For several months, I have been raising concerns with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) about a recurring issue affecting International Experience Canada (IEC) participants.
The problem was simple but serious.
Applicants who had applied for a Visitor Record to maintain their temporary resident status while waiting to activate a new IEC work permit were receiving letters stating that their Visitor Record application had been administratively withdrawn because they "currently hold a valid work permit."
The problem was that they didn't.
These applicants only held a Port of Entry (POE) Letter of Introduction, which is not a work permit and does not grant temporary resident status in Canada. Until an IEC work permit is activated, applicants remain dependent on their existing status or maintained status.
If a pending Visitor Record application was withdrawn at that stage, it created a real risk that applicants who had done everything correctly could lose their legal status through no fault of their own.
In March 2026, I brought this issue to IRCC's attention. At the time, IRCC acknowledged the concern and advised that it had referred the matter to the responsible processing office for review.
Unfortunately, the issue continued. As recently as July 2026, multiple IEC participants reported receiving the same administrative withdrawal letters. I contacted IRCC again with fresh examples and asked three key questions:
Does IRCC consider these applicants to have fallen out of status?
Will they have to declare an overstay on future immigration applications?
If they are considered out of status, what are they expected to do to remain compliant?
IRCC has now provided a clear response.
They confirmed that Visitor Record applications should not be withdrawn simply because a Port of Entry Letter has been issued under the IEC program.
Even more importantly, IRCC confirmed that:
Any Visitor Record withdrawals in these circumstances will be reversed for applicants who have not yet activated their IEC work permit.
Affected applicants will not be required to declare on future immigration applications that they remained in Canada without authorization or overstayed their status as a result of these withdrawals.
This is an important clarification for IEC participants, immigration representatives, and IRCC officers alike.
While the response was provided through the Immigration Representatives Mailbox as general guidance rather than a formal policy publication, it gives representatives a much clearer basis for advising clients who encounter this issue.
It also demonstrates that raising recurring administrative problems with IRCC can make a difference. What began as reports from a handful of affected applicants has now resulted in confirmation that the withdrawals should not have occurred and that affected applicants should not face negative immigration consequences because of them.
If you are an IEC participant whose Visitor Record application was withdrawn after receiving a Port of Entry Letter—but before activating your IEC work permit—you may wish to seek advice about whether your withdrawal falls within the circumstances described by IRCC.