What are my options after the Working Holiday?
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: Stay longer as a visitor
If you plan to stay in Canada for a few more weeks or months to explore, it’s essential to apply for a visitor record before your work permit expires.
Once you submit your application to change your status to “visitor” and your work permit expires, you will automatically maintain your visitor status. This means you can legally remain in Canada while your visitor record application is being processed.
However, keep in mind: as soon as your work permit expires, you must stop working immediately.
Option 2: A second participation with the same citizenship
Very few of the IEC countries allow a second Working Holiday for Canada. Enter your country >> here << to read the requirements. For example, Croatia, Chile, Italy, and the UK are among the countries that permit a second participation through the regular IEC process.
However, a mandatory break period between the expiry of your first permit and the submission of your second application is required. Applying before this break period will result in a refusal. In other words, you can only apply for a second participation after your work permit has expired for some time. Here are the breaks:
- Croatia: 3 months
- Latvia: 1 year
- Lithuania: 3 months
- Poland: 6 months
- Slovakia: 3 months
- Spain: 3 months
Option 3: A second participation with another citizenship
If you have a valid passport from another country that participates in the IEC program, you can apply for a second Working Holiday under that country’s agreement. Each country has its own eligibility criteria, so verify the requirements before applying.
A lot more info in an extra post > here <
Option 4: Participation through a Recognized Organization (RO)
A Canadian-based Recognized Organization (RO) that was selected and vetted by the Canadian government offers you the opportunity to participate in the Working Holiday Program two more times. And this is in addition to the regular IEC process.
However, RO spots are very limited and have become a very popular choice for IEC participants. Despite the high participation costs, which range from $1,800 to $5,000 depending on the organization, these spots often fill up within minutes of becoming available.
It’s important to note that only a few approved ROs offer this opportunity, making it a very competitive option.
More information on this option >> here <<
Option 5: Spousal Open Work Permit
- Are you married? Perfect!
- Or have you lived together as a common-law couple for at least 12 months and can provide proof? For example, shared addresses on rental agreements, utility bills, bank accounts, etc.? If so, that’s great too!
- Does your partner have a job?
- Is your partner currently in Canada with a temporary work permit (not a Canadian permanent resident or Canadian citizen)?
- Is your partner’s work permit valid for at least 16 months?
If you answered “yes” to all of these questions, you may be eligible to apply for the Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP).
You can find a lot more information on the spousal open work permit > here < in another info post.
Option 6: Mobilité Francophone
- The Mobilité Francophone is an LMIA exempt work permit for French speaking skilled workers outside of Quebec.
- The Mobilité Francophone is an employer specific work permit comparable to the Young professional work permit.
- More importantly, no LMIA is needed and has the LMIA exemption code C16.
Mor information on the Mobilité Francophone > here <.
Option 7: Study Permit
If you want to stay in Canada longer, you could apply for a study permit. With this permit, you’re allowed to work off campus for up to 24 hours per week during regular semesters, and full-time during scheduled study breaks.
However, be aware that studying in Canada as an international student can be quite expensive, especially compared to the costs for Canadian residents. In fact, tuition fees can easily exceed $20,000 per year, depending on the program you choose.
Furthermore, the Canadian government has recently decided to limit the number of study permits they issue. As a result, they’ve introduced stricter requirements for approval.
You can read all the info about the study permit requirements > here <
Option 8: LMIA - employer sponsoring
The LMIA process for an employer-specific work permit is very strict and involves a significant amount of paperwork and stress. As a result, many employers and applicants opt to hire an immigration consultant or lawyer for assistance. Typically, you can expect the total cost to range between $5,000 and $7,000.
To begin the process, the employer must apply for an LMIA. First, they are required to advertise the job position for at least 4 weeks and demonstrate that they cannot find a Canadian citizen or permanent resident for the role. It’s important to note that there are strict requirements for the job advertisement. Once these advertising requirements are met, the employer can submit the LMIA application, which will cost them $1,000.
Only after receiving the LMIA approval letter and LMIA number can you apply for an employer-specific work permit. This is crucial, you cannot apply before obtaining the LMIA approval.
Be aware, however, that the LMIA requirements have changed significantly and will remain in effect at least until 2027.
Option 9: Express Entry Program for Permanent Residency
To qualify for Express Entry, you must meet specific eligibility criteria, depending on the program you’re applying under. Key factors include:
- Skilled work experience:
- At least 1 year of full-time (or equivalent part-time) experience in a skilled occupation (NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3).
- Language proficiency:
- Proof of English or French proficiency through a recognized test (e.g., IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, or TCF).
- Education:
- Post-secondary education (e.g., diploma, degree, or certificate).
- Foreign credentials must be assessed through an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
- Age:
- Applicants between 20–29 years old earn the highest CRS points for age.
Express Entry is tailored for skilled professionals with experience in occupations that are in high demand across Canada. If you have a background in fields like healthcare, information technology, skilled trades, or engineering, Express Entry could be an ideal path toward permanent residency.
Express Entry manages applications for three key immigration programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW)
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
Option 10: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Receiving a provincial nomination can significantly boost your Express Entry profile. In fact, it adds 600 points to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. As a result, this guarantees that you’ll receive an invitation for permanent residency in one of the next rounds.
An open work permit based solely on a job offer from an employer does not exist. In other words, you cannot apply for an open work permit without a main application backing it up.
Every work permit application must be tied to a principal application. If you fail to meet this requirement, your work permit will be refused and returned as “incomplete.” This refusal causes you to lose your status retroactively from the date your previous permit expired. Such a status gap can seriously harm your future immigration endeavours.
If your Working Holiday work permit has already expired, your only option is to leave Canada as soon as possible, or alternatively, restore your status to visitor in order to regain legal status in Canada. Please note, the cost for restoring your status is $200.
(More info > here <)
Heads UP!
You cannot restore your status as a “worker” under an IEC work permit because IEC permits have a strict maximum duration set by agreements with your country. Once that time is up, the IEC work permit cannot be extended.
Instead, if you need to restore your status after it expires, you must apply to restore as a visitor.