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 <
Stay longer as a visitor - Apply for a Visitor Record
If you want to stay in Canada a little longer to travel or visit after your work permit ends, you should apply for a visitor record before your work permit expires.
If you apply before your work permit expires, you can legally stay in Canada while your visitor record application is being processed.
Just remember: once your work permit expires, you must stop working right away.
More information on the visitor record > here <
Second IEC (same passport)
Very few of the IEC countries allow a second IEC participation 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 Working Holiday (open work permit) through the regular IEC process.
You can find more information about a second IEC > here <.
Second IEC (another passport)
If you have a valid passport from another country that is part of the IEC program, you may be able to apply for a second IEC using that passport.
Each country has different rules, so make sure you check if you meet the requirements before you apply.
A lot more info in an extra post > here <
Young Professionals
If your country allows another IEC participation and you have a skilled job offer related to your career, you may qualify for a Young Professionals work permit instead of another Working Holiday.
A lot more info in an extra post > here <
Participation through a Recognized Organization (RO)
Some Canadian Recognized Organizations (ROs), approved by the Canadian government, can help you use the IEC program up to two more times. These are extra opportunities on top of the regular IEC program.
RO spots are very limited and extremely popular. Even though the programs usually cost between CAD $1,800 and $5,000, places often sell out within minutes.
Only a small number of approved ROs offer these programs, so competition is very high.
More information on this option >> here <<
Spousal Open Work Permit
Are you married, or have you lived together as common-law partners for at least 12 months and can prove it (for example, with a shared lease, utility bills, or joint bank account)?
Does your partner have a job in Canada?
Is your partner in Canada on a temporary work permit (not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident)?
If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may be able to apply for a Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP).
You can find a lot more information on the spousal open work permit > here < in another info post.
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 <.
Study Permit for International Students
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 <
LMIA Employer-Specific Work Permit
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.
Intra-Company Transfer
If you work for a company that has a Canadian branch, subsidiary, or affiliate, you may be able to transfer to Canada without an LMIA. This option is mainly for:
- executives
- senior managers
- employees with specialized knowledge
To be eligible, you must have worked on an ongoing basis for the same employer for certain amount of time.
Express Entry (Permanent Residence)
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)
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Each province and territory in Canada has its own immigration “streams,” tailored to meet specific labor market needs. To apply, you must follow the guidelines provided on the province’s official immigration website. More info > here <
Why does this matter?
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.
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.
Family sponsorship
If you’re married to or in a genuine common-law relationship with a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, your partner may be able to sponsor you for permanent residence through Canada’s Family Sponsorship program.
To qualify as common-law partners, you must have lived together continuously for at least 12 months and be able to provide evidence of your relationship, such as a shared lease, utility bills, joint bank accounts, or other documents showing you lived together.
If you apply from within Canada and meet the eligibility requirements, you may also be eligible to apply for an open work permit while your permanent residence application is being processed. This allows many applicants to continue working legally while waiting for a decision.
Unlike a Spousal Open Work Permit, this pathway leads directly to permanent residence rather than another temporary work permit.
More information about Family Sponsorship > here <
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 IEC 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.
The cost to restore your status as a visitor in Canada is $$246.25 CAD.
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.