International Experience Canada (IEC)
Overview
International Experience Canada (IEC) is Canada's bilateral youth mobility program. It allows young adults from countries with which Canada has a youth mobility or bilateral working holiday agreement to work and travel in Canada. IEC operates through an online pool-and-invite system managed by IRCC.
IEC has three categories:
- Working Holiday — an open work permit; the holder may work for any employer in Canada
- Young Professionals — an employer-specific work permit for persons who have a job offer in a skilled occupation (NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3)
- International Co-op — for full-time post-secondary students who have a placement or internship in Canada as part of their academic program
The available categories and the age limits, quotas, and bilateral conditions depend on the agreement between Canada and the applicant's country. Not all countries participate in all three categories.
Eligibility
General eligibility requirements for IEC:
- Be a citizen of an eligible country that has an IEC agreement with Canada
- Be within the eligible age range for the country and category (typically 18–35; exact range varies)
- Hold a valid passport from the eligible country
- Have sufficient funds to support yourself at the start of the stay (the minimum amount varies by category)
- Have health insurance for the duration of the stay
- Meet health and character requirements
- Not have previously participated in the same IEC category with Canada (some countries allow multiple participations; others do not)
Category-specific requirements
- Young Professionals — must have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer in a skilled occupation; the employer must submit a job offer through IRCC's employer portal
- International Co-op — must be enrolled full-time in a post-secondary institution and have a co-op or internship placement in Canada that is a mandatory part of the program
Selection criteria
IEC operates through a pool-and-invite system:
- Eligible applicants register a profile in the IEC pool for their country and desired category
- IRCC conducts draws from the pool and issues Invitations to Apply (ITAs)
- Draws may be random (Working Holiday) or based on job offer / co-op placement evidence (Young Professionals / Co-op)
- The number of ITAs issued per draw and per country is capped by the bilateral agreement for each country
Applicants are selected from the pool in order of their profile submission date (for Working Holiday) or on the basis of holding a valid job offer or placement (for the other categories). IRCC publishes draw results after each draw.
Application process
- Create an IEC profile — register in the IEC pool through the IRCC portal; submit the profile for the applicable country and category.
- Wait for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) — IRCC conducts draws periodically; successful pool candidates receive an ITA.
- Accept the ITA — applicants must accept within the specified deadline (typically a few days).
- Submit the work permit application — after accepting the ITA, submit the full application for a work permit with all supporting documents within the application window (typically 10 weeks).
- Biometrics and health checks — provide biometrics if required; a medical examination may be required.
- Receive the Port of Entry letter — if the application is approved, a letter of introduction is issued; the actual work permit is issued by the border services officer on entry to Canada.
Related programs
Notes
Australian citizens are eligible for IEC under the Working Holiday category (ages 18–35). The annual quota for Australians is one of the largest in the IEC program. Australians may participate in the Working Holiday category once, and the Young Professionals and International Co-op categories once each (subject to meeting the specific criteria).
IEC participation does not of itself lead to permanent residence. However, working in Canada on an IEC work permit in an eligible occupation accumulates Canadian work experience that may be used toward Express Entry eligibility (particularly the Canadian Experience Class).
The IEC program is seasonal — pools typically open in early January of each year, with the main draws occurring from approximately February to November. Draw schedules and quotas change annually.