International Experience Canada (IEC) Program Undergoes Major Overhaul

Youth exchange program moves to Expression of Interest/Invitation to Apply system

Some pools already open, others scheduled to open within days

The 2015/16 application cycle for the International Experience Canada Program (IEC) has begun, with this IEC season seeing some significant changes from recent years.

Through the IEC program, young citizens from 32 countries that have a bilateral youth mobility arrangement with Canada have the opportunity to live and work in Canada across three categories: Working Holiday, Young Professionals, and International Co-op. 

What’s new?

Towards the end of November, 2015, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) announced updates to the IEC program. The main difference, compared with recent years, is that it will no longer operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Rather, eligible candidates will be able to create an IEC profile and enter a pool of candidates. An application for a work permit can only be made if a candidate receives an Invitation to Apply (ITA).

The type of pool(s) that a candidate find himself or herself in is determined by nation and by category. For example, Working Holiday candidates from Australia are in one pool, while Young Professionals candidates from France are in an entirely different pool. Moreover, countries that have more than one category (such as Australia and France) have separate pools for those categories. Accordingly, a citizen of Australia or France (for example) who is eligible for more than one category may be entered into more than one pool. Countries that have only one category, such as Korea, consequently have only one pool.

Some countries’ pools have already opened, with eligible candidates from those countries able to submit profiles, while other countries’ pools are scheduled to open imminently. A full list of participating countries, as well as their categories and the opening dates for their pool(s), can be found at the end of this article.

Working Holiday

The Working Holiday category has traditionally been the most popular portion of the IEC program, as it offers the advantage of an open work permit. An open work permit allows its bearer to work anywhere in Canada and for almost any Canadian employer.

CIC will select Working Holiday candidates from the pool at random and invite them to apply. Completing an online IEC profile and entering the Working Holiday pool does not guarantee that an ITA will be issued. Working holiday candidates may be in a pool for several months, and some candidates may not receive an ITA before the end of the season.

To be eligible for the Working Holiday category, candidates must:

• be a citizen (passport holder) of one of the 32 countries that have a bilateral youth mobility agreement with Canada;
• have a valid passport for the duration of their 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);
• have the equivalent of C$2,500 on landing to help cover initial expenses;
• be able to take out health insurance for the duration of their stay (participants may have to present evidence of this insurance at the point of entry 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; and
• not be accompanied by dependents.

Citizens of certain countries are also required to be resident in their country of citizenship at the time they apply to the IEC Working Holiday category.

Young Professionals

The Young Professionals category is designed for foreign youth, particularly post-secondary graduates, who wish to further their careers by gaining professional work experience in Canada. Participants must have a signed job offer letter or contract of employment with a Canadian employer before applying.

The employment offer must be within the applicant’s field of expertise, as proved by area of training or work experience, and contribute to  his or her professional development. The job offered in Canada must be classified as a National Occupation Code (NOC) Skill Type Level 0, A, or B. The requirements for the Working Holiday category, listed above, also apply to the Young Professionals category.

International Co-op (Internship)

The International Co-op (Internship) category is designed for foreign youth who are enrolled at a post-secondary institution in their country of citizenship. Applicants must want to complete a work placement or internship in Canada to fulfill part of their academic curriculum and be registered students in their home country for the duration of the internship.

Applicants must have a signed job offer letter or contract for a work placement or internship in Canada that meets the requirements of their academic curriculum in their country of citizenship. The requirements for the Working Holiday category, listed above, also apply to the International Co-op category. 

Candidates from the International Co-op (Internship) and Young Professionals pools may be invited to apply through regular draws. Candidates who complete an online IEC profile and enter the International Co-op and/or Young Professionals pool(s) will get an ITA, as long as there are spots available.

IEC steps

For candidates, the 2015/16 IEC season will operate as follows:

• Complete the Come to Canada questionnaire and, if eligible, get your personal reference code.
• Use this code to create your MyCIC account.
• Complete the remaining steps in the IEC profile builder.
• Submit your profile and choose the IEC pools you want to be in (some candidates may only be eligible for one pool).
• If you receive an ITA via MyCIC, you will have 10 days start your application or to decline the invitation. application process.
• If you choose to accept the ITA, you have 20 days from that day, regardless of whether you accept on day 1 or 10, to complete, pay and submit the work permit application.
• (Young Professional and International Co-op categories: before your 20 days expire, your employer needs to pay the $230 Employer Compliance Fee through the Employer Portal. Ask your employer to send you the offer of employment number they will get after they have paid their fees. You need this number to apply for your work permit.)
• Upload all supporting documents, including police and medical exam certificates, if applicable (if you don’t have the supporting documents, you can upload proof that you have applied to undertake a medical exam and that a police certificate request has been sent).
• Pay your participation fee of C$150.
• (Working Holiday Category: pay your open work permit holder fee of C$100 at this time as well.)
• At this point, CIC begins its temporary work permit application assessment. CIC may ask you to provide additional documents. This is the last chance to withdraw from IEC and obtain refunds.
• If the application is successful, a letter of introduction (LOI) will be sent to your MyCIC account. The official name of the document is ‘Port of Entry (POE) Introduction Letter’. This letter is to be presented upon arrival at a Port of Entry (such as an international airport) in Canada, whereupon a work permit may be obtained.
• Welcome to Canada!

Staying in Canada after an IEC visa expires

The opportunities provided by the IEC program lead many participants into wishing to extend their stay in Canada, or even make Canada their permanent home. To this end, participants may have a number of options.

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is an immigration program that provides an opportunity for individuals with Canadian work experience to immigrate permanently. IEC participants may also be eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) class or Federal Skilled Trades (FST) class.

All three of these immigration programs are processed through the Express Entry Canadian immigration selection system. IEC participants who are eligible to enter the Express Entry pool under one of these programs may find that they have certain advantages within the competitive Express Entry system. This may result their young age and level of education, as well as the possibility of having gained skilled work experience while in Canada.

IEC participants also have the opportunity to build relationships with Canadian employers and provincial communities. This can help when looking for a qualifying job offer or seeking an enhanced nomination from a Canadian province. If the candidate can obtain either of these, he or she will be awarded 600 Comprehensive Ranking System points and will receive an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence.

IEC participants with experience of living and working in the province of Quebec may be eligible to apply under either the Quebec Experience Program or the Quebec Skilled Worker Program, both of which lead to Canadian permanent residence. Neither of these programs are processed through the Express Entry system.

Individuals who have lived and worked in Canada through the IEC program, intend to do so in the future, or are doing so now may fill out a free assessment form that evaluates eligibility for permanent residence across more than 60 Canadian immigration programs.

IEC: An Overview For 2015/16

(If your country of citizenship is not on the list, you can connect with a recognized organization to learn about other travel and work opportunities in Canada.)

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