Winter is coming. And with that, so are the final rounds of invitations for the 2016 Working Holiday Visa in Canada.
It’s been a good year so far, with a whopping 96,020 invitations sent to applicants already. Yes, that’s right, we did the math ourselves.
But it’s all coming to a close in the next few days. On September 21st, when routinely sending out another round of invitations, the CIC announced that the 2016 season will soon close.
The CIC released this statement on their website:
To be considered for the 2016 season, all profiles must be submitted before 9:00 am Eastern Daylight Time on September 30, 2016.
Once all invitations have been sent out, pools will close for the season and participants will begin receiving letters in their accounts. This letter will inform you that your profile has been removed. – CIC, September 2016
So what does this mean for all you hopeful people?
In short, you need to get your act together before September 30th, or wait until next season!
For those of you who are sitting in the pools – we’ve heard of a little hack through the grapevine that may help you to get that invitation before the rounds of invitations close.
Withdraw and apply again! Yes, it sounds a little unconventional, however, we’ve heard positive feedback from those who have done this – most saying that they received the invitation on the same day that they reapplied.
Unfortunately, it’s also bad news for citizens of Mexico and Ukraine, as they have not received any invitations from the 2016 pools.
It’s curious as to why citizens from Mexico and Ukraine have not received any invitations this year, but the IEC are not giving away much information on the subject, except for stating the below:
The youth mobility agreement between Canada and Mexico is currently under review. As a result, no Invitations to Apply will be sent at this time.
The youth mobility agreement between Canada and Ukraine is currently under review. As a result, no Invitations to Apply will be sent at this time.
The Good News: The 2017 Visa Season is opening sooner than anticipated
The CIC also revealed that the 2017 season will be opening in mid-October. Yay!
Next steps?
- You will either receive an Invitation to Apply, or receive a letter closing your account. Before this happens, you could withdraw your application and reapply on the same day. This may increase your chance of receiving an invitation with your new application.
- If you wish to take part in the 2017 pools, you will need to take the eligibility test and then create a new IEC profile. If you’ve forgotten how to do this – check out our guide here.
- Once the pools open, in mid October, you can enter the pools again. The waiting game will recommence at that stage.
Good luck with the final rounds of invitations for 2016!
Any questions? Comment below or message us on Facebook! 🙂
I am British and I am being told that applications for 2016 are closed. Is this true?
Hi Robert,
Yes this is true. The UK applications have been closed for a few weeks now. However, we are told by the IEC that they will open 2017 applications in mid October 2016, so hopefully you won’t have too long to wait!
Best,
Jane
Do Mexico and Ukraine have any chance this time for 2017 VISA season?
Hi Carlos,
We hope so, but we can’t be sure. Best thing to do here is to keep checking the CIC website!
Thanks
Jane
for the UK when do they close for the 2017 season?
Hey Max,
It’s likely they will be closing applications in October 2017!
Cheers
Jane
Hi!
I’m currently in Canada as a visitor to March, so let me know am i able to apply for an ICE visa whilst i’m within Canada? If i’m able, will i put Canada or my country as my current country of residence?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Job,
If you’re currently in Canada, you can still apply for a visa. Just be upfront about your location, and current place of residence! It’s no problem once you’re not working 🙂
Cheers,
Jane
Hi!
When will the final rounds of invations be announced? I am quit desperate to know anything.I applied over a month ago and havn´t heard anything. I am planing to go mid june so I really need to know since i have to buy a ticket. and if I dont get the working holiday visa i have to buy a ticket back home right away. but if I do get it i don´t have to buy it now I can wait.
Thank you
Hey Henriette,
The final rounds of invitations are likely to be in October 2017, unless the quota is filled before that time.
Unfortunately, it seems to be normal to be waiting a few months to hear anything back because it’s a lottery system, meaning that you are pulled from the pools at random. There is really nothing to do but wait until you receive your ITA.
Cheers,
Jane