International Experience Canada (IEC) is Canada's youth mobility program — a framework of reciprocal agreements with participating countries and territories that allows young people from those countries to come to Canada to work and travel, and vice versa. IEC is not based on the standard employer-driven or skills-based immigration criteria — it is based on reciprocal Youth Mobility Agreements (YMAs) between Canada and participating countries.

IEC operates through three categories — Working Holiday, Young Professionals, and International Co-op — each with different work permit types and requirements. IEC work permits are LMIA-exempt. For current eligible countries, annual caps, and the IEC profile process, refer to the IRCC IEC page.

• Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s 205(b) and (c) — the LMIA exemption categories that underpin IEC work permits
• Youth Mobility Agreements (YMAs) — bilateral reciprocal agreements between Canada and participating countries
• IRCC: International Experience Canada — canada.ca/iec
• IRCC: IEC eligibility — canada.ca/iec-eligibility
• IRCC: IEC rounds of invitations — ircc.canada.ca/iec-selections

Eligibility — country and age

To participate in IEC, the applicant must be a citizen of a country or territory that has a Youth Mobility Agreement with Canada. Participating countries include Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and many others. The full list is published on the IRCC IEC eligibility page. The age requirement is 18 to 35 for most countries; for some countries the maximum age is 30 or 29 — the limit depends on the specific YMA. Age is assessed at the time the profile is created, not the work permit application date.

The three IEC categories

1. Working Holiday

The Working Holiday category grants an open work permit — the holder can work for any employer in Canada in any occupation without a job offer. It is the most flexible IEC category. Participants can also travel within Canada during the permit period. The permit is typically issued for 1 or 2 years depending on the country. Working Holiday is available through most YMAs.

2. Young Professionals

The Young Professionals category grants an employer-specific work permit for work that contributes to the applicant's professional development. The job must be classified under TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 of the NOC (a TEER 4 job may qualify if it is in the applicant's field of study). A job offer is required before applying. Young Professionals is available through some but not all YMAs.

3. International Co-op (Internship)

The International Co-op category is specifically for full-time post-secondary students who need a work placement or internship as a mandatory part of their studies outside Canada. It grants an employer-specific work permit. The applicant must be enrolled in a post-secondary institution abroad, and the work placement must be required by their study program. A job offer and evidence of the study program are required.

The profile and invitation process

IEC does not use a direct application — it uses a pool and invitation system:

1. Create an IEC profile: The applicant creates a profile in the IRCC online system, selecting the category/categories they are eligible for and entering their details
2. Enter the pool: Eligible profiles are placed in a pool for the relevant category and country
3. Receive an invitation: IRCC runs invitation rounds and randomly selects profiles from the pool (or uses other selection criteria depending on the country agreement) to receive an Invitation to Apply for an IEC work permit
4. Apply for the work permit: If invited, the applicant applies for the IEC work permit within the specified deadline

The number of IEC places available varies by country — it is set by the YMA with each country. Some countries have high caps relative to demand (almost all applicants receive an invitation); others have very competitive pools. For current invitation round statistics by country and category, refer to the IRCC IEC rounds of invitations page.

No LMIA required

IEC work permits are LMIA-exempt — employers do not need to conduct a Labour Market Impact Assessment before hiring an IEC holder. This significantly reduces the administrative burden for employers compared to hiring through the standard Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The exemption is based on Canada's international obligations under the YMAs.

IEC and pathway to permanent residence

IEC is a temporary work program — it does not directly lead to permanent residence. However, working in Canada on an IEC work permit can generate Canadian work experience that supports future Express Entry applications (particularly the Canadian Experience Class) or Provincial Nominee Program streams. Working Holiday holders who accumulate 12 months of skilled (TEER 0-3) full-time work experience in Canada may become eligible for the Canadian Experience Class.

The IEC program is managed annually — pools typically open at the start of the calendar year for each IEC season, and annual caps are set by each YMA. The availability of spots varies significantly by country. Some IEC categories (particularly Young Professionals and Co-op) require having a job offer in hand before applying, which can make them harder to access from outside Canada than the open Working Holiday category. For current participating countries, age limits, annual caps, and pool status, refer to the IRCC IEC eligibility page.