A new policy now allows eligible IEC participants in Canada to receive their work permits by mail.
The Canadian government has introduced a major change for International Experience Canada (IEC) participants. Eligible applicants already in Canada can now have their IEC work permits mailed directly to their Canadian address, which eliminates the need to leave and re-enter the country to obtain a new permit.
To qualify for this new process, applicants must meet certain conditions. They must have been in Canada with a valid IEC work permit when they applied for another round of participation. They also need to hold a valid Port of Entry (POE) Letter of Introduction (LOI) and apply for their new work permit before their current LOI expires. Additionally, applicants must maintain legal status in Canada at the time of requesting the permit.
This new policy will remain in effect until December 1, 2025.
For those who don’t meet these conditions, they will have to leave Canada and re-enter from another country to get their new work permit. However, individuals entering from the U.S. or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon are not eligible for this process.
Before this change, IEC participants wanting to extend their stay had to leave Canada and re-enter to get a new work permit. For some, this wasn't a problem, especially if they wanted to visit home or take a vacation. But for those wishing to stay in Canada, it was inconvenient.
Additionally, IEC applicants used to be able to quickly process their work permits by leaving and re-entering Canada, a practice called "flagpoling." However, starting December 2024, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stopped flagpoling for most foreign nationals. This change made it more difficult for IEC participants to quickly get their new permits.
With this new rule, eligible applicants no longer need to leave the country, making it easier for them to stay and continue their work experience in Canada.
IEC work permits can take about four to six weeks or more to process. Therefore, participants planning to stay in Canada for a second round of IEC should apply for their new work permit well ahead of time to avoid any risk of losing their work status.
The IEC program allows young people from over 30 partner countries to work and live in Canada for up to two years, depending on their age. The program promotes cultural exchange and helps participants gain valuable international work experience.
The IEC offers three categories for participants:
Before arriving in Canada, participants must receive a POE Letter of Introduction, which they present to border control officers to obtain their work permit.
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