IRCC Eases Work Permit Process for IEC Participants Already in Canada

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced a significant change for International Experience Canada (IEC) participants already in the country. Eligible applicants can now have their new IEC Canada work permits mailed directly to their Canadian address, eliminating the need to leave and re-enter Canada.

This change comes as a relief to many IEC participants, who previously had to exit the country—sometimes just briefly—in order to activate a second IEC work permit.

Who is Eligible?

To qualify for the mailed work permit, IEC applicants must meet all of the following conditions:

• They were in Canada with a valid IEC work permit at the time of applying for a subsequent participation.
• They currently possess a valid Port of Entry (POE) Letter of Introduction (LOI) and must request their new permit before the LOI expires.
• They must maintain legal immigration status in Canada at the time of the request.
• This policy is effective immediately and will remain in place until December 1, 2025.

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Why the Change?

In the past, IEC participants were required to exit and re-enter Canada to activate new permits. This was often done through a process known as flagpoling, where applicants would leave Canada and re-enter the same day, often via a U.S. border crossing.

However, as of December 24, 2024, IRCC banned flagpoling for most foreign nationals, including IEC candidates, at the U.S. and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon borders. This change created new complications for IEC participants seeking to extend their stay.

Now, with the introduction of permit-by-mail, eligible applicants no longer need to plan costly or inconvenient international travel simply to renew their work authorization.

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Important Notes for IEC Applicants

• Work permit processing currently takes 4–6 weeks or longer, so applicants are strongly advised to apply well before their current permit expires.

• Applicants must retain valid immigration status throughout the process to avoid any gaps in authorization.

• Foreign nationals may be eligible to participate in IEC more than once, depending on agreements between Canada and their home country. Some countries impose a mandatory waiting period between participations.

About International Experience Canada (IEC)

International Experience Canada (IEC) is a program that allows young citizens (usually aged 18–35) from over 30 partner countries to live and work in Canada for up to two years. It promotes cultural exchange and offers young professionals international work experience.

IEC has three participation streams:

• Working Holiday
• Young Professionals
• International Co-op (Internship)

Participants must first receive a POE Letter of Introduction before Immigrate to Canada, which is presented to Canadian border officers to obtain the work permit.

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Source: canada.ca

Tags: IEC work permit International Experience Canada Canada work permit Immigrate to Canada IEC Applicants Canada Immigration News