Getting a second Working Holiday permit to Canada—Loopholes and exceptions

You’ve probably heard that you can’t get a Working Holiday permit to Canada more than once. While this is true for many people, there are exceptions to the rule.

1. IEC agreements with provisions for two participations

Canada has signed International Experience Canada agreements with more than 30 countries. Each agreement comes with its own set of requirements and benefits, and some have unique perks. For instance, some citizenships can participate in IEC twice.

The exact rules vary by nationality. For example, British citizens can participate twice in any IEC category of their choosing. Irish citizens can participate twice, but the second participation must be under the International Co-op category only.

Check your eligibility here.

2. Modified IEC agreements

Occasionally, agreements are modified. Sometimes, the changes allow citizens who were granted a Working Holiday permit under the previous rules to participate again.

For example, Irish citizens who were granted an IEC permit before 2013 can now apply for another IEC permit in any category. Similarly, Australian, French, and British citizens who were granted an IEC permit before 2015 can now apply for another IEC permit in any category.

Note that you must still meet all the usual IEC eligibility requirements. For example, if you were an Australian citizen who participated before 2015 and you are now 36, you fall outside of the 18-35 age requirement. You are not eligible to apply for another participation, despite the rule change.

It’s always worth checking the IEC agreement for your citizenship regularly, in case of any changes.

3. Dual citizenship

Citizens who hold dual citizenship from countries that have signed IEC agreements with Canada can apply under each citizenship.

For instance, a citizen of both Germany and Ireland can first get a Working Holiday permit with their German passport, then apply a second time for a Working Holiday permit with their Irish passport.

4. Recognized Organizations

Recognized Organizations (ROs) are specific organizations approved by the Government of Canada. As stated on the official website, IEC participants who use an RO can get two more lifetime participations.

This means that once you have used up the maximum number of participations you are eligible for in the regular stream, you can use an RO to gain two more participations!

If it sounds too good to be true, that’s because there are some pretty big caveats to this option:

• Using RO services will cost you a lot of money. Each participation via an RO will cost anywhere from $1,000 to $6,000. This is a big difference from the $364.75 application fee as a regular IEC participant!
• ROs are incredibly popular. Waitlists for the most recent season filled up within five minutes of opening. If you cannot secure a place as soon as the waitlists open, you will be out of luck for the entire year, as you will need to wait for the following season to open.
• ROs are not just for repeat participations. They also help candidates who are not eligible to come to Canada via the normal IEC route. For example, citizens from the US can only participate if they use an RO, because Canada and the US do not have a reciprocal IEC agreement. This means you are competing for a space with people trying to apply for the first time, as well as those trying for a repeat participation.

You can find the list of approved ROs here.