Those interested in applying for the International Experience Canada (IEC) program have until October 21 to submit their applications.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) opened the 2024 pool last December.
The IEC is a work permit program for youth from more than 30 countries which have bilateral Youth Mobility Agreements with Canada. IEC work permits provide holders with a specific number of years to temporarily live and work in Canada. The intake target for 2024 was 90,000 applications.
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Canadians may also apply to work and live in any of these countries.
How does IEC work?
The government work permit program is designed for youth aged 18 to 35 (or 18 to 30 in some countries) to explore Canada while gaining valuable experience working and living abroad.
Much like Canada’s Express Entry programs, potential candidates who meet the basic eligibility criteria must submit an application to the IEC profile pool to be considered. From here, IRCC will then select a candidate’s profile and invite them to apply for a work permit.
There is one pool of eligible candidates per country and per category.
Depending on citizenship, some countries allow applicants to participate in the program more than once, in different categories. This varies by country and candidates are not allowed to participate more times than their country allows.
The streams
There are three streams candidates can apply for under IEC:
International Co-op (Internship);
Young Professionals; and
Working Holiday.
The International Co-ops (Internship) stream is for citizens of eligible countries to arrive in Canada and work as an intern for a Canadian company. IRCC says that applicants are required to have their co-op placement arranged before they apply for IEC.
Under the Young Professionals stream, candidates are issued employer-specific (also called Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)-based) work permits if they have a job offer lined up and will work for a single employer while they are in Canada.
Candidates may be granted a work permit under the Working Holiday stream. These are Open Work Permits which allow the holders to work for most employers in Canada for up to two years, and allow more flexibility in terms of location.
After a candidate has received and accepted an invitation to apply (ITA), they have 20 days to submit their work permit application. IRCC will confirm the deadline in the candidate’s online account.
Arriving in Canada
In addition to their passport and Port of Entry Letter, an IEC participant may be asked to show proof of funds, proof of health insurance, and a ticket for their departure from Canada (or proof that they have enough funds to purchase one).
IRCC notes that candidates need to show bank statements obtained no more than 1 week before their departure for Canada.
The bank statement must show that the candidate has enough money to support themselves for the first three months of their stay in Canada, or the equivalent of $2,500.
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