International Experience Canada Program

International Experience Canada (IEC) is open to young people from participating countries and provides them the opportunity to travel, live and work in Canada.

Under the IEC program there are different types of work permit that may be available to a foreign national:

• Working Holiday program
• Young Professionals program
• International Co-op Internship

The availability of a program will depend on the country of citizenship of the foreign national. Some countries may only have one program, such as the Working Holiday program available for its citizens, while other countries may have all three programs available.

It is also important to note that each participating country has limits on the number of work permits that they can issue under the various programs. Therefore if you are interested in participating, it is important that you apply early as some programs fill up very quickly. 

Working Holiday Program

The Working Holiday program is the most popular work permit available under IEC. The Working Holiday program is an open work permit which allows a foreign national to travel and work in Canada in any position and in any location.

Young Professionals Program 

The Young Professionals program is open to those who have a job offer with a Canadian employer. The job offer must be in a high skilled occupation (National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A or B).

As a job offer is required for this program, the work permit that is issued is a closed work permit – meaning that the foreign national will be restricted to the occupation, employer and location indicated on the work permit.

International Co-op Internship

The International Co-op Internship program is open to those foreign nationals who wish to gain work experience in Canada in their field of study. The work permit is a closed work permit – and will therefore be restricted to the occupation, location and employer who is providing the internship opportunity.

The International Co-op Internship program is available to those who are currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution and who must complete a work placement or internship in order to complete their studies.

Eligibility 

The eligibly requirements for each participating country and program vary. If you are interested in participating, please contact us and we can discuss the programs available and your eligibility for an International Experience Canada work permit.