Bris can enjoy up to three years in Canada on IEC thanks to updated rules. Here’s what you need to know: - No Renewals: Each IEC participation is a separate application; there’s no direct renewal or extension of your existing permit. - Eligibility: You can participate twice, potentially adding up to three years. Remember, your second participation isn’t guaranteed and depends on the random lottery selection. - Age Limit: The age limit is 35. You be selected and apply before your 36th birthday. - Stream Options: You can mix and match between Working Holiday, Young Professionals, and International Co-op, but only two participations are allowed in total.Show more
As of 2024, nationals of the United Kingdom are eligible to participate in International Experience Canada (IEC) twice in any of the following categories:
Working Holiday
Young Professionals
International Co-op
The first permit will be issued for a maximum of 24 months, and the second for a maximum of 12 months*, for a total of 36 months.
This article will explain how to apply for the second participation.
*Exception: 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. Source.
Important rules to keep in mind
Please keep in mind that:
There is no such thing as an IEC “extension” or “renewal”. The second participation is applied for independently from the first. You will receive two separate IEC permits.
You cannot obtain all three years upfront. The first IEC permit will be for a maximum of 24 months.
For each of your two participations, you can choose between any of the three IEC categories:
– Working Holiday
– Young Professionals
– International Co-op
The full set of eligibility criteria are applicable to both participations. This means age limit, minimum savings, adequate insurance etc.
Overview of application process
If you have participated in IEC before and are eligible to participate again, you’ll need to go through all the same steps as the first time, namely:
Enter your profile into the IEC pool for your desired category.
Await an invitation to apply.
Accept the invitation and submit your application.
Await your POE Letter of Introduction.
Activate your IEC permit. There are two ways to do this, explained in the following section.
If there was a break between your IEC participations and you no longer reside in Canada, you’ll need to fly to Canada and go through Canadian immigration to obtain your new IEC permit.
If you are already in Canada on an IEC permit and need to activate your POE letter for a new IEC permit, you have two options:
Leave and re-enter Canada. Do not flagpole by going to the US. Learn more.
Request that your new IEC permit be mailed to your Canadian address. Learn how.
When activating your second IEC permit, you will be asked to present proof of adequate health insurance. We’ve been recommending Globe WHV by ACS since 2005.
Yes. If you are already in Canada on your first IEC permit, you are allowed to re-enter the pool for your second participation. You don’t have to wait until your first permit is expired to join the pool again.
No. You are eligible to apply a second time, but are not guaranteed to receive an invitation. This is because you still have to join the pools and hope to be selected from the random lottery. First-time and second-time applicants are all in the same pool.
For the greatest chances, enter the pool early in the year.
No. UK nationals are eligible to apply to IEC twice via the traditional lottery process. Participations via Recognized Organizations do not count towards this allowance.
Yes. The same criteria apply to the first and second IEC permits. As an IEC permit holder, you must maintain insurance for medical care, hospitalisation, and repatriation.
We’ve been recommending Globe WHV since 2005. It meets the IEC requirements. If you are already travelling or residing outside of the UK, you should inform your insurer.
No. This is a brand new permit, not a renewal or extension of the last. As such, you must activate it separately. We explained your options for doing so earlier in this article.
The official guidance is to apply for a visitor record at least 30 days before the expiry date of your permit. However, some people choose to wait a little longer to avoid losing any time off the work permit (as the visitor record will overwrite the work permit once granted).
Don’t leave applying for the visitor record until the last day in case the IRCC website is down! You will be overstaying illegally if you have not applied for a visitor record before your initial permit expires. We recommend you apply at least seven days before the expiry date of your IEC permit to be safe.
The only time you can reuse a police certificate from your home country is if you weren’t in the country on the day it was issued. The IRCC website states:
“For any country or territory where you’ve stayed for 6 or more months in a row, the certificate must have been issued after you left.”
Most people are still living in their home country at the time of applying for the police certificate. If you were still living in the UK when your original police certificate was issued, you will need to apply for a new police certificate.
You will also need to apply for a new certificate if you have been back to the UK at any time since the original certificate was issued (even if only for a day!).
You are allowed to participate under both citizenships. That means you can use your two participations you are eligible for as a British citizen, plus any participations your other citizenship is eligible for. You can check your eligibility here.
For example, if you hold dual citizenship for the United Kingdom and New Zealand, you can use one 23-month participation that New Zealanders are eligible for, plus the two participations totalling three years that Brits are eligible for, and have a final total of five years in Canada.
Aiyana
I'm originally from Buckinghamshire, UK and love to travel. I've previously completed WHVs in New Zealand and Australia. In 2024, I embarked on a new adventure on a Canadian WHV!
Je suis originaire de Buckinghamshire, Royaume-Uni, et j’adore voyager. J’ai déjà complété un PVT en Nouvelle-Zélande et en Australie. En 2024, je pars pour une nouvelle aventure au Canada en PVT!
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