ABOUT THE IEC WORKING VISA

Working holiday visas for Canada come under the International Experience Canada programme (IEC for short). IEC visas are released through a lottery system. To be eligible you must register with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). You will need to follow the steps in this booklet to create an account and enter the IEC visa pool. Once you are in the pool you have to cross your fingers and wait for an invitation. The earlier you enter the pool the more chances you have of your name been drawn. Depending on your nationality there are a designated number of places given each year, and sadly the applicants normally outstrip the available visas.

WHO IS ELEGIBLE?

• Be between the ages of 18 and 30 (35 for some countries). Your application must be received by IEC on or after your 18th birthday.

• Have the equivalent of 2,500 Canadian dollars to help cover your expenses at the beginning of your stay.

• Hold comprehensive health-care insurance for the duration of your stay which includes medical expenses and repatriation for the duration of your visa. You will have to present evidence of this insurance when you arrive.

• Be legally admissible to Canada

• Pay a participation fee (approx CAD$250)

Are You Elegible?
STEP 1 – COMPLETE THE COME TO CANADA QUESTIONNAIRE

Applying for an IEC WORKING HOLIDAY VISA

Open the Come to Canada questionnaire and select Check your eligibility. Go through the questionnaire carefully, all questions are listed here with advice given where required. If you are from the UK you will find that the country selection available will jump between GBR and England/Scotland/Wales/Northern Ireland, depending on the question.

STEP 1

What would you like to do in Canada:
IEC Travel and Work.

How long are you planning to stay in Canada:
Temporarily – more than 6 months.

Select the code that matches the one on your passport:
Select your country code.

What is your current country/territory of residence:
Select your country code.

Do you have a family member who is a Canadian Citizen or
permanent resident and is 18 years or older:
Answer according to your circumstances.

What is your date of birth:
Select your DOB.

You will then go through to a page to confirm your main details before moving onto the next step.

Next Steps

STEP 2

Was your passport issued by [insert country name]: Options will show for your country based on your previous answers.
Select yes if a correct option is present in the selection.

STEP 3

Do you have a letter proving one of these organisations will help you plan your trip or find work in Canada:
Select No

STEP 4

What is your country/territory of permanent residence:
This is the country you usually live in – even if you are currently travelling. For most applicants this is your country of citizenship.

STEP 5

Do you plan to do a work placement or internship in Canada as part of your studies:
Select No. A Winter Sports Company internship is not part of a college or university course so can not be classed as a study program.

STEP 6

Do you have a signed letter of offer, contract of employment, or internship agreement from an employer in Canada:
Select No. This will not effect you entering the pool.

Are you registered at a college or university in your country of citizenship:
Answer according to your current circumstances.

STEP 7

You will see if you are eligible or not on this screen. If you are successful you will see a statement such as: ‘You may be eligible to come to Canada under International Experience Canada initiative. You can create a profile in the following pool(s)’
Working Holiday Category: Click Continue.

STEP 8

Your personal reference code will be detailed at the top of this page. Reference codes are usually 12 digits long (2 letters followed by 10 numbers). Make sure you take note of this code. Information on how to register and log in to your online profile is also supplied on this page

 

Follow these steps to:

CREATE A GC ACCOUNT AND ENTER THE POOL

You can create the GCKey account by following the instructions supplied on the page at the end of the Come to Canada questionnaire or through the following IRCC Link

CREATING A GC ACCOUNT AND ENTERING THE POOL

You can create the GCKey account by following the instructions supplied on the page at the end of the Come to Canada questionnaire or through the following IRCC Link

Accept the Terms and Conditions for the application.

Create a username for your account.

It is really important you keep a record of all the details and passwords used so you will be able to log back in.

Create a password for your account

Provide answers to some security questions. You will need to be able to answer these when logging back in to your account, so make sure you write them down.

Your account is now created.

SUBMIT YOUR PROFILE TO HOLIDAY VISA POOL

Follow the steps below to submit to the holiday visa pool

The account welcome page should provide an option on which visa you want to apply for. Select International Experience Canada (IEC) – Working Holiday…

You will be prompted to enter the Personal Reference Code you received from the Come to Canada questionnaire. The reference number should automatically set up the account for the IEC application.

Complete your profile by filling in the four sections listed. This is basic personal information you will be able to answer easily. Once all sections are completed you will be able to submit your profile to the pool.

Finally, read the disclosure statement & complete the Electronic Signature by selecting “I agree”, filling in your name, answering the security question & clicking “Sign”.

Thats It!

Your profile should now be submitted for an IEC Working Holiday visa. Submitting an IEC profile does not mean you have applied for a work permit. You need an invitation to start the actual work permit application. The IEC Canada Government web Site is incredibly ‘Glitchy’. It will throw you out and take you to the wrong page. Keep trying until you get to where you want to go. If the system is busy, this is when it’s at it’s worst, so perhaps come back later. We also recommend using Chrome or Firefox. Safari appears to have the most problems when dealing with the Canada Gov web site. Good Luck and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’re having problems.