IEC Documents Checklist: What to Bring to Activate Your Work Permit

Are you moving to Canada to activate your International Experience Canada (IEC) visa? We know how stressful it can be preparing to move to a new country, including what IEC documents you need to bring. 

If you are unsure which IEC documents are required when you arrive, we have you covered! Scroll down to view the documents you need to activate your IEC visa and the information required for each document.

You should bring the following items with you in your carry-on luggae so you can present them to your customs officer with ease upon arrival:

The quick checklist (bring these in your carry-on)

1. Valid passport (ideally valid for your whole intended stay)

2. Port of Entry (POE) “Letter of Introduction” from IRCC (print or have it ready offline)

3. Proof of health insurance that covers medical care, hospitalization, and repatriation for the full length of your stay (policy certificate + wording)

4. Proof of funds (recent bank statement showing you can support yourself; issued within ~7 days is best practice)

5. Return/ onward ticket or extra funds to buy one

6. Copies of your IEC application documents (e.g., police cert, medical exam receipt if applicable, job offer number for Young Professionals/Co-op, etc.)

Why it matters: Your work permit won’t be issued for longer than your passport or your insurance is valid. If your insurance only covers 6 months, expect a 6-month work permit, even if you were eligible for longer.

The border officer must see a valid passport connected to your IEC application. 

Your IEC work permit length will match the expiry of your passport. So, if you have two years available and your passport expires before two years is up, you will receive a work permit valid until your passport expires.

You will receive the Port of Entry (POE) letter at the Final Decision stage of applying for an IEC visa. The letter is sometimes called the:

• Correspondance Letter

• Introduction Letter

• Introductory Letter

The POE letter is not the IEC visa work permit, and it does not authorize you to enter, remain, or work in Canada. Instead, it shows that you have been initially approved for a work permit. 

Once you provide the border services officer with all of the required documents, they will make the final decision on whether to grant you the IEC visa.

Your health insurance should cover you for the full length of your stay in Canada. The Canadian government requires your health insurance to have these three benefits:

• medical care;

• hospitalization; and

• Repatriation.

The good news is that BestQuote’s IEC visa insurance policies meet the requirements.

You can view all of your IEC health insurance options by generating a free IEC visa insurance quote on the left side of this page!

Please note: if your health insurance is valid for only part of your stay in Canada, your visa will match your insurance coverage period. For example, if you are eligible for a 1-year visa but only purchase 6-months insurance, you will receive a 6-month visa. So make sure to buy insurance for your whole stay! 

You may have to show you have the funds to stay in Canada for at least three months. The proof of funds should be a bank account statement which:

• is issued within one week of your arrival in Canada

• shows you have at least CAD 2,500 (or enough savings to sustain you for at least three months)

You need to let the border services officer know if you bring CAD 10,000 or more into Canada in the form of: 

• cash

• securities in bearer form (for example, stocks, bonds, debentures, treasury bills) or

• bankers’ drafts, cheques, travellers’ cheques or money orders

Have you applied for an IEC International Co-Op visa? If you plan to work in an unpaid internship, you may need to show proof of extra funds or financial resources.

These financial resources should cover expenses for your entire stay in Canada.

Alongside proof of funds, you must be able to show a border services offer that you have:

• a departure ticket from Canada; or

• enough funds available to buy a departure ticket.

It’s beneficial to take copies of the documents you submitted for your IEC visa application. These include but are not limited to, documents like:

• Police certificate(s)

• Medical exam

• Proof of residency

• Any other submitted IEC application documents