Our RO IEC 2027 Season Waiting List started accepting applications from Wednesday, September 23, at 11:00 a.m. PDT (Vancouver, BC Time) and is now closed.
Due to the very limited quota available, we have reached the maximum number of applications we can accept on our waiting list. However, you can still submit your details for us to keep on file. If additional opportunities become available, we may contact you. Please remember that selection does not operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Before submitting your details, please carefully review all the information below to understand how the process works.
Since 2015, Stepwest has been a Recognized Organization (RO) under International Experience Canada (IEC); a status given by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Every year we are able to offer IEC RO Programs for participants from IEC countries.
As a Recognized Organization (RO) by the Government of Canada, we receive a limited annual quota for IEC RO work permits to help eligible international youth participate in the International Experience Canada (IEC) Program for the first time or under repeat participation.
We are able to help participants that hold a passport from any of the IEC countries that currently have a Youth Mobility Agreement with Canada to secure the following work permit categories:
Please keep in mind that the duration of your work permit under RO status will follow the Youth Mobility Agreement with your country of citizenship and Canada or in default the max. duration agreed between us, as a Recognized Organization and IEC.
In order to apply for any of our IEC RO Programs, you will need to meet the following requirements:
We offer limited spots for First Participation and Repeat Participation applicants under International Experience Canada.
*Important: We cannot assist citizens of non-IEC countries
You’ve probably guessed it, but First Participation is for participants that have never been able to secure an invitation or those who activated their IEC work permit but needed to leave Canada way sooner than planned. Please see some examples below:
Applicants who have previously participated in IEC and want to secure a new IEC work permit. Examples:
Important for in-Canada applicants: If you are currently in Canada, to qualify for Repeat Participation you must maintain valid legal status throughout the entire RO process. Please note that IEC work permits cannot be extended. Stepwest is not an immigration law firm or immigration consultancy and cannot advise you on which status or application is appropriate. Where required, you must consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or another authorized immigration representative.
A new IEC work permit application, even under RO status, will not provide you with maintained status during processing.
You must wait for us to open registrations for the IEC season. Each Season the requirements or opening date for our waiting list can change, so keep an eye on this page for updates.
For you to have a general idea, this is how we normally accept applications. We do not assign spots first come first served. We review the profiles first.
Please take the time to review your resume and ensure it provides a clear and complete overview of your background, including your current location, education, work experience, current employment, email address, and contact number. Please include the city and country for every period of employment and education since you turned 18.
Please take the time to review your resume and ensure it provides a clear and complete overview of your background, including your current location, education, work experience, current employment, email address, and contact number. Please include the city and country for every period of employment and education since you turned 18. Your resume does not need to be perfect, but it should be as complete and up to date as possible. You can use the same type of resume you would prepare when applying for an IEC work permit.
➡️ Important: Applications submitted with an outdated or incomplete resume may not be considered. For example: If you are 28 years old but your resume includes only your current job from 2024 to the present, we will be missing approximately eight years of your background. If you spent a year living, working or studying in another country, make sure to include it. We simply want to have a clear and complete understanding of your background, as this information will be relevant to your IEC application.
2. Submit a Stepwest Application form
Once the Waiting List opens for the season, submit your application under the correct program (RO Working Holiday or RO Young Professionals) to join the Waiting List.
Joining the Waiting List is FREE, but it does NOT guarantee that our team will contact you or that you will receive a spot for the IEC season.
Our team will carefully review all applications. If your profile is selected and an appropriate spot is available within our quota, we will invite you to a free Consultation meeting to review your eligibility, confirm whether we can support you and explain the next steps.
We cannot contact every applicant who expresses interest in our RO program. Joining the Waiting List does not guarantee a spot for the IEC season.
Due to high demand and the limited number of spots available, not all applicants will be contacted. Some applicants may be contacted sooner than others, while some may wait several months. Although we begin reviewing applications early, we will continue contacting applicants throughout the following months, as IEC circumstances and availability may change.
If your application is selected, we will contact you by email and invite you to book a free video call with our team. ⚠️ Please check your inbox and spam or junk folders regularly in case our email is redirected.
Once contacted, you will have 72 hours from the time the email is sent to confirm your meeting date and time. If we do not receive your booking confirmation within this timeframe, your application will be removed from the Waiting List, and no further booking emails will be sent.
If you are removed from the Waiting List, you may reapply; however, you will need to restart the process, and your original place on the list cannot be restored.
Please have your passport and any previous Canadian permits available for review during your free video call. This meeting allows us to assess your eligibility, confirm whether your profile meets the requirements of the available spots, and determine whether we can support you.
This is a free, no-obligation meeting and does not represent a commitment from either the applicant or Stepwest to proceed with the application. Stepwest will never request payment before you have been officially accepted into the program and received registration instructions directly from us.
Acceptance into the program will be confirmed only after your mandatory eligibility meeting. If successful, you will receive an acceptance email and be required to submit information and documents on your end.
Kindly be advised: A fixed timeframe will be provided for the completion of all program registration steps, including program payment. Non-compliance with this deadline will result in the withdrawal of your application, and the offer of participation will be extended to the next eligible candidate on the waiting list.
If you miss the deadline and remain interested, you will need to join the Waiting List again. Your previous place on the Waiting List cannot be restored.
Our RO IEC 2027 Season Waiting List started accepting applications on Wednesday, September 23, at 11:00 a.m. PDT (Vancouver, BC Time) and is now closed.
Due to the very limited quota, we have reached the maximum number of applications we can accept on our waiting list. However, you can still submit your details for us to keep on file. If additional opportunities become available, we may contact you.
Please remember that it does not operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Selected applicants may be contacted at any time over the following months. Due to high demand and the limited number of spots available, we will not be able to contact or support every applicant who joins the Waiting List.
Joining does not guarantee that you will be contacted or offered a spot. Please note that other Recognized Organizations (ROs) can also be found here.
No, IEC deletes all profiles from one IEC Season to the other. So, if you are accepted into our RO program, you will need to create a brand new IEC profile under Stepwest and start from zero once the new IEC season begins. You can follow the steps here to create an IEC profile.
Try again! The regulation changed during IEC 2023. If you could not travel to Canada before your POE expired in the past, it no longer counts as a participation anymore. So apply again under regular IEC!
As outlined on the IRCC website here, you must wait until the POE has expired to create a new IEC profile to receive an Invitation to Apply.
Example: You are from Australia and you had a Port of Entry Letter (POE) for your Working Holiday valid for 12 months, but you never traveled to Canada. The POE has expired. You can now apply again, as your previous participation will not count! You are still eligible for a Working Holiday in Canada, no need to use a Recognized Organization.
If you’re selected, we’ll email you to book a meeting. After the meeting, if we determine that we can support your case, you will receive official confirmation of your acceptance by email.
Joining our waiting list is completely free, but it does not mean that we will be reaching out to offer you an RO spot. Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to respond to individual requests for application updates.
Yes. Just like the regular IEC pathway, when you get approved under RO status, you will have 12 months to activate your RO Port of Entry (POE) Letter.
You must have a valid status in Canada to be eligible to join our program and when going through the RO application process. So if you still have plenty of time on your current permit this is perfect timing for you to secure your RO work permit.
No, processing times are the exact same as under the regular IEC process (8 weeks). The benefit of applying under a Recognized Organization is that your Invitation to Apply (ITA) is guaranteed, and we will give you access to a permit that you might not otherwise be eligible for.
Absolutely not! Applying under a Recognized Organization does not mean you will be guaranteed an approval. Your application will be reviewed by IRCC, and you must be sure you comply with all requirements and provide all the required information before the deadlines. The last word will be on the IRCC Officer that reviews your application, so it ultimately will be up to the Government of Canada
No, it will not. When you apply under a RO the discontinuance requirement does not apply, as per the IRCC website.
Example: You are from Poland, and the regulation under IEC says that you must wait six months to apply again for a second work permit category. This will not apply under our IEC RO Program, as we will be able to help you right away!
As with the regular IEC pathway, you must still provide a mailing address in your home country, even if you are living abroad, as per the IRCC website instructions here.
Please note that Italian residency requirements are NOT waived by using a RO – In addition to a residential address, applicants must submit a valid a residence certificate (certificato di residenza).
35 years old, no matter the IEC country you are from. As long as you receive your Invitation to Apply (ITA) before your 36th birthday, we can help you! Even if under regular IEC you are only eligible until 30 years old.
Example: You are from Japan, Sweden or Netherlands, where the age limit is 30 years old. If you apply with a Recognized Organization, the age limit will be 35 years old instead.
It depends actually! Usually, Biometrics are valid for 10 years; yet, it is not always the case. This is why it is very important that you check your own Biometrics validity here.
⚠️ Important: Your work permit will never be issued for a longer period than your Biometrics, even if you are eligible for a longer work permit.
Example: You are from Ireland, and your Biometrics expire in Dec 2027. You receive a POE or approval letter in March 2026 and you activate your work permit right away with valid 2-year insurance. Instead of receiving a work permit for 2 years (until March 2028), your work permit will be issued only until Dec 2027 due to your Biometrics expiring by then. This cannot be corrected after the work permit is issued.
Therefore, if your biometrics expire sooner than the expected duration of your work permit, you MUST select “No” to the question: “Have you ever completed Biometrics before?” This will cause the IRCC system to trigger a request letter for you to complete Biometrics again!
This will ensure that the expiry of your biometrics does not limit the duration of your work permit.
Only if you submit a truthful application and provide all required documents to the Government of Canada, exactly as you would for a regular IEC work permit application.
This is why we hold a one-to-one meeting with all participants before any payment is made. We want to ensure you are eligible for the RO IEC work permit you are applying for. Please note, however, that your work permit application will ultimately be reviewed by an IRCC Officer. You must comply with all IRCC requirements and provide any information requested. Failure to do so, or providing false information in your application, may result in a refusal with no refund.
No. You will still need to go through the same process. Remember that you will not get maintained status during your RO work permit process, so you should apply for an extension as a visitor, at least 30 days before your current work permit expires. Remember that if you lose your status in Canada, we can not help!
You are correct – officially, IEC allows up to two participations under a Recognized Organization (RO). Repeat participation through an RO are permitted; however, at Stepwest we give priority to applicants who have never previously held a Recognized Organization IEC work permit. This ensures we can provide opportunities to as many different participants as possible.
Example: If you’re from Australia, you could spend up to 24 months in Canada on a regular IEC Working Holiday permit, and then another extra 24 months through a Recognized Organization (RO). That adds up to a total of 4 years of working holiday experience in Canada.
At Stepwest, if you’ve already had the full 4 years and you are part of our waiting list, we will give priority to an applicant from Australia who has only had the regular 24-month IEC Working Holiday permit. This way, we can create opportunities for participants who have had less time in Canada through IEC and make the program fairer for everyone.
Absolutely not. Maybe you did a working holiday in Canada in your early 20s and now you would like to return in your 30s. That’s fine, we can still help in your are outside of Canada.
Only if it is already a requirement under regular IEC for your country of citizenship or if you are planning to work in specific jobs that require a medical exam.
The regulation for RO participants is exactly the same as Regular IEC, so if your country of citizenship requires a medical exam, you will also need it for your RO application or if you are planning to work in a specific field. Learn more about the medical exam requirements here.
Yes, but you should have a new passport at the time of activation, so you can get the full duration of your work permit.
You can still apply for your RO work permit with your old passport and get approved, but make sure you start planning in advance so you can get a new passport for your RO work permit activation. This is especially the case if you are currently in Canada, as the process to get a new passport might take longer.
Remember, getting a new passport means that you will need a new Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). Learn more about getting a new passport through the IEC process here.
No, you can not. You still need insurance that covers you for your complete stay. Provincial plans in Canada are not eligible for IEC. Please learn everything about IEC insurance requirements here.
Insurance must be valid for the entire period of the work permit. Participants may present two consecutive health insurance policies if they are unable to purchase one policy covering the full duration.
⚠️ Please note: if the insurance coverage presented is shorter than the maximum duration of the work permit, the work permit will only be issued for the length of the insurance. In such cases, the work permit cannot be extended.
Only once you receive your approval letter or Port of Entry (POE) and you know the specific date you will be activating your RO work permit (example: date you will be landing in Canada). Please make sure to review the requirements of the insurance on IRCC website here.
You might need to! Take a look at this post where we explain everything you need to know about police certificates when applying under International Experience Canada (IEC).
You will need to leave Canada and re-enter in order to activate your IEC work permit. Please note that, since December 23, 2024, flagpoling is no longer permitted, so activation at a land border is not possible. This means you cannot activate your IEC work permit by travelling to the United States or St. Pierre and Miquelon and then re-entering Canada. Instead, you must re-enter Canada from another country or territory.
IRCC has a within-Canada process that allows eligible IEC participants to request that their work permit be issued and mailed to a Canadian address. However, this process is only available to participants who meet IRCC’s specific eligibility requirements. Please review the link above for further information about the requirements and application process.
Disclaimer: No Legal Advice Provided.
The material on our website and on this webpage is intended to provide only general information to our clients. Although we make our best efforts to ensure that the information found on our website is accurate and timely, do not, under any circumstances, rely on information found on our website as legal or immigration advice. We can not answer client-specific immigration-related questions or provide any immigration advice. For assistance with your specific inquiry, please contact IEC directly through the IRCC website or contact a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC).