January 10, 2017

For age from 18 to 30 or 35 years old -International Experience Class (So called Working Holiday Work Permit)

For a while, I wanted to re-visit this excellent program for young people aged from 18 years old to 30 or 35 years old (depending on where you are from).   It is relatively a simple and easy way to come and work in Canada compared to other work permit application categories.  If you are still in the young age, why do not take advance of this program and have an excited stay in Canada.  I used this International Experience Class (“IEC”) program and obtained a Working Holiday work permit at the age of 26.  I worked at a travel agency in Mississauga, Ontario for 5 months.  I lived with a lady from Trinidad-Tobacco and could meet people from different countries that I could not meet if I were in Japan.  It was a value changed experience.  Do not miss your chance to explore your life in Canada!

What is IEC ?

• IEC provides young individuals the opportunity to travel and work in Canada
• IEC is available in 33 countries that have a bilateral youth mobility agreement with Canada

To participate:

• your country of citizenship must have an agreement with Canada that allows you to apply for an IEC work permit.

The countries which have bilateral agreement with Canada are:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia

Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece

Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania

Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland

San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, U.K.

My country is not in the list?

If your country of citizenship is not in the list, you may be able to use a Recognized Organization to come to Canada. A Recognized Organization is a third-party Canadian organization that facilitates international travel and work opportunities for foreign nationals.

If your country is one of the 33 countries, depending on where you are from, you can choose from up to 3 travel and work experiences:

The IEC program is composed of 3 categories:

• Working Holiday (travel and work): Participants are eligible to apply for an open work permit to allow them to work for any employer or location in Canada
• Young Professionals (career development): Participants are eligible to apply for an employer-specific work permit to help them gain targeted experience in their profession or field of study.
• International Co-op (internships for students only): Participants in the internship category are eligible to apply for an employer-specific work permit to help them gain targeted experience in their field of study.

Eligibility requirements for the IEC program Candidates must:

• be a citizen of one of the 33 countries that have a bilateral youth mobility agreement with Canada;
• have a valid passport for the duration of their stay in Canada
• be between the ages of 18 and 30 or 35 at the time of application (the upper age limit depends on the applicant’s country of citizenship);
• have the equivalent of $2,500 CAN upon landing to help cover initial expenses;
• be able to take out health insurance for the duration of their stay;
• be admissible to Canada;
• have, prior to departure, a round-trip ticket or the financial resources to purchase a departure ticket for the end of their authorized stay in Canada,
• not be accompanied by dependents; and
• pay the appropriate fees.

IEC Overview

The length of each IEC type is specified in the 3 central columns and will depend on your nationality and the IEC type that you will apply.

Country	Working Holiday	Young Professionals	International Co-op	Age Limit
Australia	Up to 24 months	Up to 24 months	Up to 12 months	18-30
Austria	N/A	Up to 12 months	Up to 6 months	18-35
Belgium	Up to 12 months	N/A	N/A	18-30
Chile	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
Costa Rica	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
Croatia	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
Czech Republic	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
Denmark	Up to 12 months	N/A	N/A	18-35
Estonia	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
France	Up to 24 months	Up to 24 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
Germany	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
Greece	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
Hong Kong	Up to 12 months	N/A	N/A	18-30
Ireland	Up to 24 months	Up to 24 months	Up to 12 months	18-30
Italy	Up to 12 months (of which up to six months may be paid employment)	N/A	N/A	18-30
Japan	Up to 12 months	N/A	N/A	18-30
Korea	Up to 12 months	N/A	N/A	18-30
Latvia	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
Lithuania	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
Mexico	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-29
Netherlands	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	N/A	18-30
New Zealand	Up to 23 months	N/A	N/A	18-35
Norway	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
Poland	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
San Marino	Up to 12 months	N/A	N/A	18-35
Slovakia	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
Slovenia	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
Spain	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
Sweden	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-30
Switzerland	N/A	Up to 18 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
Taiwan	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
Ukraine	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	Up to 12 months	18-35
United Kingdom	Up to 24 months	N/A	N/A	18-30

IEC is an Expression of Interest model. Eligible candidates can create an IEC profile, but must receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) before they may submit an application.  Once they receive ITA, they can apply for a work permit application.

More details about IEC program from the IRCC website

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/iec/index.asp