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How To Stay In Canada After IEC Working Holiday Visa

So you are planning to stay in Canada?

As you probably know there are few options available to stay in Canada after IEC, depending on what you are planning to do.

Moving to Canada on IEC soon? Make sure to join our new IEC Canada Visa group here.

Most common options to stay in Canada after working holiday visa IEC expires

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When your work permit is soon due to expire, you are probably considering the best way to extend your stay in Canada after your working holiday visa in Canda.

The government of Canada has a great tool which will help you clarify which programs you can apply for. To find out which visa is most suitable for you, please go to CIC website here.

The three most popular options include:

1. Stay In Canada After IEC As A Visitor.

This means you won’t be able to work, but you can still enjoy your time here and travel. You must apply for a visitor visa at least 30 days before your work permit expires.

Once you apply and your IEC expires, you are then on implied visitor status. You can’t leave Canada while waiting for the status confirmation, if you do so, you will lose the status.

If you decide to leave Canada before your status is approved, you can cancel the application. The application fee is currently at $100 per person.

The application fee is currently at $100 per person.
Once your application is approved, you can stay in the country for up to six months.

More details on how to apply and stay in Canada after IEC are available on Canadian Gov site here.

2. Apply For Young Professionals Program.

Stay in Canada after IEC. Express Entry Visa, Young Professionals Visa, Visitor Visa.

This type of visa is designed for young, post-secondary graduates who wish to pursue their careers in Canada. You need to have either a contract or at least a job offer from Canadian employer to be able to apply.

The job has to be within your area of expertise and field of study.

First, you need the same requirements as for the Working Holiday visa in Canada as well as your job offer must be classified as a National Occupation Code (NOC) Skill Type Level 0, A or B.

Unlike with WHV where you have an open work permit, the Young Professionals program allows you to work only with one employer who offered you the job.

After your visa is granted, given you are in Canada, you have to leave the country and re-enter the border to activate your YP visa.

3. Work In Canada Through The Express Entry Programme.

There is a lot of steps involved in the EEP, and it might be in your best interest to seek professional help.

The Express Entry program focuses mainly on skilled, experienced candidates who can for one of the following:

Federal Skilled Worker Program
Federal Skilled Trades Program
Canadian Experience Class

Depending on the amount of CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) points you have, the higher the chance of you getting the invitation.

The points are based on factors such as:
Skills, education, work experience, language ability as well as a job offer, degree or diploma you might have.

The invitations are only sent out to applicants with the highest scores. Once you receive the invite, you will have 90 days to complete all required information.

After you submit everything, it might take up to six months to receive the status.
The application process starts off very similar to IEC requiring  some of the following:

  • Passport with all pages that have stamps on them
  • Digital photo
  • Police Certificate from every country you spent 6+ months since 18 years old
  • Education information such as certificates, diplomas etc
  • Medical exam
  • Employment records

Stay in Canada after IEC. Express Entry Visa, Young Professionals Visa, Visitor Visa.

There are of course many other options out there for anyone looking to stay in Canadia after IEC. These are however the most common paths taken by working holiday visa holders.

If you are unsure what to do next and if you are eligible to stay in Canada under a different program we recommend checking with migration expert.

If you are planning to settle in Vancouver, make sure to read the 50 things we wish we knew before moving to Vancouver or our moving to Toronto guide here.

Sending money to or from Canada? Be sure to read our guide here or get your first five transfers for free with CurrencyFair here.

Heading over on IEC visa and researching future options? Read our IEC guide here.

How To Stay In Canada After IEC

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