All About International Experience Canada (IEC)

All About International Experience Canada (IEC)

Youths can travel and work in Canada for up to 2 years through International Experience Canada (IEC).

Types of work and travel experiences

There are 3 different kinds of work and travel experiences available:

Depending on where you live, you may be able to apply in one, two, or all three of the following groups:

1 . Working Holiday: 

This open work permit is very popular and gives you the freedom to travel and work in Canada for 12 months (or up to 24 months, based on where you are from). An open work permit isn’t tied to a certain job, so you can work anywhere in Canada for any company. A Working Holiday pass is different from most work visas in that you don’t even need a job offer to apply for it. (Dozens of countries signed bilateral Working Holiday program deals so that young people could travel and work in other countries. Read on…)

2 . Young professionals:

This work permit is a great way to get professional experience in Canada that is related to your field. First, you have to find a job in your field in Canada and get an official job offer. Depending on where you are from, you might be able to work in Canada for between 6 and 24 months.

3 . International Co-op job: 

With this work permit, students can do either a paid or unpaid job in Canada. In both cases, a work permit is needed. Depending on where they came from, students could stay in Canada for 6 to 12 months.

Interested? The first thing to do is see if you qualify for an IEC pass. Go to IEC eligibility and then choose your country and group.

Note that this guide is for candidates who speak English, so pay attention to any small print that might be different for your country. You should always go to the Government of Canada for official, up-to-date information. We don’t make the rules, we’re just here to explain them to you!

The five (5) steps of an IEC work permit application

Step 1: If you don’t already have an Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) account, you can make one with a GCKey user ID (a login for the Government of Canada) and a password. The process is easy and takes less than a minute. For more information, see sections 2 and 3 of this book.

Step 2: Once you’ve set up your account, you can apply in one or more areas. When you apply, you become a “candidate” and are put into a “pool.” Read parts 4–10 to find out more.

Step 3: Candidates in the Young Professionals or International Coop-op Internship categories should get an invitation in the next (or one of the next) “round of invitations,” as long as there are still spots open. About once a week, invites are sent out in groups. Things are a little harder for people who want to go on a Working Holiday. In this category, there are often more applicants than there are spots, so the Canadian government has to “select candidates at random from the pool and invite them to apply for a work permit.” That means you might have to wait a few months before you get a “Invitation to Apply”—if you get one at all. See sections 11-13 for more information.

Step 4: Once you get a “Invitation to Apply,” you must accept it and officially apply for the IEC permit by sending in the application, supporting documents, and fee. You have 10 days to decide if you want to accept an Invitation to Apply or not. If you accept an Invitation to Apply, you have 20 days to send your application online.

Step 5: Applicants for IEC now have to send in their fingerprints, which can only be done at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) or SCO (in Canada). You have 30 days from the time you get the request for biometrics to fill it out and send your receipt. Read section 25 for more information about this new rule.

Two ways to start the application process

You can start your application in two ways: by using the Come to Canada online tool or by making a direct account with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada.

Option 1 — Using the Come to Canada tool

If you don’t already have an account with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, you can use the Come to Canada online tool to start your application for an IEC work permit.

After answering a few questions about your plans in Canada and giving some general information, you will get a “personal reference code.” Write it down, because you’ll need it right away! Now, make an account with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada. Enter your personal reference code and ta da! You don’t have to enter your information again because the answers you gave in the Come to Canada tool are now in your immigration account.

First, let’s look at the application. Choose “IEC—Travel and Work.” Yes, you probably want to “visit” Canada and “work” here, but you have to choose “IEC — Travel and Work” at this stage.

IEC-Tutorial-What-would-you-like-to-do-in-Canada

Option 2 — Creating an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada account directly

If you already have an account with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, log in and click “Start an application” on the site. On the next page, click “International Experience Canada.” Mark “I do not have a personal reference code” and answer the questions in section 4 of this guide. You won’t get a personal reference code, which is fine because you won’t need it. You’ll finish your profile right in your Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada account.

Let’s start your application! Option 1’s first question is a little different from the first question. Since you’ve already chosen International Experience Canada, you won’t be asked what you want to do in Canada.

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