Moving to Canada 101

About the Process

International Experience Canada (IEC) gives youth the opportunity to travel and work in Canada for up to 2 years. There are 3 different kinds of work and travel experiences available.

Working Holiday

This category is for you if

• you don’t have a job offer
• you want to work for more than one employer in Canada
• you want to work in more than one location
• you’d like to earn some money so that you can travel

The type of work permit you get for Working Holiday is an open work permit. This lets you work for almost any employer in Canada (some exceptions apply).

You’ll need to get a medical exam first for some jobs.

Young Professional

This category is for you if

• you have a job offer in Canada that counts toward your professional development
• you’ll work for the same employer in the same location during your stay in Canada

Under this category, work must be

• paid
• not self-employed

The type of work permit you get in the Young Professionals category is an employer-specific work permit.

Your employer must meet all labour laws in the province or territory where you plan to work, including minimum wage requirements.

The job you’re offered must count toward your “professional development.” To count, the job must be classified under Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the NOC.

A TEER 4 job may qualify if it’s in your field of study. When you apply, you’ll need to submit your post-secondary

• diploma
• certificate or
• degree

It must be translated into English or French.

International Co-op (Internship)

This category is for you if

• you’re a student registered at a post-secondary institution
• you have a job offer for a work placement or internship in Canada
• you need to do this work placement or internship to complete your studies
• you’ll work for the same employer in the same location during your stay in Canada

The type of work permit you get in the International Co-op (Internship) category is an employer-specific work permit. The internship you’re offered in Canada must be directly linked to your field of studies.

Wages and labour standards must follow the labour laws in the province or territory you will be working in. The labour code of the province or territory will determine if an internship needs to be paid or not.

If you’re a citizen of a partner country, you may be able to apply to one or more of these 3 categories. If you aren’t a citizen of a partner country, you may still be able to apply to IEC through a recognized organization.

How the Pools Work

One IEC profile in multiple pools

You can only have 1 IEC profile at any time. However, you can be eligible for more than 1 IEC pool.

When you complete your profile, we’ll tell you which pools are available to you. You can submit your profile to any of these available pools. For example, you might be eligible to submit your profile to the Working Holiday and Young Professionals pools.

“You can only have 1 IEC profile at any time. However, you can be eligible for more than 1 IEC pool.”

How we issue Invitations to Apply

Invitations to Apply are issued in the following order:

1. International Co-op (Internship)
2. Young Professionals
3. Working Holiday

If your profile is in an International Co-op (Internship) pool and Working Holiday pool, you’ll receive an Invitation to Apply for an International Co-op category. You’ll only receive an Invitation to Apply for a Working Holiday work permit if there are no spots left in the International Co-op (Internship) category.