Canada RO Nomination + Working Holiday

Yes! If you apply under our RO Nomination + Working Holiday program, you are applying for a regular Working Holiday visa, you're just obtaining it a different way than when you apply on your own. You will receive an open work permit for Canada that allows you to work in any province or territory for any employer in nearly any position.

The application process is also mostly the same, with a few differences, all of which are laid out in our instruction guide. The length of time you will receive on your visa is still tied to your nationality, as listed on the IEC website.

Unfortunately, no. With the exception of United States citizens, we can only help those with a passport from one of the countries listed here. 

No. Joining the waitlist is completely free, and you are not obligated to participate in the program simply by joining the waitlist. No documents are required at this stage, but you will need to provide some information about your circumstances. You can join the wiatlist starting December 1 by clicking the button above under How to Apply!

You can apply for an IEC visa from anywhere in the world, including Canada. If you choose to remain in Canada during processing, you must always have valid status while you're here.

If you’re currently on an IEC visa that is expiring soon, submitting an application for a new IEC visa does not afford you maintained/implied status, and IEC visas are non-extendable. If you wish to remain in Canada after your visa expires and remain eligible for this program, you must apply for a visitor visa.

International Experience Canada (IEC) applications are not eligible for maintained status. This means you must apply for another type of status to remain in Canada during processing, such as a visitor visa. If you remain in Canada without valid status, you risk not being able to activate your new visa.

First of all, selection for the program is not guaranteed as visa spaces are highly limited. Timing also depends on where you end up on our waitlist, when IEC opens the pools, and how quickly we process applications.

If you are selected for the program, IEC processing of fully submitted visa applications can take up to 56 business days. While it can certainly be processed quicker than that, it’s never a guarantee. We recommend everyone anticipate the longest possible processing time, to be safe!

The quota for each country listed on the IEC website is completely separate from SWAP’s quota for RO Nominations. If you see additional spaces added under your country, this does not mean that SWAP has more spaces to offer your nationality. 

As with the regular IEC Working Holiday visa, you will have 12 months from the date of your visa approval to arrive in Canada and activate your work permit. You are not required to enter the country at any particular time of year. If you are currently in Canada with valid status, you can wait until you approach the expiry date of that status before activating this new visa.

Visa length is determined by your nationality, as with any other IEC participation. To find out how long your nationality is eligible for, please visit the IEC website.

As mentioned on the IEC website here, your dependents (partner, children, family members, etc) cannot come to Canada with you under the IEC program. They will need to apply separately for their own status in Canada.

Unfortunately, SWAP cannot advise on immigration programs outside IEC, so you will need to consult a licensed immigration professional for more information on your specific situation.

Yes! You can obtain a total of two (2) RO nominations in your lifetime, as long as you are of eligible age and nationality. These can be used for either the Working Holiday or Young Professional program (or a combination). You can find more details here.