Young professionals from these countries have easier access to Canadian work permits

Early-career workers from countries across South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania can work in Canada by obtaining special work permits that can be issued for up to two years.

Citizens aged 18–35 or 18–30 of the following countries can qualify for priority-access work permits through the International Experience Canada (IEC) program:

Get help applying for an IEC work permit

Youth of some countries are limited to only one lifetime participation in the IEC, while other countries allow for the ability to apply for a second or even third participation.

Get help applying for an IEC work permit

Qualifying for an IEC work permit

In addition to age and nationality, a youth must also meet the following requirements:

• Have a round trip ticket prior to coming to Canada, or show the resources for purchasing their departure ticket.
• Purchase health insurance.
• Possess at least 2500 CAD to cover initial living expenses.

Applicants must also have a travel document such as a passport valid for the duration of their stay, and meet Canada’s general admissibility requirements, such as not having a serious criminal record or burdensome medical conditions.

IEC work permit holders may not be accompanied by dependents.

IEC work permit options

Most foreign nationals in the IEC will be applying under the Working Holiday stream or Young Professionals stream.

The Working Holiday permit provides more flexibility but may be more difficult to obtain; the Young Professionals work permit is more restrictive, but often provides a greater chance of success.

The Working Holiday permit is an open work permit, meaning that it is not tied to a particular employer or position. On a Working Holiday work permit, a holder is authorized to work for any Canadian employer, subject to the general work permit restrictions.

The Young Professionals work permit, on the other hand, is tied to a particular employer and to a particular position, and requires a signed job offer for a role that counts toward the worker’s professional development.

Obtaining an IEC work permit

Although IEC work permits are easier to obtain than many other work permits, often there is more demand for them than available permits, so they are allocated on a country-by-country basis through a lottery system, which issues invitations to apply to qualifying candidates.

Foreign nationals can look up their chances of success in the lottery on the federal government’s website.

To pursue a work permit through IEC, a foreign national must first receive an invitation to apply for one.

The first step is to create a profile on the Canadian government’s website, entering the IEC pool.

Then, you’ll wait to receive an invitation from the pool in an IEC draw.

After receiving an invitation to apply, you have up to 10 days to accept the invitation, then up to 20 days to respond with your complete application for an IEC work permit.

Depending on your country, you may also require a visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA) in order to enter Canada.

Processing times for work permit applications vary based on application volumes. As of the time of writing, the processing time for IEC work permits is five weeks.

The IEC pools for each year typically open in December of the preceding year, and begin issuing invitation in January.

IEC work permits are much easier to obtain than Canada’s general work permits, which are issued through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and require the employer to conduct a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

Get help applying for an IEC work permit