Apply for the International Experience Canada (IEC)
International Experience Canada (IEC) is a set of programs enabling young people from participating countries to travel to Canada to live and work temporarily. Foreign nationals who are successful through one of the IEC programs will be authorized to apply for a Canadian work permit without the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). IEC authorizes temporary stay in Canada, with the approval of work permits for a maximum of one year.
What is international Experience Canada (IEC)?
International Experience Canada (IEC) gives youth the opportunity to travel and work in Canada for up to 2 years. The IEC operates on an Expression of Interest/Invitation to Apply model. Eligible candidates create an IEC profile, but must receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) before they may submit an application. There are 3 different kinds of work and travel experiences available:
Working Holiday
This category is for you if you don't have a job offer, want to work for more than one employer in Canada, want to work in more than one location, and like to earn some money so that you can travel. The type of work permit you get for Working Holiday is an open work permit. This lets you work for almost any employer in Canada (some exceptions apply).
As the Working Holiday program has relatively relaxed requirements, this program is incredibly popular. Canada approves predetermined quotas of applicants for this program on a per-country basis. Applicants interested in this program should verify the quotas for their country in order to gain an accurate understanding of their probability of success.
Young Professionals
This category is for you if you have a job offer in Canada that counts toward your professional development, and 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. Under this category, work must be paid and not self-employed.
Generally, a position must be National Occupation Classification (NOC) Skill Level 0, A, or B to be considered as contributing to professional development. Participating countries have varying quotas to be filled annually for this program. Interested applicants should verify quotas for their country to understand the probability of their success.
International Co-op (Internship)
This category is for you if you’re a student registered at a post-secondary institution, have a job offer for a work placement or internship in Canada, need to do this work placement or internship to complete your studies, and 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.
Interested applicants should consult the requirements for their country to verify exact application procedures as well as quotas for the program.
Who is eligible for International Experience Canada?
It should be noted that while IEC encompasses these three programs, Canada has a unique relationship with each of the participating countries. For this reason, some participating countries may only offer one or two of the IEC programs, while others will offer all three options. To 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. Here’s the full list of participating countries in the International Experience Canada (IEC) work permit program:
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea Republic, Latvia Republic, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Kingdom.
If you’re from an IEC country or territory, you don’t have to use a Recognized Organization (RO), but you can choose to use one for more support. ROs are youth service organizations that offer work and travel support to youth. They can be non-profit, for profit, or educational. Most charge a fee for their services.
If your country of citizenship is not listed, you may still be able to apply to IEC through a recognized organization. Here are some of ROs:
AIESEC Canada is a non-profit organization that helps develop leadership in youth. Eligible to: IEC countries/territories, Brazil, India
GO International is a Canadian organization that offers work and travel opportunities. Eligible to: IEC countries/territories, the United States
IAESTE offers opportunities in technical career-related jobs. Eligible to: IEC countries and other IAESTE country partners
Some countries only allow you to participate once. Others allow you to participate twice, but in different categories. Because each country is different, it’s important that you check to see if you’re eligible to apply.
How do I get an IEC invitation?
To participate in International Experience Canada a foreign national must be within the accepted age range for their country’s program (maximum age of 35 years old) and their country of citizenship must have an agreement with Canada allowing the foreign national to apply for a work permit.
In order to participate, IEC hopefuls have to start by creating a profile in one of the IEC pools. The entire IEC application process is done using an online application system designed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). You have to begin by creating an account with IRCC. Then you can build your IEC profile and submit yourself to be considered for the IEC pools for which you’re eligible. Invitations are issued on a weekly basis using a randomized lottery system. If you receive an invitation, you can then submit an application for a Canadian work permit. You will have 20 days to submit a work permit application online using the IRCC web portal.
For Young Professional and International Coop categories,your employer needs to pay the $230 Employer Compliance Fee through the Employer Portal before your 20 days expire. Ask your employer to send you the offer of employment number they will get after they have paid their fees. You need this number to apply for your work permit.
What documents do I need for International Experience Canada?
You will only be asked to upload documents once you reach the stage of the application where you are applying for a work permit. But! You should review documentation requirements in advance so you can be sure they will have sufficient time to prepare the application. Take a look at the documents listed below to determine which ones you can start gathering ahead of time.
Police certificates
You’ll likely need to provide police certificates for countries in which you’ve spent six or more months in a row since you turned 18 years old. When processing your application, an officer might ask you for more police certificates. If you cannot get your police certificates before your application deadline, then you can upload proof you’ve applied for one.
CV/Resume
You’ll need to provide a copy of your curriculum vitae (CV) or resume. This is a document describing your education, qualifications, and work experience. Note that this particular document, at this stage, has no bearing on getting you a job in Canada. You can upload a basic resume here. (But later, when you’re actually looking for work in Canada, it’s crucial to have a great resume.
Passport
You must provide a clear, readable copy of your passport, and the country of citizenship indicated on your passport must be the same as the country whose IEC pool you are applying through.
Your passport must be valid at the time you submit your application and must remain valid when you enter and depart from Canada.
Your IEC work permit will not be issued for a period longer than the validity of your passport, so if your expiry date is occuring in the near future, you may want to consider renewing your passport before you apply.
Digital photo
You have to upload a digital photo of yourself.
The photo must show the full front view of your head and tops of shoulders with your face in the middle of the photo. The final photo frame size must be at least 35mm x 45mm and the size of your head must be between 31mm and 36mm. In pixels, the dimensions must be at least 420 x 540.
If you scan a photo you already have, it must have a minimum resolution of 600 PPI. The digital photo file format must be either JPEG or JPEG2000. It must have a file size of no less than 60 kB, with an ideal size of 240 kB. Finally, the image must be in colour (24 bits per pixel) in RGB colour space.
Be sure that you check the specs of your digital photo file before uploading. You can do this simply by right-clicking on the file on your desktop computer.
Family Information
With your application you will have to provide a completed “Family Information” form, also called the IMM 5707 form. This form requests information about your spouse or common-law partner, parents, and children.
Program-specific Documents
You may be required to submit the following documents if you are applying through a specific program or organization.
