International Experience Canada: Extend your participation or change your work permit

My job has been extended

You can apply to extend your IEC participation if:

• you’re a Young Professional or International Co-op (Internship) participant
• you’ll be working for the same employer at the same location
• your job duties won’t change
• your original offer of employment was for a shorter amount of time than you’re eligible for, and
• your new offer of employment does not put you over the maximum amount of time that you’re eligible for
  • for example, if you’re eligible to work in Canada for 12 months and your first work permit was valid for 6 months, your new work permit can only be valid for a maximum of 6 more months.

You can’t extend your participation if you want to work for the same employer but in a different job or at a different address.

Fees

You don’t have to pay a new IEC or work permit fee.

In your letter of explanation, make sure you tell us that you’re fee exempt because you’re applying to extend your IEC participation.

How to extend your participation

1. Complete the work permit application
2. Include a letter of explanation telling us:
   • that you’re an International Experience Canada participant
   • you’re applying to extend your participation
   • you’re fee exempt, and
   • the reason why you’re applying to extend

3. Mail your completed application to the address below.

   Case Processing Centre Edmonton
   Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada
   c/o Work Permit- IEC Station 404
   Suite 55 9700 Jasper Avenue NW
   Edmonton AB T5J 4C3

If your work permit expires before we process your application, you’re authorized to

• stay in Canada and
• work under the same conditions of your original work permit until we process your application

You can only apply for an extension once per IEC participation.

If your application is approved the expiry date of your new work permit will match whichever comes first, the:

• expiry date of your passport
• expiry date of your healthcare insurance, or
• end date of your offer of employment

I want to change employers

If you have a work permit under the Working Holiday category, you have an open work permit. This means that you can change employers whenever you want or need to.

Under the Young Professionals and International Co-op (Internship) categories, you can only change your employer if you have a valid reason. Your new job must still meet the requirements of the Young Professionals or International Co-op categories.

Examples of valid reasons to change your employer include:

• you were working for a company that has closed
• you’re not receiving the wages you were promised
• your working conditions are not safe or as promised, or
• you have been fired or laid off

You can’t change your employer because:

• you’ve been offered better wages by a different employer
• you would like to work in a different location, or
• you do not like your job or employer

If you’re not eligible to change employers and stay in the IEC program, you may be eligible to apply for a different type of work permit.

How to change employers

1. Submit a request using the Web form.
2. Select “International Experience Canada” in the “Type of Application” drop-down menu.
3. Clearly explain the reasons why you need to change your employer and how your new job contributes to your professional development or studies.
4. Submit supporting documents to prove your claim.
5. Include a letter of offer from your new employer.

Your request to change employers will be assessed. If you have a valid reason and are still eligible for IEC, you will receive instructions on how to submit a new work permit application.

In some cases, we may need to involve law enforcement agencies to investigate your employer.

Your new work permit will only be valid for the time remaining on your current IEC work permit. For example, if you request a change three months into a 12-month approved stay, your new work permit will be valid for a maximum of 9 months. The 2 work permits will count as a single participation, even if you do not use the new work permit.

The expiry date on my work permit is wrong

You can only extend your participation if the expiry date on your work permit is wrong because we made an error.

You can’t extend your participation if, when you entered Canada, you didn’t have healthcare insurance for the entire duration of:

• your offer of employment, or
• the maximum length of stay listed in the agreement between Canada and your country

Your original work permit would not have been valid beyond the expiry date of your health insurance.

Fees

There are no fees to correct an error we made.

In your letter of explanation, make sure you tell us that you’re fee exempt because you’re applying to extend your IEC participation.

How to extend your participation

1. Complete the work permit application
2. Include a letter of explanation telling us:
   • that you’re an International Experience Canada participant
   • you’re applying to extend your participation
   • you’re fee exempt, and
   • the reason why you’re applying to extend

3. Mail your completed application to the address below.

   Case Processing Centre Edmonton
   Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada
   c/o Work Permit- IEC Station 404
   Suite 55 9700 Jasper Avenue NW
   Edmonton AB T5J 4C3

If your work permit expires before we process your application, you’re authorized to

• stay in Canada and
• work under the same conditions of your original work permit until we process your application

You can only apply for an extension once per IEC participation.

If your application is approved

The expiry date of your new work permit will match whichever comes first, the:

• expiry date of your passport
• expiry date of your healthcare insurance
• end date of your offer of employment (Young Professionals and International Co-op participants only), or
• last day of the maximum amount of time that you’re eligible for

For example, if you’re eligible to work in Canada for 12 months and your first work permit was valid for 6 months, your new work permit can only be valid for a maximum of 6 more months.

I got a new passport

You can apply to extend your participation if:

• your work permit was only valid until your passport expired
• your current work permit is not valid for the full period you’re eligible to stay in Canada, and
• you have been issued a new passport

Fees

You don’t have to pay any fees.

In your letter of explanation, make sure you tell us that you’re fee exempt because you’re applying to extend your IEC participation.

How to extend your participation

1. Complete the work permit application
2. Include a letter of explanation telling us:
   • that you’re an International Experience Canada participant
   • you’re applying to extend your participation
   • you’re fee exempt, and
   • the reason why you’re applying to extend

3. Mail your completed application to the address below.

   Case Processing Centre Edmonton
   Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada
   c/o Work Permit- IEC Station 404
   Suite 55 9700 Jasper Avenue NW
   Edmonton AB T5J 4C3

If your work permit expires before we process your application, you’re authorized to

• stay in Canada and
• work under the same conditions of your original work permit until we process your application

You can only apply for an extension once per IEC participation.

If your application is approved

The expiry date of your new work permit will match whichever comes first, the:

• expiry date of your passport
• expiry date of your healthcare insurance
• end date of your offer of employment (Young Professionals and International Co-op participants only), or
• last day of the maximum amount of time that you’re eligible for

For example, if you’re eligible to work in Canada for 12 months and your first work permit was valid for 6 months, your new work permit can only be valid for a maximum of 6 more months.

I need to remove medical restrictions

You need to remove medical restrictions if you

• have received a work permit or port of entry letter
• have not passed a medical exam and
• now want to work in a job that requires a medical exam

There are 2 ways to do this, depending on whether or not you’ve already arrived in Canada.

If you have a port of entry letter and haven’t left your country of residence

• Get an upfront medical exam, which means that you are getting a medical exam before you have been asked to do so by a visa officer.
• Bring proof that you have undergone the medical exam and give it to the border services officer when you enter Canada. The border services officer will be able to adjust the conditions on your work permit.

If you have a work permit and are already in Canada

• Get an upfront medical exam, which means that you are getting a medical exam before you have been asked to do so by a visa officer.
• Complete an application to change the conditions on your work permit.
  • You must submit a paper application. Do not submit your application online.
• Include a letter of explanation that asks to have the limiting conditions removed from your work permit.
  • For example: not authorized to work in child care, primary or secondary school, health service field occupations
• Pay the open work permit holder fee (if you are a Working Holiday participant).
  • You don’t need to pay the work permit processing fee or an IEC fee.

• Mail your completed application to

  Case Processing Centre Edmonton
  Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
  c/o Work Permit – IEC Station 404
  Suite 55 9700 Jasper Avenue NW
  Edmonton AB T5J 4C3

If your work permit expires before we process your application, you can keep working in Canada until you receive a decision on your application. This is known as maintained status.

I’ve extended my health insurance

If your health insurance was going to expire while you were still in Canada and you didn’t receive the maximum length of stay listed in the agreement between Canada and your country, you’re not able to apply to extend your work permit, even if you extend your health insurance after entering Canada.

It’s your responsibility to make sure you have adequate health insurance for the entire length of your stay in Canada before arriving in the country.

What to do when you’re not eligible to extend your International Experience Canada work permit

You can only extend your work permit if:

• your job has been extended
• you want to change employers
• the expiry date on your work permit is wrong
• you’ve received a new passport, or
• you need to remove medical restrictions

If this doesn’t apply to you and you want to stay in Canada as a worker, you have two options.

Option 1:

You can submit a new International Experience Canada profile and you may receive another invitation to apply, if

• you’re eligible for International Experience Canada, and
• your country of citizenship allows more than one participation.

Option 2:

Apply for another type of work permit.

If you apply for a new work permit, you should submit your application at least 30 days before your International Experience Canada work permit expires. This will ensure that you don’t lose legal status in Canada.

If your work permit expires before we process your application, you can keep working in Canada until you receive a decision on your application. This is known as maintained status.

If we refuse your application for a new work permit, you must leave Canada before the date indicated on the letter we send you.