While most participants apply for an IEC Working Holiday permit from their home country, it is possible to do so from Canada. However, some steps will look slightly different.
The information in this article applies to the other IEC categories (International Co-op and Young Professionals) as well .
Some nationalities have residency requirements
IEC applicants of certain citizenships are subject to residency requirements. That is, they must be residents of their country of citizenship, not living abroad. At the time of writing, this is the case for the following nationalities:
- Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy*, Japan, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, and Sweden. Source.
If you are applying as a citizen of one of these countries, you can prove your residency there simply by providing a residential or mailing address there at the time of application. As long as you are able to provide an address in that country, the fact that you are physically in Canada or elsewhere in the world will not make you ineligible for IEC. Source.
Pay careful attention to this rule, as many applicants from these countries have been rejected for failing to provide a mailing address in their home country.
*Italians are the only nationality that are not only required to provide an address in Italy, but also a residence certificate (certificato di residenza). If you are unable to provide this, then you are not eligible to participate in IEC.
Paying the biometrics fee separately
IEC applicants who are already in Canada can submit their fingerprints and photo to a designated Service Canada office allowed to collect biometrics for immigration purposes. Normally, the biometrics fee is paid during the application process, but applicants who are already in Canada will not be asked to pay the biometrics fee at the end of their application—it must be paid separately.
More info: Submitting biometrics.
Where should I go to give my biometrics in Canada?
You will have to go to a designated Service Canada office—“designated” is the key word here because not all Service Canada locations collect biometrics.
Go to Where to give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics) to find the closest location.
Important:
- Remember that it’s important to take the application process step by step! After submitting your profile to a pool, you may get an Invitation to Apply during a round of invitations. This is the beginning of the process. Next, you will have to submit your full application. Only then you will receive the biometrics instruction letter (or not, see above… regardless, biometrics is one of the final steps!). Read our step-by-step application guide for a refresher and this will make a lot more sense!
- You have to make an appointment to give your biometrics at a designated Service Canada centre.
- You will see either “SCO” or “POE” next to the biometrics collection sites listed here. You have to use an “SCO” (Service Canada Office) location. “POE” (Port of Entry) sites, i.e. airports and land border offices, don’t accept biometrics collection for IEC applicants. Read the “Notes” section carefully as well, as some sites only collect biometrics for specific immigration categories—you will see the note “Most applicants are not eligible to give biometrics at a POE.”
Activating your permit: do not flagpole!
If your application is approved, you’ll receive a Port of Entry Letter of Introduction.
Once this happens, you have 12 months (since the letter is valid for 12 months) to activate your IEC permit by leaving and re-entering Canada.
As flagpoling is no longer permitted, you must leave Canada without travelling to the United States or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.
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