Work and travel in Canada with International Experience Canada
If you’re 18 to 35 (18 to 30 in some countries), come work and travel in Canada. It’s a government program designed to help you
- gain valuable international work experience
- improve your language skills in English and French
- work in Canada and fund the trip of a lifetime
Are you eligible to get this Open Work Permit in Canada? Contact our Experts or visit-
What is the IEC Working Holiday Visa in Canada program?
It provides temporary work permits to young people from over 30 countries, so they can legally live and get a job in Canada. The permits are valid for either 12 or 24 months, depending on your country of citizenship.
Candidates must first create a profile, which notifies Canadian authorities of their desire to receive a working holiday visa in Canada. Successful candidates will receive an invitation to formally complete their application for a work permit, however this success is subject to eligibility and availability.
Who can apply?
View the full list of International Experience Canada participating countries, including the different categories of work permits that are available.
International Experience Canada participating countries
| Country | International Experience Canada Category | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity | Participation frequency in International Experience Canada | Medical Exam needed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andorra | Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 12 months | One participation | No |
| Australia | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 24 months | Two participations maximum in IEC. A participation of 24 months in either Working Holiday or Young Professionals; a second participation of 12 months in International Co-op. These two participations can be carried out in the order of the applicant’s choice. Exception: If you participated in IEC one or more times before 2015, you might be eligible for a final participation of up to 24 months in the category of your choice. | No |
| Young Professionals (Graduates) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 24 months | No | ||
| International Co-op | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 24 months (unless it is the applicant’s second participation since 2015, in which case, 12 months) | No | ||
| Austria | Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 12 months | Applicants are allowed 3 participations in total. No repeat categories are allowed. | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| International Co-op | 18-35 | Employer-specific Internship or work placement must be in forestry, agriculture, or tourism | 6 months | Must be a resident of Austria and must be registered as a student in forestry, agriculture or tourism or have graduated in 1 of those fields within the past 12 months. | No | |
| Belgium | Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 12 months | One participation | No |
| Chile | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is permitted | No |
| Young Professionals (Supplementary graduate training) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Young worker exchange program) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| Costa Rica | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two International Experience Canada participations. Repeat category is not permitted | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| Croatia | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two International Experience Canada participations. Repeat category is permitted. | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| Czech Republic | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| Denmark (Danish citizens who reside in Greenland and the Faroe Islands are also eligible) | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | One participation | No |
| Estonia | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two International Experience Canada participations. Repeat category is not permitted | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| France | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 24 months | Maximum of two participations. A participation of 24 months in either Working Holiday or Young Professionals or Young Professionals (VIE); a second participation of 12 months in International Co-op. Applicant can choose the order of these two participations. Exception: French citizens who participated prior to the 2015 quota year are eligible for one final participation in the category of their choosing. An applicant is considered to have participated prior to 2015 if their application(s) was submitted to any quota year prior to the launch of the 2015 quota year which took place on February 21, 2015. Those who have participated in IEC more than once before 2015 are no longer eligible. | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 24 months | No | ||
| Young Professionals – VIE | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 24 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Enrolment in a training centre in France is acceptable. | No | |
| Germany | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two times. Repeat category is not permitted. | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| Greece | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two International Experience Canada participations. Repeat category is not permitted | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| Hong Kong | Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 12 months | One participation | Yes |
| Ireland | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 24 months | To avail of two International Experience Canada participations, one must be under the International Co-op (Internship) category. | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 24 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| Italy | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 24 months (Total of two permits combined.) | No | |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 24 months (Total of two permits combined.) | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 24 months (Total of two permits combined.) | No | ||
| Japan | Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 12 months | One participation | No |
| Latvia | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted | Yes |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Yes | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Yes | ||
| Lithuania | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted | Yes |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Yes | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Yes | ||
| Luxembourg | Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 12 months | Awaiting details. | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-30 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-30 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| Mexico | The youth mobility agreement between Canada and Mexico is currently under review. As a result Invitations to Apply for an International Experience Canada permit are not being sent at this time. | No | ||||
| Netherlands | Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 12 months | Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-30 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| New Zealand | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 23 months | One participation (if you participated in IEC before April 2, 2015, you are no longer eligible to apply) | No |
| Norway | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| Poland | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| Portugal | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 24 months | One participation | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 24 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 24 months | No | ||
| San Marino | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations | No |
| Slovakia | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| Slovenia | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| South Korea | Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 12 months | One participation | Yes |
| Spain | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| Sweden | Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 12 months | Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted | No |
| Young Professionals | 18-30 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-30 | Employer-specific | 12 months | No | ||
| Switzerland | Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 18 months (Total duration of the two permits combined cannot exceed 18 months) | Two participations. Repeat category is permitted if the sum of the two participations is within the 18-month total limit. | No |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | No | |||
| Taiwan | Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | One participation | Yes |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Yes | ||
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Yes | ||
| Ukraine | The youth mobility agreement between Canada and Ukraine is currently under review. As a result Invitations to Apply for an International Experience Canada permit are not being sent at this time. | Yes | ||||
| United Kingdom | Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 24 months | One participation | No |
How does Working Holiday visa operate?
Draws take place at “regular intervals”, where candidates are selected at random to receive an invitation to apply for a work permit, until all places are filled for the year. This means you can create a profile and become a candidate at your leisure, any time after the opening date for your country.
However, your best bet is to become a candidate as early as possible for a working holiday visa in Canada, as this IEC category is particularly popular. This will expose you to a greater number of these draws.
You’ll be asked to enter one or more ‘pools’ as determined by country and work permit category. ‘Australia: Working Holiday’ and ‘Ireland: Young Professionals’ are examples of pools.
IRCC has committed to giving at least five days notice before each country’s and category’s final rounds of invitations, which will mark the closure of that pool for the season.
Here’s how to become a candidate, and receive an invitation to apply for an IEC working holiday visa in Canada.
Eligibility:
To be eligible for Working Holiday Visa in Canada, candidates must:
- Be a citizen (passport holder) of one of the 35 countries that have a “bilateral youth mobility agreement” with Canada. In other words, one of the International Experience Canada participating countries.
- Have a valid passport for the duration of the stay in Canada (the work permit issued will not be longer than the validity of the passport).
- Be between the ages of 18 and 30 or 35 (inclusive) at the time of application. The upper age limit depends on the applicant’s country of citizenship, as outlined in our International Experience Canada country list.
- Have the equivalent of at least CAD$2,500 on landing to help cover initial expenses.
- Be able to take out health insurance for the full duration of their Working Holiday Visa in Canada (participants may have to present evidence of this insurance at the point of entry in Canada). View providers and get quotes on our health insurance for Canada page.
- 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 dependants.
- Pay the appropriate fees, as outlined in the ‘Apply for a work permit’ section below.
- Citizens of certain countries are also required to be resident in their country of citizenship at the time they apply for their Working Holiday Visa in Canada. See residence requirements here.
Are you Interested to get this Open Work Permit in Canada? Contact our Experts! Our Immigration Consultants has acquired the knowledge and experience needed to help you successfully conclude your Immigration Case and make it as hassle free as possible.