Port of Entry (POE) letters issued between January 1, 2019, and April 30, 2020, were eligible for a final extension only for requests submitted until December 31, 2021.
This measure was temporary due to COVID-19 and as of today, a POE or approval letter can not be extended anymore. Please refer to the IRCC website for more information.
Did you lose your POE and with it your chance to participate under IEC to secure a new working holiday in Canada? Stay tuned for our next RO season to check if we can help you under our Recognized Organization Programs! Check the details here.
Is your POE Letter for Canada about to expire? The current situation of COVID-19 is affecting all work permit applications and work experiences planned in Canada for 2020. International Experience Canada (IEC) is working to make sure you do not miss your IEC work opportunity in Canada.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis (March 2020), IEC announced a 90-day extension to everyone holding a POE Letter that was about to expire. In June 2020 IEC announced an additional 90-day extension. Now that this extension is nearly up, they have announced yet another extension.
A very important note: Canada is only giving this extension to those who have not yet activated their IEC work permit. This extension does not apply if you are already in Canada with a valid IEC work permit
The reason why IEC is providing these extensions is that as of May 8, 2020, anyone that wants to activate their Working Holiday work permit must have a valid job offer in Canada. Normally, having a job offer is not a requirement to activate your working holiday permit. However, IEC is aware that not everyone can get a job before their arrival in Canada. So for that reason, they are giving some extra time to activate your working holiday.
If you are one of the lucky ones to have a job offer then you might be eligible to enter Canada, but be sure you check all the requirements before booking a flight to Canada. Your job offer letter must include a note confirming that:
IEC has provided very simple instructions to request your POE extension. Complete an IRCC Webform providing as much information as possible.
No, you will not automatically receive this extension. You still need to request your extension through IEC’s webform and explain your situation the best you can. Describe why you will not be able to travel to Canada before the expiration date of your POE or your previous extension date.
Remember: Decisions on all extensions will be made on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of an immigration officer.
In your extension request, you need to explain your situation and why you cannot travel for as long as the extension that you are requesting. Decisions on the length of your extension will be made on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of an immigration officer.
No, in the latest update IEC confirmed that you could be eligible for a total extension of maximum 12 months, which means that if you already got 90 days, you could be eligible for the remaining time equalling to 12 months.
Your 1st extension: 90 days granted
Your 2nd extension: additional 90 days granted
Now you could be eligible for an additional 6 months before your POE expires.
YES, as long as you have a POE letter from IEC and any of the work permit category permits, then you are eligible to apply for the POE extension.
You can only submit your extension request 30 days before the expiration date of your POE. Do not complete the webform if you have more than 30 days, as IEC clearly requests here on their regular updates page.
No, you still have to wait 30 days in advance before your POE expires to apply for it.
My POE letter expires in February 2021, can I apply for an extension? No, this regulation of extension of POEs is valid currently but it could change at any time. It is not guaranteed that you will get your POE extension in January. Check this link to view the latest updates so you can plan accordingly.
No, these are measures that IEC is taking to make sure people don’t miss their opportunity to use their working holiday permit. International Experience Canada does not control the Canadian border closure.
This is done the exact same way as your previous extension requests. Make sure you explain your case by describing why the previous time given was not enough. You can support your request, attaching the extension letter that you received initially with the new deadline.
Until today many of our participants have received an email with the POE extension confirmation, but some applicants have received an update in their MyCIC accounts. Make sure you check your email and MyCIC account regularly for updates.
IEC is receiving a lot of applications, so be patient. They have even stated on their announcement page that even if you have not heard from them, it does not mean they haven’t received it.
You can also check the status of your request by calling the IRCC call center: 1-888-242-2100 (within Canada only).
No, you cannot apply again another year. Once IEC issues a POE it counts as participation and there won’t be any refund of the fees you paid to the Government of Canada. If you decide that you don’t want to travel anymore to Canada, you will lose your chance to participate in IEC under the same category of IEC work permit. Unless you are from a country that allows repeat participation under regular IEC like Chile or Croatia.
Stepwest offers working holiday programs where we guarantee you a job so you can focus on enjoying your experience in Canada! Enjoy the winter or summer season working at a resort in Whistler, Banff, Jasper, or Lake Louise.
If you’re more of a city person, check out our Working Holiday Vancouver Program and get assigned a personal job coordinator to secure interviews for you upon arrival.
For more information, send us a message in the form below with your trip details and we’ll get back to you to set up a call with our team.