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
Country Upper-age limit Maximum lifetime participations*
Andorra 30 1
Australia 35 3
Austria 35 3
Belgium 30 1
Chile 35 2
Costa Rica 35 2
Croatia 35 2
Czech Republic 35 2
Denmark 35 1
Estonia 35 2
Finland 35 3
France 35 3
Germany 35 2
Greece 35 2
Hong Kong 30 1
Iceland 30 1
Ireland 35 3
Italy 35 2
Japan 30 2
Korea, Rep. 35 2
Latvia 35 2
Lithuania 35 2
Luxembourg 35 1
Netherlands 30 2
New Zealand 35 1
Norway 35 2
Poland 35 2
Portugal 35 1
San Marino 35 2
Slovakia 35 2
Slovenia 35 2
Spain 35 2
Sweden 30 2
Switzerland 35 2
Taiwan 35 1
United Kingdom 35 2
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).
