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Work and Travel in Canada with International Experience Canada (IEC) Program

Opportunity Detail

  • Gender MaleFemale
  • Level Non-Degree /Short program
  • Opportunity ID 70382
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Opportunity Description

Do you want to travel and Work in Canada?
Are you willing to learn and improve your English/French proficiency?
Do you want to gain international experience?

The government of Canada offers International Experience Canada (IEC) for those who are between 18 and 35 (18-30 in some countries) and willing to travel and work in Canada.  IEC provides the opportunity for young people to travel and work in Canada for up to two years and help them get the following benefits:

  • gain valuable international work experience
  • improve your language skills in English and French
  • work in Canada and fund the trip of a lifetime

Short details of the Canada IEC program:

  • Organizer: Government of Canada
  • Duration of stay in Canada: up to two years
  • Fees: CAD 172
  • Processing time: 6 weeks
  • Number of recognized organizations (RO): 8

There are three different types of work and travel experiences available under the IEC program:

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Working Holiday: 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). 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
  • Would like to earn some money so that you can travel.

 

  • Young Professionals: The type of work permit you get in the Young Professionals category is an employer-specific work permit. Your employer must meet all labour laws in the province or territory where you plan to work, including minimum wage requirements.This category is for you if you have the following condition:
    • you have a job offer in Canada that counts toward your professional development
    • you’ll work for the same employer in the same location during your stay in Canada
  • Under this category, work must be
    • paid
    • not self-employed

 

  • International Co-op (Internship): 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. Wages and labour standards must follow the labour laws in the province or territory you will be working in. The labour code of the province or territory will determine if an internship needs to be paid or not.

Related: Canada Atlantic Immigration Program for Skilled workers and International Graduates

Who can apply to the IEC program?

  • Applicants from partner countries (listed below) can apply. If your country is not an IEC partner country, you may still apply using a recognized organization (RO) which are approved 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.
  • Currently, the following are approved RO:
    • AIESEC Canada,
    • Go international,
    • International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE),
    • A-Way to Work/International Rural Exchange Canada Inc.,
    • Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN),
    • International Internship Network (IIN)
    • Stepwest,
    • SWAP Working Holidays
  • 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

Related: 500 Canada Visa through Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot for Refugees

List of Partner Countries for International Experience Canada

Country International Experience Canada Category Age eligibility Type of work permit Maximum validity Participation frequency in International Experience Canada Medical Exam needed?
Andorra Working Holiday 18-30 Open 12 months One participation No
Australia Working Holiday 18-35 Open 24 months Two participations maximum in IEC. A participation of 24 months in either Working Holiday or Young Professionals; a second participation of 12 months in International Co-op. These two participations can be carried out in the order of the applicant’s choice.
Exception: If you participated in IEC one or more times before 2015, you might be eligible for a final participation of up to 24 months in the category of your choice.		 No
Young Professionals (Graduates) 18-35 Employer-specific 24 months No
International Co-op 18-35 Employer-specific 24 months (unless it is the applicant’s second participation since 2015, in which case, 12 months) No
Austria Working Holiday 18-30 Open 12 months Applicants are allowed 3 participations in total. No repeat categories are allowed. No
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
International Co-op 18-35 Employer-specific Internship or work placement must be in forestry, agriculture, or tourism 6 months Must be a resident of Austria and must be registered as a student in forestry, agriculture or tourism or have graduated in 1 of those fields within the past 12 months. No
Belgium Working Holiday 18-30 Open 12 months One participation No
Chile Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months Two participations – Repeat category is permitted No
Young Professionals (Supplementary graduate training) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
International Co-op (Young worker exchange program) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
Costa Rica Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months Two International Experience Canada participations. Repeat category is not permitted No
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
Croatia Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months Two International Experience Canada participations. Repeat category is permitted. No
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
Czech Republic Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted No
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
Denmark (Danish citizens who reside in Greenland and the Faroe Islands are also eligible) Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months One participation No
Estonia Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months Two International Experience Canada participations. Repeat category is not permitted No
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
International Co-op  (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
France Working Holiday 18-35 Open 24 months Maximum of two participations.
A participation of 24 months in either Working Holiday or Young Professionals or Young Professionals (VIE); a second participation of 12 months in International Co-op. Applicant can choose the order of these two participations.
Exception: French citizens who participated prior to the 2015 quota year are eligible for one final participation in the category of their choosing. An applicant is considered to have participated prior to 2015 if their application(s) was submitted to any quota year prior to the launch of the 2015 quota year which took place on February 21, 2015. Those who have participated in IEC more than once before 2015 are no longer eligible.		 No
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 24 months No
Young Professionals – VIE 18-35 Employer-specific 24 months No
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months Enrolment in a training centre in France is acceptable. No
Germany Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months Two times. Repeat category is not permitted. No
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
Greece Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months Two International Experience Canada participations. Repeat category is not permitted No
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
Hong Kong Working Holiday 18-30 Open 12 months One participation Yes
Ireland Working Holiday 18-35 Open 24 months To avail of two International Experience Canada participations, one must be under the International Co-op (Internship) category. No
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 24 months No
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
Italy Working Holiday 18-35 Open 24 months (Total of two permits combined.) No
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 24 months (Total of two permits combined.) No
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 24 months (Total of two permits combined.) No
Japan Working Holiday 18-30 Open 12 months One participation No
Latvia Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted Yes
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months Yes
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months Yes
Lithuania Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted Yes
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months Yes
International Co-op  (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months Yes
Luxembourg Working Holiday 18-30 Open 12 months Awaiting details. No
Young Professionals 18-30 Employer-specific 12 months No
International Co-op  (Internship) 18-30 Employer-specific 12 months No
Mexico The youth mobility agreement between Canada and Mexico is currently under review. As a result Invitations to Apply for an International Experience Canada permit are not being sent at this time. No
Netherlands Working Holiday 18-30 Open 12 months Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted No
Young Professionals 18-30 Employer-specific 12 months No
New Zealand Working Holiday 18-35 Open 23 months One participation (if you participated in IEC before April 2, 2015, you are no longer eligible to apply) No
Norway Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted No
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
Poland Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted No
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
Portugal Working Holiday 18-35 Open 24 months One participation No
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 24 months No
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 24 months No
San Marino Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months Two participations No
Slovakia Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted No
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
Slovenia Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted No
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
South Korea Working Holiday 18-30 Open 12 months One participation Yes
Spain Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted No
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months No
Sweden Working Holiday 18-30 Open 12 months Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted No
Young Professionals 18-30 Employer-specific 12 months No
International Co-op (Internship) 18-30 Employer-specific 12 months No
Switzerland Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 18 months (Total duration of the two permits combined cannot exceed 18 months) Two participations. Repeat category is permitted if the sum of the two participations is within the 18-month total limit. No
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific No
Taiwan Working Holiday 18-35 Open 12 months One participation Yes
Young Professionals 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months Yes
International Co-op (Internship) 18-35 Employer-specific 12 months Yes
Ukraine The youth mobility agreement between Canada and Ukraine is currently under review. As a result Invitations to Apply for an International Experience Canada permit are not being sent at this time. Yes
United Kingdom Working Holiday 18-30 Open 24 months One participation No

Related: Canada Atlatnic Immigration Program for Skilled workers and International Graduates

How to apply to International Experience Canada?

 

To apply to the International Experience Canada (IEC) program, follow the following steps:

  • Check if you are from a partner country or not. If you are from a partner country, check the requirement of your country to see if you are eligible.
  • If you are not a partner country, contact a Recognized organization that helps you plan a trip to Canada.
  • After being eligible, you can follow the steps below:
    1. Create your profile
    2. get an invitation to apply
    3. Apply for a work permit

Create Your account |  Check Your Eligibility here without sign in, and then follow the steps if you are eligible. 

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Note for Afghanistan and other applicants from non-IEC partner countries: the first step for you is to contact a recognized organization listed above and get a support letter. Then they will help you through the process.

Note 2: Applicants with refugee status who hold a travel document are not eligible to apply.

Note 3: Your family member can not come to Canada under IEC program, however, they can come and visit Canada if they meet the following requirements:

For Short term visits:

  • Your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children can come with you to Canada or visit you in Canada if they
  • meet all the requirements for temporary residents to Canada,
  • satisfy an immigration officer they will only stay in Canada temporarily,
  • can prove they have no criminal record, if necessary, and
  • Meet all the conditions for getting a temporary resident visa, if they are from a country or territory whose citizens require a visa to enter Canada as visitors.

Related:  Canada Provincial Nominee Program for Skilled Workers
 

Permanent travel to Canada:
Your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children can come with you to Canada if

  • you and your family members meet the eligibility requirements of your program (for example, you meet the income requirement to sponsor your family members),
  • your children qualify as dependants and
  • your family members are not inadmissible to Canada.

List of RO: 

 

Opportunities you may like: 

Banting International Postdoctoral Fellowships in Canada 2024/2025 (Up to $70,000)

Vanier Canada Graduate Governmental Scholarship 2023

University of Ottawa Admission Scholarships 2024-2025 in Canada

For more information, please visit the Canadian government website, Canada.ca.

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