The Complete Guide To Applying For The IEC Working Holiday Visa Canada From UK: 2024!

If you want to live, work and travel in Canada for up to 2 years then you can apply for the International Experience Canada (IEC) which is Canada’s Working Holiday Visa. 

I have applied for and successfully entered Canada so I have written this 3700 word guide on how to apply for a working holiday visa in Canada.

Updated for 2024 for how to get a working holiday visa for Canada!

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About This Guide

I have written this very detailed guide on how to apply for the working visa Canada from my own experience of doing this process. I have included the basic steps and given thorough explanations of each step as well as giving definitions for the terms that are always thrown around. 

If you follow this application guide, you will find the process much more smooth as it can get quite complex. I read dozens of articles, guides and blogs but this is a one-stop shop with ALL the information you need to apply for your Canada Working Holiday Visa. 

FULL DISCLAIMER: I do not and have never worked for IRCC. I am in no way an advisor in an official capacity. This is a guide from my own personal experience. For the most up-to-date information and formal advice, always look on the Government of Canada / IRCC website. Any advice you take from this article is peer-to-peer advice only and your application and outcome is your responsibility.

The IEC Working Holiday Visa Canada From UK!

To start, jump to ‘Every Step to Applying for the IEC’ heading.

Who is This Working Holiday Canada Blog Post For?

This guide is the Canada working holiday visa for UK citizens. It is specifically written for UK citizens from my personal experience of applying for the visa as a UK citizen.

Although this guide is aimed at UK residents, the advice is similar for anyone who is eligible for the IEC so I’m sure you will find something useful here. Always refer to the IRCC website here and you can always email me on shireen@thehappydaystravels.com.

What is IEC / Working Holiday Canada / WHV Canada?

IEC stands for International Experience Canada visa and is commonly used throughout the process and anything regarding getting your working holiday Canada. I will use IEC in this article.

The IEC visa Canada provides an opportunity to work and travel in Canada for up to two years. This guide is for the IEC Working Holiday in Canada only but there are other routes people can take (Young Professionals and Internship).

IEC Canadian Working Holiday Visa

According to the Government advice, the Working Holiday IEC is if:

• you don’t have a job offer
• you want to work for more than one employer in Canada
• you want to work in more than one location
• you’d like to earn some money so that you can travel

This is the path to get an open work permit for a 1 or 2 year working visa Canada so you can work for most employers and almost anywhere in the country.

IEC Working Holiday Visa Canada Requirements

For UK citizens to get a Canadian work holiday visa, you must:

• Be between 18 and 30 years old
• Hold a passport that is valid beyond the 1 or 2 years in Canada
• Have no dependants accompanying you
• Be legally allowed to enter Canada
• Have proof of C$2,500 in your account on arrival
• Have valid travel insurance for the full 1 or 2 years of your stay
• Not do medical care or child care

The IEC working visa for Canada from UK is a lottery system and people are selected randomly to apply. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that you will be invited to apply but be patient and the earlier you submit a profile in the season, the higher chance you have of being invited to apply.

IEC in Canada Terms Explained

• Profile/MyCIC account: This is the initial form that you fill out which has all your essential information to create your MyCIC account.
• Pool: The Canada Working Holiday Pool is what you enter your profile into which can be pulled out at random to invite you to apply.
• Invitation to Apply (ITA)/ Letter of Invitation: This is a correspondence letter you will receive if you’ve been picked from the pool. It’s your ‘go ahead’ to start your work permit application.
• IEC Biometrics: Biometrics is submitting your fingerprints, ID and photograph to an official office of the Canadian Government and is an essential part of the application.
• Port of Entry Letter (POE): This is the golden ticket that will give you the go ahead to enter Canada and get a work permit. The final decision is made by border officials but this letter is essential.
• IRCC/CIC/Canadian Government: This is the official government and the website that is used to apply for the IEC. They are who will contact / correspond with you regarding your work permit application. IRCC is Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
• IEC travel and work meaning: You intend to come to Canada to travel and work throughout the 2 years to subsidise the travel. Put this as your reason for coming to Canada.
• Now read on for how to apply for working holiday visa Canada!

Every Step to Apply for a UK Working Holiday Visa Canada

This is the basic 13 steps to apply for working holiday visa Canada. Further on I will go into detail for each step.

Read and save this guide. Join the Facebook group ‘O Canada! IEC Working Holiday Discussion & Support‘ where you find lots of answers and can ask questions to help you apply for IEC Canada.

1. Fill out the ‘Come to Canada’ questionnaire to ensure you are eligible, applying for the right programme and get a reference number: https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/iec/eligibility.asp 
2. Create a profile, GCKey for your account and ‘Enter the Pool’ for your country.
3. Get all the documents that you can ready before you are invited to apply.
4. Wait for the ‘Invitation To Apply’ (ITA). This is at random. You will receive a letter to your account and an email informing you that you have a new message which will be the ITA.
5. Once you get the ITA, accept the invitation within 8 days (note: you are given 10 days but DO NOT leave it until the 10th day).
6. Apply for any police certificates you will need once you get the invitation (unless you can apply beforehand if you have left the country and not returned).
7. Once you accept the invitation, the timer starts. Submit your work application (including all information, documents and payment) within 18 days (note: you are given 20 days but DO NOT leave it until the 20th day).
8. After submitting the application, you will receive a letter to confirm your application has been received. You will then receive a ‘Biometrics’ letter with the deadline to submit your biometrics.
9. Once you receive the ‘Biometrics’ letter, book your Biometrics appointment within 25 days (again, you are given 30 days but don’t leave until 30th day). I advise to book this immediately because slots fill up and you may have to travel far, or even outside your home country, to do them.
10. *If needed* upload any other documents as and when you can. IRCC will send you a letter requesting any additional documents and a deadline to provide them in.
11. Once everything has been submitted, IRCC will make a decision about your work permit within 8 weeks.
12. If accepted, you will receive a ‘Port of Entry’ (POE) letter.
13. You have 1 year from the date you receive the POE letter to enter Canada and activate your work permit.

My Top Tips for Working Holiday Visa Canada UK

• Always refer to the official website for how to apply for IEC Canada working holiday visa from UK.
• Read this guide carefully to support you in applying. 
• Check your passport’s expiration date is beyond the date you intend to stay in Canada.
• Save all correspondence to your device/email that you get from IRCC!
• The IRCC website is glitchy so ALWAYS do what is requested at least 2 days before the deadline.
• Screenshot things like confirmation of documents provided, confirmation of payment, rules and official advice from IRCC.
• Keep a note of all dates and work them out for yourself.
• Make a note of your application number.
• Join the Facebook group for help.
• IEC is not a first come, first serve basis. It is a random lottery system. You can only submit an application when you are invited to apply.
• Merge all documents into one such as the police certificates using this free online tool as you only get one space to upload documents.
• Always be truthful on your application.

Canada Working Holiday Visa Application Expenses

• Visa and Biometrics fee: C$341+
• UK police certificate: minimum £55
• Other: cost of other country police certificates, medical if needed

After you’ve done the working holiday visa Canada application, think of these costs:

• Proof of funds to enter Canada: $2,500
• Onward flight or funds to cover an onward flight
• Flights to Canada
• Travel insurance: minimum £600 to cover the 2 years in Canada

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Applying for the IEC Working Holiday Visa Canada from UK

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Documents Needed for IEC Canada Application

• Digital photo
• Photocopy of your main passport page and all pages with stamps
• Family Form / IMM5707
• Canadian Resume
• Police certificates from everywhere you have lived for more than 6 months
• Court record (if applicable) 
• Client Information

The Canada IEC Application Steps Explained

Eligibility to Apply for Working Holiday Canada

The first step for applying for a canadian working holiday visa is completing a Come to Canada questionnaire IEC here:

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/iec/eligibility.asp

Select your country from the list, select ‘Working Holiday’ from the next list that will appear and then click go.

You will receive a reference code.

Create a Profile / MyCIC Account

Using the reference code, you can create a profile and GCKey. You will only have one MyCIC account regardless of how many pools you enter.

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Create your MyCIC profile

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GCKey

You will need a GCKey login in order to access your account/profile.

• To set it up, you need to provide an email, user ID and password, and 4 questions/answers. They will ask you a question every time you login.
• Website to log in – https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/account.html
• Click ‘sign in with GCKEY’ on that page and enter the info they ask for.

Enter the Canada Work Holiday Visa Pool

Once you have completed your profile you can enter the UK pool (this is also known as submitting a profile). Now you must wait until you are invited to apply for the Canadian working holiday visa UK but you can get IEC documents required in the meantime.

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Enter the pool and wait for Invitation to Apply

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Preparing Working Holiday Canada UK Documents

While waiting for an invitation to apply, there are some documents you can prepare in advance.

• Get a passport photo
• Scan in your passport page and all pages with stamps
• Merge the passport page and stamp pages into one document
• Complete the family form / IMM5707
• Create a Canadian-style resume
• Note all of your work history since you were 18 including unemployment and travel history
• Get police certificates from other countries (if applicable)

Invitation to Apply

Once you receive your invitation to apply, you have 10 days to accept this invitation on your MyCIC account. I advise to accept this before the 10th day. Yay, now you can apply for Canada working holiday visa!

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Accept invitation within 10 days

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As soon as I received my ITA, I applied for my police certificates straight away and then accepted the invitation.

To accept the invitation, click ‘Start Application’. Once this button has been clicked, the 20 day countdown will start to submit entire application.

Police Certificates

You must provide a police certificate for every country you have lived in for more than 6 months.

A UK police certificate must be issued within 6 months of applying so I advise to wait until you are invited to apply until you request a UK police certificate as you may not be invited to apply until 9 months down the line in which case you’ll need to re-apply for police certificate.

To get your UK police certificate visit ACCRO here: https://www.acro.police.uk/police-certificates.aspx.

Information needed for UK police certificate includes ID, all UK addresses and dates, proof of address, NI number, etc.

But if you have lived in another country for more than 6 months and have not returned to that country then you can get your police certificate at this stage.

Australia Police Certificate

To get a police certificate from Australia (if you are not a resident of this country), it is called a National Police Check and you can go to their website here: https://afpnationalpolicechecks.converga.com.au/

This cost me £23 for the certificate and it came to me via post within 3 weeks.

Note: You must also provide a driving history if you lived in the states of Victoria in Australia. To do this you must write to VicRoads (demerits@roads.vic.gov.au) and request a Victoria Full License History Search in order to apply for an IEC Visa. You must provide your address history in Victoria and attach a copy of your passport.

When you received the documents, merge your Australia police certificate and VicRoads letter into one document to upload to your application.

Interested In Working Abroad in Australia? See My Guide to Australia Working Holiday Visa and how to move to Australia here.

Submit IEC Work Permit Canada Application

Once you have clicked ‘Start Application’ you will be taken through a series of questions, a lot of which will already be inputted and cannot be changed, such as passport information.

You will need to provide your personal details, contact details, all work history (you must include every job you’ve had since 18 including unemployment dates), education history, background questions such as medical, type of job you want in Canada, military history and criminal history. 

IEC Working Holiday Canada Application Documents

Below are the documents you must upload for working holiday visa in Canada.

There is only space for one document per section so you must merge documents into one pdf before uploading, e.g. multiple police certificates.

If you do not have the documents in time of the 20 days to submit application then you can upload a receipt/proof of purchase or order in replacement of the document. You can then explain what you have done in your Client Information letter.

1) Digital photo

This is a passport-sized photograph that you need to provide.

2) Passport page and all pages with stamps

Your main passport page must show your name, photo and passport information.

If you have any stamps in your passport they must be scanned and provided. You can merge this with your main passport page into one pdf.

3) Family Form / IMM5707

This is a form provided by the IRCC that if you have adobe reader, you can download to complete or fill in online using a pdf filler and download as a pdf. If not, go to ‘O, Canada’ facebook page and you’ll find a copy under ‘Files’.

It must include your personal information, that of your mother and father, and declare that you do not have dependents travelling with you to Canada.

4) Canadian Resume

You must upload a resume in Canadian style which shows all your work history.

5) Court record (if applicable) 

This will only be generated if you click ‘yes’ to having a criminal record and your UK police certificate comes back as ‘no live trace’. This means you have to submit a ‘Subject Access Request’ form which you can get for free from the ACCRO website.

6) Client Information

This is your ‘Letter of Explanation’ which is your chance to explain any gaps in employment, travel history, family form gaps, criminal history and whether you have uploaded anything other than the required document in the documents section. For example, uploading a receipt of applying for police certificates as your police certificate has not yet arrived. In this case, you will be given an extension.

This is located under the ‘optional documents’ section.

7) Work History

You must input every job you have had since you were 18 on the application including dates. This must also be included on your Canadian Resume. Include any periods of unemployment and note any travelling periods as ‘unemployment’ and explain ‘Gaps of Employment’ on Resume and Client Information. There must not be any gaps without explanation.

8) Address History

You must add every address and dates you have lived in since you were 18. There must not be gaps.

9) Travel History

If you have travelled for long periods/backpacked/lived abroad then you need to remember police certificates should be provided for anywhere more than 6 months. If you have travelled, for example, 6 months in South East Asia including Thailand for 4 months, Laos for 1 month and Vietnam for 1 month, be sure that you don’t choose just 1 country for the whole 6 months or they will need police certificates. Be specific and write all dates and countries in the Client Information letter.

Pay Fees

The fees are below in Canadian dollars for your working holiday visa for Canada. You must pay these at the end of your application.

International Experience Canada Working Holiday participation fee	172
Open work permit holder	100
Biometrics	85+

Total cost for applying: CAN $361+

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Submit your Work Permit application and pay fees within 20 days

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You will soon receive a confirmation letter that your application has been received. Usually within 24 hours you will receive a letter to submit your biometrics. Book your biometrics appointment straight away as you have 30 days and slots run out quite quickly.

Book Biometrics

Biometrics means providing your fingerprints, ID and photographs at an official Visa Application Centre (VAC). There is only one place in the UK you can get this done. You can, however, get them done in other countries. For example, I got mine in London but my partner got his done in Prague!

Book your slot online, take your Biometrics letter and ID with you to the appointment (which takes about 5 minutes) and it will be sent to your application. Your MyCIC account should update within 24 hours (mine took a few hours).

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Get Biometrics done within 30 days

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You will then receive an update that your biometrics have been confirmed on your MyCIC account / work permit application. You will also receive a letter if you have any outstanding documents that must be uploaded and a deadline for this task.

How To Upload IEC Documents After Application is Submitted

As soon as you receive your documents, upload them to your MyCIC account. This is how:

• Click on ‘view submitted application or upload documents’
• Click ‘continue’
• Ensure they are all there (client information sometimes doesn’t appear but will at the end)
• Click ‘upload document’
• Provide following info: name, reference (use the number on the certificate without forward slashes), issue date (the date on letter) and expiry date (at least 1 year and 1 day after the issue date. I used 1 year, 1 month, 1 day after).
• Upload document (merge into one pdf if needed)
• Go back to your account and click ‘view submitted application or upload documents’
• Check it says ‘replacement provided’
• MAKE SURE IT IS SUBMITTED/PROVIDED, NOT JUST UPLOADED!
• Double check all documents are there and screenshot that it has been submitted.

Receive Your Port of Entry Letter

Within 8 weeks of submitting your biometrics and uploading outstanding documents, you will receive the decision from IRCC about your Canada working holiday visa from UK. If successful you will get your POE letter which is a provisional work permit to Canada.

Save and print this letter to take with you to the border when you arrive in Canada.

You now have 1 year to enter Canada and activate the International Experience Canada work permit.

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Congratulations on getting your work holiday visa Canada!

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My Working Holiday Permit Canada Application Experience

Basic timescales for the Canada holiday working visa are as follow:

Enter the pool, wait for invitation to apply, accept ITA in 10 days, submit application within 20 days of accepting ITA, complete biometrics within 30 days, receive POE, enter Canada within 1 year.

My personal experience of dates and times are as follows:

• Submitted my profile on 14.01.22 (first week the season opened)
• Received ITA on 19.01.22 (email at 12:15am GMT)
• Applied for UK police certificate on 19.01.22
• Accepted ITA on 23.01.22
• Applied for Australia police certificate on 24.01.22
• Emailed Australia VicRoads on 24.01.22
• Received VicRoads letter on 26.01.22
• Received UK police certificate on 29.01.22
• Submitted application on 01.02.22
• Received Biometrics Letter on 02.02.22
• Booked biometrics appointment on 03.02.22
• Attended Biometrics appointment on 04.02.22 (10am)
• Biometrics confirmed on application on 04.02.22 (4pm)
• IRCC sent me a request for Australia police certificate with deadline (as I only provided receipt / confirmation) on 04.02.22
• Received Australia police certificate on 10.02.2022
• Uploaded Australia police certificate (final document) on 11.02.2022
• Received Port of Entry Letter on 14.02.2022

All in all, it took exactly 1 month to get my holiday working visa for Canada.

IEC FAQ

• The imm5707 not working! Sometimes this happens but my advice is to try different browsers, check the time in Canada and if there is any maintenance going on, contact them if desperate and most importantly, start your process as soon as possible!
• How long is the IEC visa for? For UK citizens it is up to two years.
• What is the working holiday visa Canada cost? Total cost is C$341.
• What is the website to apply? https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/iec/eligibility.asp
• What month does the IEC application season start and end? In 2022, they started in January and is currently still open. The 2021 season opened in February and closed in November.
• What are the chances of getting a Canadian working holiday visa? Canada is opening more and more spots every year but the earlier you enter the IEC Canada Visa, the better your chances are of being invited.
• Can I apply for holiday working visa Canada more than once? It has been confirmed that UK citizens can do two IEC programmes. The first one is for 24 months and the second one is for 12 months (correct as of December 2023).
• What if I don’t get invited to apply working holiday visa Canada? If you don’t get invited to apply, you can enter the pools multiple years until you do. As soon as you receive the POE you are considered to have participated in the IEC.
• Can I enter more than one pool? Yes. When you complete the profile, IRCC will tell you which pools you are eligible for.
• Can I get a Canada working holiday visa UK over 30 years old? Yes, the IEC Canada age limit UK was just increased from 30 to 35. You must receive an ITA before you turn 35. The working holiday visa Canada age limit is 35 but this means you must be selected from a pool while you’re 35.
• Where can I find the family form? Type in ‘family form IMM5707’ into Google.
• My address on my POE is different to my current address, will it matter? No, you don’t need to update your address.
• Does the POE include my eTA? Yes! If you look at the bottom it will advise you that your eTA is valid and the expiration date.
• Can I apply for IEC from inside Canada? Yes but you must make it clear that you are in Canada legally.
• Can I activate work permit within Canada? No. If you are in Canada, you must leave and re-enter.

Read Next: How To Move to Canada On An IEC Working Holiday Visa!

If you want to know anything else about the application or a working visa for Canada, please feel free to email me and I’ll be happy to help with your Canada IEC visa application! 🙂

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