About International Experience Canada
International Experience Canada (IEC) lets young people (generally 18–30 or 18–35, depending on your country) from over 35 partner countries with bilateral youth mobility agreements travel and work in Canada. Whether you’re eligible, and for which categories, depends entirely on your country of citizenship’s specific agreement with Canada.
The Three Categories
- Working Holiday — an open work permit, letting you work for almost any employer anywhere in Canada. No job offer needed before you apply.
- Young Professionals — an employer-specific work permit for career-relevant experience. Requires a pre-arranged job offer in your field of study or career path (generally NOC TEER 0–3, occasionally TEER 4 if tied to your field).
- International Co-op (Internship) — an employer-specific work permit for students completing a required work placement as part of their post-secondary program.
Depending on your country’s agreement, you may be eligible for one, two, or all three categories, and some countries allow more than one participation (e.g. two Working Holiday rounds).
How It Works
- Check your country’s eligibility and which categories are available to you
- Create an IEC profile and submit it to the relevant candidate pool(s)
- IRCC conducts periodic pool draws and issues invitations to apply
- Once invited, complete your work permit application within the response window
- Receive your Port of Entry Letter of Introduction — this is not the permit itself; your actual work permit is issued when you arrive in Canada
An eTA is generally issued automatically alongside your approved IEC work permit if you’re flying to Canada.
How We Help
IEC applications are largely self-service, but if you’re planning to transition from a Working Holiday into permanent residence afterward — through Canadian Experience Class, a Provincial Nominee Program, or spousal sponsorship — we can help you plan that path from the start.