Q. What is the IEC program and how can I apply? Submitted by Thea A.
Canada has negotiated bilateral youth mobility agreements with more than 30 countries and territories. Under the International Experience Canada (IEC) program, foreign youth aged 18 to 35 can get a temporary work permit, allowing them to travel and work in Canada.
There are 3 different opportunities available under the IEC program:
Working Holiday
This category is for you if:
you don’t have a job offer
you want to work for more than one employer in Canada
you want to work in more than one location
you’d like to earn some money so that you can travel
The type of work permit you get for a Working Holiday is an open work permit. This lets you work for almost any employer in Canada (some exceptions apply).
Young Professionals
This category is for you if:
you have a job offer in Canada that contributes to your professional development
you’ll work for the same employer in the same location during your stay in Canada
The type of work permit you get in the Young Professionals category is an employer-specific work permit. The job you are offered in Canada must be classified as a National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill type or level 0, A, or B to be considered as contributing to your “professional development.”
International Co-op
This category is for you if:
you’re a student registered at a post-secondary institution
you have a job offer for a work placement or internship in Canada
you need to do this work placement or internship to complete your studies
you’ll work for the same employer in the same location during your stay in Canada
The type of work permit you get in the International Co-op (Internship) category is an employer-specific work permit. The internship you’re offered in Canada must be directly linked to your field of studies.
Who can participate?
your country or territory of citizenship must have a Youth Mobility Agreement with Canada or
you may be able to use a recognized organization
Some countries only allow you to participate once. Others allow you to participate twice but in different categories. Each country is different, so it’s important that you check to see if you’re eligible to apply.
Even if you’re issued an invitation to apply, you can’t participate more times than your country allows. After you submit your application, an officer will assess your eligibility, including your past participation, if any. Make sure you read and understand all the requirements before you submit an application.
Invitation to apply
Invitations to Apply are issued in the following order:
International Co-op (Internship)
Young Professionals
Working Holiday
If your profile is in an International Co-op (Internship) pool and Working Holiday pool, you’ll receive an Invitation to Apply for an International Co-op category. You’ll only receive an Invitation to Apply for a Working Holiday work permit if there are no spots left in the International Co-op (Internship) category.
If you’re not invited to apply you can stay in an IEC pool:
until we remove all profiles from the pools at the end of the season, or
you’re no longer eligible for IEC.
Some categories will run out of spots before the season closes. If that happens, we’ll stop accepting profiles for that pool. If your profile is in a pool for another category, you may still get an invitation to apply for that category. If you want to submit a profile to a different pool, withdraw your current profile and submit a new one. At the end of each season, the pools will be closed for at least two weeks while we prepare for the next season.
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About Us
Immigration Station Canada is a dedicated, professional Canadian Immigration firm practicing out of Northumberland County, just east of Toronto, Canada. We serve clients from Kingston, Belleville, Brighton, Cobourg, Oshawa, the GTA, Guelph, Milton, Stratford and St. Catharines and around the world. Our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, Anne C. McCaughey (Annie) is an experienced immigration services provider and a fifth-generation Canadian who values the immigration process and the unique individuals who immigrate to Canada to become part of the fabric of this wonderful country. If you would like to submit a question to Ask Annie, use the contact form.
How Can We Help? We do work permits, study permits, visitor visas, Express Entry, spousal sponsorship, family class sponsorship, and Canadian citizenship with expertise in Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications and Global Talent Stream applications. Please contact us if you would like assistance with your immigration application or to book an appointment.
