IEC Visa For Couples, Groups or Friends – How to apply

IEC Visa for Couples/Friends: Rules, Options, and Tips

Obtaining a working visa at the same time for any of the International Experience Canada (IEC) programs is a tricky process, but not impossible,  and it is because eligible candidates are invited at random, which means you may get an invitation, but your spouse, partner, or friend does not, or vice versa.

One of you may be kept waiting months to receive an invitation, or may not receive one at all.

In other cases, you might be eligible for IEC, but your spouse, partner or friend may not be, on account of their age, citizenship, or previous participation. Nonetheless, there may be a way for you to live and work in Canada.

Let’s break down some ways to get around this obstacle so that you can enjoy Canada together. It will also cover situations where a group of friends wishes to move to Canada together through the IEC program.

One is eligible for IEC and receives an invitation, and the spouse/partner is not eligible for IEC

If one half of a couple gets an IEC invitation but the other does not, or can not, get an invitation, here are some pointers.

Open work permits for spouses and partners of IEC participants

In certain cases, the spouse or common-law partner of an International Experience Canada (IEC) participant may be eligible for a spousal open work permit, provided that the IEC participant holds an open work permit—such as those issued under the Working Holiday category. A common-law relationship refers to a couple (opposite- or same-sex) who have lived together continuously for at least one year.

For a spouse or partner to qualify for an open work permit, the IEC participant must (amongst other things):

• Be employed in Canada at the time of application OR have proof of a job offer if applying at the border at the same time.
• Work in a TEER 0 (management) or TEER 1 (professional) occupation, or in a select TEER 2 or TEER 3 occupation.
• Have at least 16 months remaining on their work permit.

You can learn more about new spousal open work permit requirements here.

One significant caveat

If both partners wish to enter Canada at the same time, the IEC participant must carry proof of a valid job offer. However, the decision to issue an open work permit at the border is at the discretion of the immigration officer. If the officer does not approve the request, the spouse or partner will need to apply after the IEC participant has started employment.

Getting a work permit this way is doable, but requires a more intricate knowledge of the Canada’s immigration and employment landscape than many other types of applications. For this reason, it may be a good idea to book a consultation with an experienced Canadian immigration consultant before applying. You can book a consultation right here.

Both are elegible, one IEC candidate receives an invitation, but the other remains in the IEC pool.

IEC candidates are invited to apply at random, in small batches over the course of the year. When asked what options a group of friends wishing to come to Canada together through the IEC program might have, a spokesperson from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) explained: “Each participant must submit their candidate profile based on their own merit. There is no mechanism to apply to the pool as a group . . . Invitations to apply will be offered throughout the year and will spread out that way.”

This raises the very really possibility of groups of friends being kept waiting for months to learn if they’ve all been successful in their application for an IEC visa. So then, how can you get around this?

Candidates advised to enter the IEC pool(s) early

Anyone interested in applying for an IEC work permit is advised to create their profile and enter the pool or pools they may be eligible for as early as possible.

An IRCC spokesperson explained that if a round opens when there is a low number of candidates in the pool, then all will receive an ITA if supply exceeds demand. Applying early exposes you to more rounds, and may increase your chance of success. The Moving2Canada IEC News Hub, updated weekly using official IRCC data, outlines candidates’ chances of being invited in an upcoming round, from ‘Very Low’ to ‘Excellent’. Getting your profile into the pool earlier increases your chances of being eligible for selection when your chances are somewhere between ‘Good’ and ‘Excellent’, rather than ‘Very Low’ to ‘Fair’.

Still waiting on an invitation? Get a job!

If someone in your group of friends isn’t being invited, simply because of the luck of the draw, he or she may be eligible through the IEC Young Professionals category (though this also depends on country of citizenship). This category is less well known than the Working Holiday, and requires a job offer.

Further Resources for IEC Candidates 

• Check your real-time odds of receiving an Invitation to Apply for IEC. 
• Learn more about the latest IEC draws and pool updates. 
• Increase your chances by applying for the best IEC program for your profile. Read our article about  Which IEC Category is Right for me?
• Improving your chances: Can You Enter More Than One IEC Pool at the Same Time? Find out here.
• For a step-by-step application guide, see our Working Holiday Visa in Canada overview
•  Why Health Insurance for Canada is one of the most important IEC requirements.
• Arriving in Canada on a working holiday
• Life tips & tricks for working holidaymakers in Canada

Join Our IEC Facebook Groups

• Join our IEC Working Holiday group on Facebook and share your questions and experiences with other participants.
• Get the latest updates by following us on  Moving2Canada Facebook page

Employment tips

• For construction and engineering jobs, visit our Outpost Recruitment agency
• How to adapt to the resume format in Canada (or ‘CV’)

Join the Moving2Canada Community

We have helped thousands of IEC applicants worldwide navigate the job search, immigration and settlement process in Canada.
Get job hunting resources, application checklists, exclusive offers from our partners, and much more just by joining the Moving2Canada community.