International Experience Canada program is now open to welcome international youth to Canada
International youth
contribute valuable and diverse skills to Canada’s economy when they come from
abroad to gain meaningful work and life experiences here. Similarly, Canadian
youth benefit from working and travelling abroad and coming home with an
international perspective. The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that the International Experience Canada (IEC) season is now open to international
youth who have expressed interest in gaining work and travel experience in
Canada. Those who are already in the IEC pool will begin receiving invitations
to apply for their work permit.
This year, Canada will be extending this opportunity to nearly
90,000 international youth, as announced
on December 1, 2022. This expansion will help Canadian
employers find the workers they need to fill labour shortages across the
country.
Canada has a long-standing history of supporting Canadian and
international youth to travel and work abroad. IEC helps youth explore new
cultures, languages, and societies, all while developing life skills and
improving their job prospects for the future.
Quick facts
- IEC is a reciprocal program
that allows Canadian and international youth to work and travel in each
other’s countries.
- On December 19, 2022, the
IEC pools opened to allow international youth to create an
online profile.
- While Canadian youth can
apply for the program year-round, international candidates can only apply
at certain times of the year, typically December until fall. Canada has
youth mobility arrangements with 36 countries and foreign territories
through the IEC program that allow youth from Canada’s partner countries to
work and travel in Canada for up to 2 years. The age of participants
ranges from 18 to 35, depending on their country.
- The program has
3 participation categories:
1. Working Holiday participants
receive an open work permit that allows them to work anywhere in the host
country to support their travels.
2. International Co-op
(Internship) participants receive an employer-specific work permit that allows
students to gain targeted experience in their field of study.
3. Young Professionals participants
receive an employer-specific work permit to gain targeted, professional work
experience that is within their field of study or career path.
If you are interested to avail the
services of this program so you can reach to your dream country “Canada”,
please contact Acacia Immigration Services for more information.
