that proves that the job offer is in your field of study. If you intend to apply for permanent residency later, a job in TEER 4 will not count as Canadian experience and will not give you any points in the Canadian Experience Class. Only TEER 0-3 jobs will count.
New: International Co-op (Internship)
Participants in this program receive a “closed work permit” or officially called an “employer-specific work permit”. The name of the employer and location will be printed on the work permit.
In this category:
- you need an employer
- you can only work for one employer
- you must be enrolled as a student in a post-secondary educational institution (in your home country) for the duration of the internship in Canada
- the internship must be part of the academic curriculum, and directly linked to your field of studies
- After you received an invitation, the employer must create a profile in the employer portal and submit the job offer
- the employer must pay a $230 compliance fee
To emphasize again:
With a closed “employer-specific work permit” you can only work for one employer in the same location. The name of the employer and the work location will be printed on the work permit. You cannot have other part time jobs or be self employed under this work permit.
Additional information for the two new categories:
After you have received an invitation from the Young Professional or Co-Op Internship category, the employer must:
- create a profile in the Employer Portal,
- submit the job offer,
- pay the $230 employer compliance Fee.
The LMIA exemption code for the IEC program is C21
This is the code the employer has to use when submitting the job offer!
After they paid, the employer will then get an offer of employment number in their “Employment queue” that begins with “A” followed by 7 numbers.
You have to put this number into your own application. Only then you can submit the application and pay the fees.
More info for the employers >> here <<
How do I apply for another 12 months Working Holiday?
If you are currently under the first 2-year participation in Canada (or have already participated once) you can now apply for another participation for 12 months.
You cannot apply in any other way to extend the current participation. Remember, is not an extension, it is a completely new participation in the IEC program.
To apply again, you must go through the entire application process from the beginning:
- Log in to your existing GCKey account
- Select “Apply to come to Canada”
- Create a new IEC profile and submit it to the pool
- Wait for an Invitation to Apply (ITA)
- Once invited, submit all required documents and pay the application fees again
You can use the same GCKey account you used for your first participation, no need to create a new one.
In the section where it asks about the residence:
⚠️Important tip for your second Working Holiday application ⚠️
A job is not a requirement for the Working Holiday because it is an open work permit.
If you apply for another Working Holiday participation but currently have a job, you must answer “NO” to the job offer question, even if you are already employed or plan to keep working with your current employer.
Here’s why:
If you answer “YES” to having a job offer, you could mistakenly enter the Young Professionals pool if you are not careful. As a result, you may receive an invitation under the Young Professionals category instead of the Working Holiday stream.
ONLY ENTER the Young Professional pool if you also want to use the Young Professional category and are eligible for it.
Once you choose the Young Professional pool and receive an invitation from it, your profile is locked. That means:
- You cannot change your mind and switch to the Working Holiday pool easily.
- The system prioritizes invitations from the Young Professional category.
- As long as there are still spots available in the YP category, you will not receive an invitation from the Working Holiday pool, even if you’re in both pools.
❗️HELP, I received an invitation for the Young Professional pool❗️
- decline the invitation,
- delete the current profile,
- create a new profile,
- answer of ‘no’ to the job offer,
- re enter the Working Holiday pool,
- wait for a new invitation for the Working Holiday category
Common questions for the application process
Can I apply now even though I am still on the current participation?
Yes, you can apply at any time while the IEC pools are open. However, be aware that after approval, you have 12 months of POE validity to activate the new work permit. Therefore, plan accordingly to avoid wasting time on your current work permit.
In essence, wait until 12 months before your current work permit expires to apply for the new participation.
If I did not activate a previous POE; can I participate again?
Yes, you can!
Your IEC participation only officially counts if you enter Canada and activate your work permit at the border. If you never traveled to Canada and did not activate your permit, it does not count as a participation. That means you can apply again without penalty. If you’re still eligible, you can reapply for a full 2-year work permit.
When can you 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
I participated through an RO; can I still participate again?
Yes. A participation through a Recognized Organization does not count towards the regular participation.
For example, if your first participation of 2 years was through the regular process and you then participated for another 2 years via an RO, you can still apply for another 12-month participation through the regular IEC process.
Does the new participation have to be consecutive?
No, you can take a break between participations. You can apply at any time, as long as you still meet the age requirement and the pools are open. For example, if you want to travel first and apply after a few years, that is definitely possible.
I have to renew my passport; what is the procedure?
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.
Do I have to give biometrics again?
Good news:
If you have previously provided biometrics for another Canadian work permit, they are valid for 10 years. This means you do not need to give biometrics again for future temporary resident applications, including IEC.
During the application process, when asked whether you have already given biometrics, simply answer “Yes.”
Your existing biometrics will automatically be linked to your profile a few days after you submit your application.
You can check > here < if your biometrics are still valid.
Can I re-use my police certificates?
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:
- If the police certificate was issued while you were still in the country > you need a new one.
- If the police certificate was issued after you left the country, but you were back to that country > you need a new one.
- 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 you can re-use them, 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).
This graph below applies to the time when you apply for the IEC work permit.
After you received the POE (approval) you do not need an updated police certificate. Take the old one you uploaded in the application when you activate the work permit.
I spent more than 6 months in Canada; do I need a police certificate from Canada?
No, Canada conducts its own background checks. You do not need a police certificate from Canada, unless IRCC specifically requests it during your application process.
However, if a police certificate is needed, IRCC will notify you after you have submitted your application, and you will be asked to provide it at that time.
Do I need a new medical exam?
If you are planning to work in child care, health care, or elderly care, it is important to be aware that you will need to retake the medical exam, 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:
- 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.
However, recent experiences have shown the work permit might still be issued with restrictions.
If you need a work permit without any restrictions right from the activation and cannot afford to wait for a new, amended permit (because the border officers issued this with restrictions), I strongly recommend completing a new medical exam at least 4 to 6 weeks before activating your work permit.
The reason behind this (and possible hiccup):
An IEC work permit is a special work permit that is considered an application „from outside Canada“ even if you are already inside the country when you apply. Because of this, IRCC might not allow to re use the medical exam for the IEC stream.
If you received a work permit with restrictions at the port of entry, here you can find out how to remove them.
Do I need IEC health insurance again?
When activating the work permit, you 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.
For reliable options that meet IEC requirements, you can consider providers such as True Traveller.
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.
If you have provincial health care or employer benefits, it is not sufficient. Provincial health insurance does not cover repatriation to your home country, and employer benefits don’t either.
I am in Canada; can I keep working under maintained status while I wait for the new IEC?
No. There is no maintained status between two IEC participations.
If your current work permit expires while you wait for the new IEC application processing, you must change to visitor status by applying for the visitor record online. It costs $100 and you can apply from the same GCKey account. You can find more info and FAQ to the visitor record > here <
While waiting for the visitor record you can stay in Canada but must stop working. You can only start working again after you activated the new work permit.
How can I activate the new work permit from inside Canada?
If you are inside Canada, you can activate the new work permit only at the immigration office at an international airport after you exit Canada and then return. This means you must physically leave the country and re-enter to activate your work permit.
Additionally, you cannot activate the work permit at Service Canada or at an embassy.
Therefore, if you are currently in Canada and need to activate a new work permit, you must travel outside Canada and enter through an international airport.
⚠️NEW! You can activate online and get the work permit via postal mail, if you meet all 3 requirements mentioned here.
I am in Canada; can I activate the work permit at the US land 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.
Something else I have to think about?
Once you’ve successfully activated your work permit, there’s just one important step left:
- If this is your first Canadian work permit:
You need to apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) at a Service Canada location. Your SIN is required to work and get paid legally in Canada. - If you already have a SIN from a previous work permit:
You must extend or update 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.
When I activated the second 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.
What are my options if I already used the second participation?
If you still meet the age requirement for the UK, which is 35 years, and you would like to stay longer on an open work permit, then you can use two more Working Holiday work permits through a Recognized Organization (RO).
For example:
- Regular participation for 2 years, plus
- Regular participation 1 year, plus
- RO participation for 2 years, plus
- RO participation for 2 years
That makes a total of 7 years in Canada under the IEC program for British citizens. That is enough time to figure out the next pathway if the goal is permanent residency
Summary to apply for the extra 12 months Working Holiday
- Create a new profile into the UK 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.