In-Canada work permit printing for subsequent International Experience Canada (IEC) participants – IEC [R204(d) – C21] – Reciprocity – International Mobility Program (IMP)

These instructions apply to IRCC employees. Given that applicants can’t submit their applications at a port of entry, the instructions don’t apply to border services officers.

International Experience Canada (IEC) participants who are physically in Canada, and who submitted a subsequent IEC application while holding a valid IEC work permit and received a letter of introduction (LOI), may request the examination and document issuance required by section 11 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act from within Canada using the IRCC web form.

Due to the CBSA’s decision to ban flagpoling on December 23, 2024, these foreign nationals can’t leave and re-enter Canada via the United States or Saint Pierre and Miquelon to present their LOI and activate their work permits. Therefore, a process has been developed to conduct the examination and issuance of documents required under section A11. This process will remain in place until further notice.

Processing

Step 1: Submission of IEC-specific IRCC web form

Instructions on the public website on the International Experience Canada: After you apply page (IEC participants already in Canada) state that the foreign nationals identified above must request examination and document issuance by using the IRCC web form.

Work permit applicant message

An IEC applicant who is in Canada and submitted a subsequent IEC work permit application while holding a valid IEC work permit should

1. Include the following mandatory texts:

   Text 1 – Mandatory for all applicants

   A112025: I am requesting an A11 examination and the issuance of my work permit from within Canada. My application number is [W#########]. I submitted my IEC application on [date]. I have received my IEC POE letter of introduction, which is valid until [date].

   My current contact information in Canada is:

   Telephone:
   Mailing address:
   Residential address:

   Text 2: Applicants should choose the one that applies to them

   Young Professionals and International co-op participants:

   Employer-specific work permit: My employer, [name], located at [address], may be contacted at [contact telephone or email] to confirm my continued employment offer. I intend to begin work for this employer as soon as my work permit is received.

   or

   Working Holiday participants:

   Open work permit: I attest that my circumstances remain the same and I still meet the requirements of the open work permit program I was approved for.

2. Attach
   • a copy of the IEC work permit that was valid when they submitted their application
   • proof of health insurance that covers the entire duration of their stay

Step 2: Referral to the Immigration Operations Branch (IOB)

Client Support Centre

On submission of the IRCC web form for International Experience Canada containing key word A112025, the email will be routed to the Client Support Centre’s email management system (eGEM), which will automatically separate these requests and send them to IRCC.IOB11Law-LoiA11DGOI.IRCC@cic.gc.ca for the IOB to access.

Immigration Operations Branch (IOB)

The IOB will review the incoming web forms and take the following steps:

1. Attach the web form to the appropriate application as incoming correspondence.
2. Associate the application with an organization ID based on the cohort the applicant falls under.
3. CPC Edmonton will pull open applications from the associated cases and finalize them.

Organization ID to be associated

Step 3: Examination and document issuance

The service standard for final determination of the application is 5 business days.

On receipt of the web form referral, the officer will take the following steps:

1. Review the client’s eligibility for in-Canada printing (the client must meet all 3 eligibility criteria):
   • The client must have submitted their webform request before their LOI expired
   • The client must have submitted their application while they held a valid IEC work permit
   • The client must currently have valid status in Canada
2. Search the foreign national in the Global Case Management System (GCMS) to ensure no flags or client notes were added after the positive decision on the application outside of Canada.
3. Review the work permit application in GCMS to determine the following:
   1. Does the name of the employer in the LMIA-exempt offer match what the foreign national provided in their request?
   2. Were any concerns or case notes entered after the positive decision outside of Canada? Officers may check open-source information for confirmation of the employer at their discretion. However, if adverse information is discovered that may lead to a negative decision, the officer must follow the procedural fairness process.
   3. Review the health insurance policy provided by the client. It must cover
      • medical care
      • hospitalization
      • repatriation
        • This includes the cost of
          • getting the client to a medical facility
          • returning them to their home country or
          • returning their remains to their home country

      Important note: If the participant’s health care insurance is not valid for the entire period for which the work permit is sought, the duration of the work permit must be shortened to match the validity of the health care insurance. Participants can present 2 consecutive health care insurance policies if they were not able to purchase 1 policy to cover the entire length of their work permit. If the client receives a shorter work permit due to the length of their insurance policy, they are not eligible to apply for an extension at a later date.

   4. Verify the medical results (if applicable). Before issuing an IEC work permit, the officer should verify in GCMS whether the IEC participant has passed an immigration medical examination. A medical exam is only needed if the IEC participant
      • will work in a designated occupation in which protection of public health is essential
      • has lived or travelled in a designated country for 6 months or more within the last year and plans to work or reside in Canada for more than 6 months

      If an IEC participant has not done an immigration medical examination, the conditions restricting their occupation must be imposed. Additional information on entering the correct conditions on an IEC participant’s work permit can be found at: Medical conditions to be imposed for occupation-restricted work permits.

      Important note: The “agricultural occupations” condition should not appear on an IEC participant’s work permit no matter the length of their stay if they have not travelled to, or resided in, a designated country for 6 months or more in the last year.

4. Approval: If the officer is satisfied that the work permit requirements are still met and the document can be issued, they should take the following steps:
   1. Add a secondary office: Add the Case Processing Centre in Edmonton (CPC-E) as a secondary office.
   2. Ensure that the mailing and residential addresses have been updated on the Client screen in GCMS.
   3. Make the following changes to the work permit document in the Finalize Application applet:
      1. Add any one of CPC-E’s print queues to the specific document line (if applicable, leave the Counterfoil line as is).
      2. Change the Status to “Generate” and then click “Send to Queue.”

   Important notes: The validity period for an IEC work permit may not exceed the maximum length of stay authorized under the bilateral agreement/arrangement (for example, the maximum validity period of the work permit for Australian nationals can’t exceed 24 months) or the maximum length of stay allowed by a recognized organization supporting the applicant. Officers should check the “Notes” box on the work permit screen, which generally indicates the validity period of the work permit, as determined by the processing officer.

   Some situations may result in a work permit validity shorter than the maximum allowed:

   1. Officers can’t issue a work permit or grant status as a temporary worker beyond the validity of the passport, pursuant to subsection 52(1) of the IRPR. Exceptions to this are noted in IRPR subsection 52(2).
   2. If the participant’s health care insurance is not valid for the entire period for which the work permit is sought, the duration of the work permit must be shortened to match the validity of the health care insurance.
5. Refusal: If the officer is not satisfied that the work permit requirements are still met, they should refuse to issue the work permit.
   1. Add case notes: The officer must add a case note indicating why they are refusing to issue the work permit.
   2. Determine the status of the foreign national: Advise the client that when their status expires they must leave Canada, or if the foreign national is out of status, advise them on next steps.
6. Possible reasons for refusal:
   • The client does not meet the eligibility criteria to have a work permit printed in Canada.
   • The client submitted their request after the LOI expired.
   • The client did not provide a health insurance policy that covers hospitalization and repatriation.
   • The client does not have valid status in Canada.

Step 4: Printing and mailing of work permit

The work permit will be printed with all other issued permits.

The CPC-E will change the status of the permit as required for normal processing after it has printed it and will mail the permit to the applicant as per the standard mailing process.