Individuals 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 application pool last December.
The IEC is a work permit program for young people from over 30 countries with which Canada has bilateral Youth Mobility Agreements. The program allows participants to live and work in Canada temporarily for a specific period. The target intake for 2024 is set at 90,000 applications.
Canadians are also eligible to apply to work and live in any of the countries participating in the International Experience Canada (IEC) program.
How does IEC work?
The IEC is a government work permit program designed for youth aged 18 to 35 (or 18 to 30 in some countries) to explore Canada while gaining valuable work experience abroad.
Similar to Canada’s Express Entry programs, candidates who meet the basic eligibility criteria must first submit an application to the IEC profile pool to be considered. From there, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will select candidates and invite them to apply for a work permit.
There is one pool for eligible candidates per country and per category.
Depending on the applicant's citizenship, some countries allow participants to apply for the program more than once in different categories. This varies by country, and candidates cannot participate more often than their country permits.
The IEC Streams
There are three streams under the IEC program:
1. International Co-op (Internship)
2. Young Professionals
3. Working Holiday
- International Co-op (Internship): This stream is for eligible young people to work as interns for Canadian companies. Applicants must have a co-op placement secured before applying for IEC.
- Young Professionals: This stream is for candidates with a job offer in Canada. It issues employer-specific work permits (also known as Labour Market Impact Assessment, or LMIA-based work permits) that allow participants to work for a single employer in Canada.
- Working Holiday: This stream offers open work permits, allowing participants to work for any employer in Canada for up to two years. It offers greater flexibility in terms of job location.
Once a candidate receives an invitation to apply (ITA), they have 20 days to submit their work permit application. The deadline will be confirmed in their online account with IRCC.
Arriving in Canada
In addition to their passport and Port of Entry Letter, IEC participants may need to provide proof of funds, health insurance, and a return ticket (or proof of sufficient funds to purchase one).
IRCC advises that candidates must show bank statements obtained no more than one week before their departure for Canada. The bank statement must demonstrate that the candidate has enough funds to support themselves for the first three months in Canada, or at least $2,500.
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