EXTENDING IEC Working Holiday Visa

[LaTartiflette]

Hello Friends,

So I believe I have exhausted all avenues with staying in Canada. I only have 332 points (Express Entry) and my Visa runs out on the 31st January.

I'm still waiting to find out from current work place if they will sponsor me through BC PNP Tech Pilot programme, however in the meantime they said they will take me on for another 6 months when my contract runs out in February.

Question is, can I extend my working holiday visa for the amount of time they have given me extra?

I came across this page and believe this is where I should be going )choosing Your Job has been Extended from the drop down menu):

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec/extend-change.html

Any ideas? I also got offered a proposal for a sponsored job in return for $60,000. Seems a bit steep!

Thank you

 

[scylla]

Do you meet the requirements to extend? Do you hold a Young Professional or International Co-op work permit? If you're on a regular IEC / Working Holiday visa - you cannot extend.

The $60K thing is some kind of scam and illegal. Stay very far away.

 

[LaTartiflette]

Do you meet the requirements to extend? Do you hold a Young Professional or International Co-op work permit? If you're on a regular IEC / Working Holiday visa - you cannot extend.

The $60K thing is some kind of scam and illegal. Stay very far away.

^^Scam? Big Time! He said the Chinese are paying over $100,000 for the same thing.

I don't - but I hear many in the same boat as me are going through this process just so they can stay a few more months ??

I'm seeing a Canadian girl since August 2017, since we dont fall under Common law requirements, do you think they might frown upon marriage?

 

[scylla]

^^Scam? Big Time! He said the Chinese are paying over $100,000 for the same thing.

I don't - but I hear many in the same boat as me are going through this process just so they can stay a few more months ??

I'm seeing a Canadian girl since August 2017, since we dont fall under Common law requirements, do you think they might frown upon marriage?

You don't qualify for an extension. If you apply for one - you'll be creating problems for yourself (CIC regards this as an abuse of the visa process) and will complicate your plans for remaining in Canada. Here's what will happen: You'll apply for an extension that you don't qualify for. After a few weeks / months, CIC will refused the application as incomplete. This will put you out of status in Canada effective the day your IEC expired and will also mean that any work you did after your IEC expired will be classified as illegal work. You will then have to apply to restore your status in Canada (you cannot work during restoration, won't qualify for health care during this period, and can't apply for PR through the BC program while in restoration). Restoration can take up to four months to process with no guarantee of approval.

Marriage is certainly an option if you are in a genuine relationship. However simply getting married won't allow you to keep working or remain in Canada. Once you are married, your spouse would need to sponsor you for PR and include an open work permit with the application. Approximately four months after the completed application is submitted, the open work permit would be approved. IECs do not benefit from implied status, this means that you would still need to stop working from the time your IEC expires - and would only be able to start working again once the OWP is approved. This is likely the fastest route to get you working again after January 31st.

I don't see any options that would allow you to continue working without interruption.

 

[ajauncey]

Hi to the thread - this has been really helpful as I have a similar question to LaTartiflette. Scylla you seem very knowledgable! It would be great to have a couple more months to gain extra 'work experience' in Canada, therefore extra points, I had been thinking of trying to extend my IEC. But I gather from what you've said this is a no go. Is that correct?
Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Bs65]

You cannot extend your IEC as it is not extendable so you need to stop working on the day it expires and either leave the country on the day it expires or apply to extend your stay as a visitor. There is no way around this as far as an IEC is concerned as Scylla has explained although there are options that do not involve the IEC program itself.

Other people have tried to play the system by trying to extend an IEC and assumed they could continue working on implied status until a rejection but in each case ignorance of the rules would no defence in any future PR application should it come to light.

 

[scylla]

Hi to the thread - this has been really helpful as I have a similar question to LaTartiflette. Scylla you seem very knowledgable! It would be great to have a couple more months to gain extra 'work experience' in Canada, therefore extra points, I had been thinking of trying to extend my IEC. But I gather from what you've said this is a no go. Is that correct?
Thanks in advance for your help.

You cannot extend an IEC. If you try, any work experience gained after your IEC expires and while you're waiting to hear on the results of the extension application will be classified as working without authorization (i.e. illegal work).

Your options are to apply for another IEC (if your country allows it) or to secure a closed work permit by getting a job offer and approved LMIA from your employer.

 

[ajauncey]

Thank you both for your replies, really helpful...looks like I'll just have to hope for the best with the points I have and see what happens.

 

[aliciahud]

Hi guys
This seems to be the best place for information as everyone gives different answers.
I am currently on IEC exp 19 October. I applied for OWP and PR via Family Class (Spouse) inland July 26.
My employer really wants to keep me working after October 19 however my SIN will be expired so I know I cannot get paid.
Is there an option to work without getting paid?
Does this application for PR inland give me implied status to remain in Canada while I wait for my OWP or do I need to apply for a visitor visa? Im from New Zealand if thats any help.

I finally got through to the call centre and shes advised I will have implied status so can keep working and even sent me a document with information about implied status on it. She also advised to bank my hours and get paid once I get my new OWP. I do feel she did not take the IEC visa into consideration though.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bs65]

Hi guys
This seems to be the best place for information as everyone gives different answers.
I am currently on IEC exp 19 October. I applied for OWP and PR via Family Class (Spouse) inland July 26.
My employer really wants to keep me working after October 19 however my SIN will be expired so I know I cannot get paid.
Is there an option to work without getting paid?
Does this application for PR inland give me implied status to remain in Canada while I wait for my OWP or do I need to apply for a visitor visa? Im from New Zealand if thats any help.

I finally got through to the call centre and shes advised I will have implied status so can keep working and even sent me a document with information about implied status on it. She also advised to bank my hours and get paid once I get my new OWP. I do feel she did not take the IEC visa into consideration though.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

this has been discussed many times on here with the conclusion there is no implied status transitioning from an IEC given an IEC cannot like other work permit programs be extended.

Work is work paid or unpaid and if you do not have status that allows you to work that would be illegal even unpaid. Some people have said here that they continued working based on a discussion with the call centre until their OWP came through but guess that’s a personal decision.

The average time for inland spouse OWP has been quoted here about 4 months from application but in the mean time you probably need to apply to extend stay as a visitor.

Here another discussion about same subject https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/spousal-sponsorship-iec-implied-status.562839/

Above is only a personal view by the way so if necessary consult a professional immigration consultant.

 

[canuck78]

Definitely not allowed to work until you get you OWP. You have implied status to remain in Canada if you applied for spousal sponsorship with OWP but that is only to remain in Canada and not work. Many people get visitor status just in case there is a problem with the application and it gets returned and then you lose your implied status.

 

[aliciahud]

Thanks for the reply guys. I'll make sure my employer understands I need to go on unpaid leave until my OWP comes through.
Would I also be under the presumption if I have attached both my OWP and PR application to my online account I can rule out there being mistakes and it getting sent back to me?

 

[canuck78]

Thanks for the reply guys. I'll make sure my employer understands I need to go on unpaid leave until my OWP comes through.
Would I also be under the presumption if I have attached both my OWP and PR application to my online account I can rule out there being mistakes and it getting sent back to me?

Until you get AOR you can't assume that it will not be returned. The applications are usually returned if you miss a signature or if you miss that a form has been updated.

 

[aliciahud]

Until you get AOR you can't assume that it will not be returned. The applications are usually returned if you miss a signature or if you miss that a form has been updated.

Ah yes the immigration consultant at IRCC call center advised an AOR had been sent on Aug 23 to my husbands email which he said he didnt see so they are responding it to him. I should be about a month away from receiving my OWP according to the timelines so all of this stress could be for a couple of weeks unpaid leave which is nothing in reality.

 

[canuck78]

Ah yes the immigration consultant at IRCC call center advised an AOR had been sent on Aug 23 to my husbands email which he said he didnt see so they are responding it to him. I should be about a month away from receiving my OWP according to the timelines so all of this stress could be for a couple of weeks unpaid leave which is nothing in reality.

That's great. Great that you were able to apply before your IEC ran out. That's why most people end up running into problems when they think they can extend a WP until they get the next step figured out. Sounds like you don't need to change your status to visitor then since you already have AOR. Best of luck.