The International Experience Canada 2024 application ends soon. IRCC opened the 2024 applicant pool for the International Experience Canada (IEC) program in December of last year. The deadline for applications is October 21. Young people from over 30 countries with Youth Mobility Agreements with Canada can apply for work permits through the IEC program. These visas allow recipients to live and work in Canada for a set period of time. The goal was to receive 90,000 applications by 2024. Canadians can also apply to live and work in any of these countries.
What is the process for applying to the IEC program?
The government work permit program allows young people aged 18 to 35 (or 18 to 30, depending on the country) to visit Canada while gaining valuable work and life experience abroad.
To be considered for the IEC profile pool, applicants must meet the basic eligibility criteria. After selecting applicants from the pool, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will invite them to apply for a work permit.
Each country and category has its own pool of eligible applicants.
Some countries allow applicants to participate in the program multiple times, under different categories, based on their citizenship. However, candidates cannot exceed the participation limits set by each country.
The streams
Candidates applying under the International Experience Canada (IEC) program have three options: Working Holiday, Young Professionals, and International Co-op (Internship).
Under the International Co-op (Internship) stream, citizens of eligible countries can enter Canada and work as interns for Canadian companies. Before completing their IEC application, applicants must secure a co-op placement.
Candidates may apply for employer-specific work permits, also known as labor market impact assessment (LMIA)-based work permits, under the Young Professionals stream. Applicants must have a job offer to be eligible and can only work for one employer while in Canada.
Candidates who choose the Working Holiday route are granted an open work permit, allowing them to work for most Canadian companies for up to two years. This stream offers more flexibility in terms of work location.
An applicant has 20 days from the time they receive and accept an ITA to complete and submit their work permit application. IRCC will confirm the application deadline on the candidate’s online account.
Landing in Canada
In addition to their passport and Port of Entry Letter, an IEC participant may be asked to provide proof of sufficient funds, health insurance, and a departure ticket from Canada (or the ability to purchase one).
IRCC requires candidates to submit bank statements that are no more than a week old upon arrival in Canada.
The candidate’s bank statement must demonstrate that they have the necessary funds, approximately $2,500, to cover the first three months of their stay in Canada.
