After you apply
On this page
- Processing your application
- If your application is approved
- Withdrawing your application
- If your application is refused
Processing your application
You can use the application status tracker(opens in a new tab) to get updates on your application.
Processing time – 2025 season ?
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This processing time tells you how long it took to process most complete applications in the past. It doesn’t include the time you need to give your biometrics.
To create an account, you need your
If we don’t meet our service standards, you may be eligible for a partial refund
The IEC service standard is 56 days for applications with complete information and all required supporting documents. If we take longer than 56 days to process your application, you may be eligible for a partial refund of the IEC fee under the Service Fees Act. Refunds are processed automatically.
Learn more about our policies for fee remissions:
What happens if we ask you to submit more documents
When processing your application, we may ask you to
- send more documents or information, or
- attend an interview with an officer.
If you submit one of the following documents, you’ll need to submit copies of your medical exam and police certificate when we ask for them:
- proof of an appointment for your medical examination, or
- a receipt for your police certificate request.
Your application won’t be complete if we only receive your proof of an appointment for a medical examination or a receipt for your police certificate request.
We’ll contact you if we need additional documents. You must submit the requested documents before the deadline we give in the request letter.
Requests for additional documents can affect processing times.
Learn more about
Wait until your application is approved before you
- buy a plane ticket for any travel to Canada
- buy health insurance for your stay in Canada
- make commitments to your prospective employer in Canada
- commit to any accommodation in Canada
- cancel your accommodation or leave your job or studies in your home country
If your application is approved
If your application is approved, you’ll get a port-of-entry (POE) letter of introduction in your account.
- The letter doesn’t guarantee entry into Canada or guarantee a work permit.
When you get to the POE, a border services officer will review your documents and make a final decision on if you can enter Canada.
IEC participants outside of Canada
To get your IEC work permit, you must show your POE letter of introduction and other supporting documents to a Canadian border services officer at the port of entry (airport, land border) on or before the expiry date of your letter.
The expiry date will be clearly marked on your letter.
POE letter of introduction
A POE letter of introduction issued under the IEC Program is valid for 1 year. If you can’t come to Canada before your POE letter expires, it doesn’t count as a participation.
You can’t transfer your letter to any other person or name.
IEC participants already in Canada
You need to maintain legal status in Canada at all times.
You can get your IEC work permit mailed to a Canadian address if you meet all 3 requirements:
- You were in Canada with a valid IEC work permit when you submitted your IEC work permit application for another participation.
- You have a valid IEC POE letter of introduction (LOI).
- You must request your work permit before your LOI expires.
- You have legal status in Canada when you request to get your IEC work permit by mail.
- If your current work permit will expire while we are processing your request, consider applying for a visitor record.
We process most requests in 5 business days
We process most complete requests within 5 business days. Once your request is processed, you’ll get a notification in your IRCC secure account.
If your request is approved, we’ll tell you in your account and mail your IEC work permit to the Canadian address you gave. The mailing time is
- extra (meaning it’s not included in the 5-day processing time)
- based on Canada Post’s service standards
The Canada post labour disruption will cause delays in mail delivery
We’re still receiving and processing applications normally. However, there will be delays in mailing your work permit in Canada.
If your old work permit expired, you can’t start working until we issue you a new IEC work permit. When we print your work permit, you’ll get an update in your IRCC secure account. The update includes the validity period of your work permit. If your work permit is valid, you can start working immediately. You don’t need to wait to get your work permit in the mail.
How to request your IEC work permit by mail
Follow these steps to ask us to mail your IEC work permit:
- Use our web form (opens in a new tab) .
- For the question, “What did you apply for?”, select “Temporary residence”.
- For the question, “What application did you submit?”, select “International Experience Canada”.
- Include the mandatory text in the “Tell us about your request” box. You must include the mandatory text
- Attach the following documents:
- proof of health insurance that
- includes both the insurance certificate and a document that explains what the plan covers
- If you only provide the certificate without coverage details, your application will be refused.
- clearly shows that it covers medical care, hospitalization and repatriation
- is valid for your entire stay
- is in English or French (or translated by a certified translator)
- includes both the insurance certificate and a document that explains what the plan covers
- a copy of your IEC work permit that was valid when you submitted your IEC work permit application
- proof of health insurance that
Mandatory text for all participants to include
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 received my POE letter of introduction and it is valid until [DATE].
My current contact information in Canada is as follows:
Telephone:
Mailing address:
Residential address:
Mandatory text to include based on your IEC category
Include the following text if you’re a Young Professionals and International Co-op participant:
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.
Include the following text if you’re a Working Holiday participant
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.
If you don’t meet these conditions, you must leave Canada and re-enter from a country or territory other than the US or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon to activate your work permit.
Withdrawing your application
You can withdraw your application and receive a refund if we haven’t issued you your POE letter of introduction.
To withdraw your application, contact us using the web form.
We’ll review your request. If it’s approved, we’ll refund your
- IEC fee, and
- open work permit fee (Working Holiday applicants only).
If your employer paid the employer compliance fee, they’ll also receive a refund.
You don’t have to do anything else to get your refund. Normally, you’ll receive it within 8 weeks of your application being withdrawn. Your refund will be issued to the credit card you used to pay the fees.
If you used a prepaid credit card, keep it for at least 18 months after you pay in case you need a refund.
If we can’t refund your payment to your credit card, we’ll issue a cheque.
You will not receive a refund if we learn that you misrepresented yourself (gave false information or left out important details).
If you’ve already received your POE letter of introduction
In most situations, you can’t withdraw your application or get a refund after you receive your POE letter of introduction.
However, you’re eligible for a refund only if:
- you’re a Young Professionals or International Co-op (Internship) participant, and
- your employer withdrew their offer of employment before you travelled to Canada.
If your employer withdraws your offer of employment, we’ll refuse your application and refund your IEC fee. We’ll also refund the employer compliance fee to your employer.
Your employer can withdraw their job offer through the Employer Portal.
If the “withdraw application” option isn’t available through the Employer Portal, your employer must give you a letter that states they’re withdrawing their job offer. To withdraw your application, submit a web form that explains your situation and attach the letter from your employer.
If your application is refused
You‘ll get a letter of explanation in your IRCC secure account.