International Experience Canada allows international youths to come to Canada and work for two years. Individuals between 18 and 35 years of age can apply for IEC. International Experience Canada offers applicants the opportunity to gain international work experience and improve their language proficiency in English or French.
International Experience Canada is a program for international youth. It offers applicants the opportunity to temporarily work in Canada.
Youths from more than 30 countries are authorized an open work permit that allows them to work for any Canadian employer. IEC aims to build social, economic, and cultural ties between Canada and the participating countries.
To be eligible for International Experience Canada, the candidate must be between 18 and 35 years of age and a citizen of a country that has a Youth Mobility Agreement with Canada.
International Experience Canada is a series of programs that enables international youth to work in Canada. Candidates participating in the IEC programs can apply for a Canadian work permit without requiring a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) report. IEC allows candidates to stay temporarily in Canada through valid work permits for up to 1 year.
There are three types of work and travel experiences available for IEC candidates:
The processing fee for International Experience Canada is approximately CAD 180, and the application's processing time is 56 days.
The Working Holiday work permit is meant for candidates who:
The Working Holiday is an open work permit that allows applicants to work for any designated employer in Canada. Applicants are required to provide a medical certificate for jobs in healthcare, child care, elderly care, or primary and secondary education.
The Young Professionals visa is aimed at candidates who have a:
If the applicant is a citizen of one of the countries listed in the Youth Mobility Agreement, they are eligible to apply for more than 3 categories.
Candidates can apply for IEC themselves or through a recognized organization (RO) to sponsor their trip to Canada. In some cases, specific ROs help youths from non-partner countries apply for IEC.
A Canadian employer-specific work permit lets an IEC candidate work only for a single designated employer in Canada.
Thirty countries have partnered with Canada for Bilateral Youth Mobility Agreements. The countries are:
The eligibility requirements for International Experience Canada are given in the table below.
| Country | Working Holiday | Young Professionals | International Co-op | Age Limit |
| Andorra | Up to 12 months | NA | NA | 18-30 |
| Australia | Up to 24 months | Up to 24 months | Up to 12 months (unless it is the applicant’s second participation since 2015, in which case, 12 months) | 18-35 |
| Austria | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 6 months (internship or work placement must be in forestry, agriculture, or tourism) | 18-35 |
| Belgium | Up to 12 months | NA | NA | 18-30 |
| Chile | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Costa Rica | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Croatia | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Czech Republic | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Denmark | Up to 12 months | NA | NA | 18-35 |
| Estonia | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| France* | Up to 24 months | Up to 24 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Germany | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Greece | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Hong Kong | Up to 12 months | NA | NA | 18-30 |
| Ireland | Up to 24 months | Up to 24 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Italy | Up to 12 months ** | Up to 12 months ** | Up to 12 months ** | 18-35 |
| Japan | Up to 12 months | NA | NA | 18-30 |
| Latvia | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Lithuania | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Luxembourg | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-30 |
| Mexico | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-29 |
| Netherlands | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | NA | 18-30 |
| New Zealand | Up to 23 months | NA | NA | 18-35 |
| Norway | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Poland | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Portugal | Up to 24 months | Up to 24 months | Up to 24 months | 18-35 |
| San Marino | Up to 12 months | NA | NA | 18-35 |
| Slovakia | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Slovenia | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| South Korea | Up to 12 months | NA | NA | 18-30 |
| Spain | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Sweden | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-30 |
| Switzerland | N/A | Up to 18 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Taiwan | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Ukraine | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| United Kingdom | Up to 24 months | NA | NA | 18-30 |
The step-by-step procedure to apply for International Experience Canada is given below:
Step 1: Meet the eligibility criteria of IEC.
Step 2: Submit the profile, Canada work permit application, and biometric details.
Step 3: Pay the required fees
Step 4: Wait for the IEC Work Permit Assessment
Step 5: Travel to Canada
After the application for IEC is approved, candidates receive a POE or Port of Entry letter. This letter is a document for introduction to the account. It is not a work permit. To activate your permit, you need to leave Canada and re-enter.
The IEC work permit can only be extended to the validity mentioned by each country participating in the Youth Mobility Arrangement.
If the work permit has expired and a renewal application can be submitted, the candidate must be eligible for an extension.
you can change employers in IEC work permits if you have a Working Holiday work permit.
The Young Professionals and International Co-op (Internship) work permit does not facilitate changing employers.
For International Experience Canada, your health insurance must cover:
It must be valid for the entire duration of your stay in Canada.
Your spouse can apply for a Canadian Open Work Permit if you have a valid Canadian visa that supports Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) for dependent spouses or common-law partners. However, your spouse has to come to Canada on a dependent visa and then apply for a SOWP.
The processing fee for International Experience Canada is approximately CAD 180.
The processing time for IEC applications is 56 days.
You can work anywhere in Canada with a working holiday work permit from a recognized organization. The Working Holiday is an open work permit and does not restrict the candidate to a particular area.
