Testimonial by U.H. – Double Working Holiday chance & New PR test option

Hello World! Today we’d like to share a testimonial from one of our clients, who successfully switched from a short-term Study Permit  to a Working Holiday Visa and then – thanks to a recent regulation change – applied for a second Working Holiday Visa.

“After my short-term study program, I wanted to stay longer in Canada, so I changed to a Working Holiday Visa. At that time, I also had a PR consultation with Satoko-san although I thought it would be extremely hard to extend my stay in Canada any further.

Then Satoko-san told me that Japanese citizens are allowed to apply for a Working Holiday Visa twice due to the regulation change. I immediately asked for her help again with the application.

She always provides such careful support, and I am truly grateful. Everything has gone smoothly because of her. I look forward to her continuous support! (U.H.)”

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We have been supporting this client for the past two years. First, we assisted with her Study Permit extension, and last year we helped her to change her status to a Working Holiday Visa. This year, she also received PR consultation from us.

Even though PR applications are very increasingly competitive and challenging, our client was eager to find a way to stay longer in Canada. When the regulation changed allowing Japanese citizens to participate in the Working Holiday program twice, we immediately informed her of this opportunity and helped her apply again.

Immigration regulations in Canada change frequently, sometimes timing makes all the difference.  At our office, we continuously monitor the latest updates in immigration law and follow up with our past clients when new opportunities arise. Please feel free to reach out if you would like to consult with us.

Working Holiday: 2025 Application Status

As we shared in this blog last year, Japanese citizens can now participate in Canada’s Working Holiday program up to twice in a lifetime. For 2025, the quota remained 6,500, the same as in past years. However, applications closed early this August due to the surge in interest the following the new rule of “two-time” eligibility.
You can check the latest status on the official IRCC website:
https://ircc.canada.ca/english/work/iec/selections.asp?country=jp&cat=wh

Application status as of October 10, 2025
・Quota: 6,500
・First round of invitations: Week of January 27, 2025
・Final round of invitations: Week of October 20, 2025
・Invitations issued to date: 8,297
・Spots available: 0
・Candidates in the pool: 785

The 2026 guidelines are expected to be released later this year, and we hope to see an increase in quota beyond 6,500. Applications for 2026 are scheduled to open in January, so please review the process on the IRCC website here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec/become-candidate.html

PR Application Update

It was recently announced that TOEFL Essentials is now officially accepted for PR application along with IELTS, CELPIP, and PTE. Although the start date has not been announced yet, the official notice is already available on the ETS website:
https://www.ets.org/newsroom/toefl-essentials-canada.html

Since many Japanese applicants are already familiar with TOEFL, this is a welcome and convenient change. We will continue to share more updates on PR language requirements in this blog as more information becomes available.

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Since it becomes increasingly difficult to obtain a Study Permit or Permanent Residency in Canada, being able to join the Working Holiday twice is a valuable opportunity for young people to gain experience in Canada. Given the rising number of applicants, early preparation is key. 
If you would like support with your Working Holiday application or PR application, please don’t hesitate to contact us through our inquiry form.

“You are one step closer to Canada!”