International Experience Class (IEC) allows youth to travel and work in Canada. Candidates who meet the eligibility requirements will be placed into one or more pools of International Experience Canada (IEC) candidates.
Who can apply?
To take part:
- The country or territory you're living in must have an agreement with Canada allowing you to apply for an IEC work permit, or
- You can also use a recognized organization (RO).
Besides the above requirements, you must also meet the eligibility requirements of your country and the IEC pool you have applied for.
While some countries allow you to join-in only once, other countries may allow you to join twice under different pools.
Dependents
Please note that your dependents cannot come live with you in Canada under the IEC program; but they can come visit you, or apply for a work/study permit in a separate application.
Travel and work experiences
You can choose any of the following three travel and work experience pools depending on your country of residence:
1. Working Holiday
You can support your vacation by working temporarily in Canada.
You are eligible for this category if:
- You don't have any job offer
- You wish to work with more than one employer
- You want to work in more than one location
- You want to earn some money to support your travel
2. Young Professionals
Brings to live opportunities to gains Canadian work experience that will add more value to your career. This Young Professionals work permit is employer specific, meaning that your employer must meet all labour laws in the province you are planning to work in; you could be a good candidate if:
- You hold a job offer for your professional development.
- You will work in the same location for the same employer during your stay in Canada.
Under this category, the work must be
- paid
- not self-employed
3. International Co-op (Internship)
A great opportunity to get international work experience within your field of study; you could be a candidate for this category if:
- You’re registered at a designated post-secondary institution
- You hold a job offer for placement or internship in Canada
- You need money to complete your studies
- You will work in the same location for the same employer during your stay in Canada.
The International Co-op work permit is employer-specific, meaning that the internship in Canada should be directly associated to your field of studies.
