Working Holiday (IEC)

This program is for applicants 18 – 35 who want to come to Canada and work on a temporary basis (1 or 2 years).

Citizens of certain countries, with a bilateral youth mobility arrangement with Canada who are between 18 and 35 years old can get an Open Work Permit to work in Canada.

The IEC program has three categories:

Working Holiday
Young Professionals
International Co-op

Working Holiday

Successful applicants receive an open work permit, valid for one to two years. Open work permits allow participants to work anywhere in Canada for almost any Canadian employer.

Young Professionals

Citizens of participating countries can gain international experience by working for a Canadian company. A signed job offer letter or contract of employment with a Canadian employer is required before applying.The job offered must be classified as a National Occupation Code (NOC) Skill Type Level 0, A, or B. The job offer must also be relevant to their professional development.

International Co-op

This program allows citizens of participating countries who are enrolled at a post-secondary institution in their country of citizenship to spend a period of time interning for Canadian companies. Participants must arrange co-op placements with Canadian employers before applying. Applicants must be registered students for the duration of the internship.

Eligibility requirements for the IEC program

Candidates must:

Be a citizen (passport holder) of one of the 33 countries that have a bilateral youth mobility agreement with Canada;
Be between the ages of 18 and 30 or 35;
Have a valid passport for the duration of stay in Canada,
Have CAD $2,500 upon landing to help cover expenses;
Have health insurance for their stay in Canada;
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.