Early career workers from these countries can get LMIA-exempt work permits
Under the International Experience Canada (IEC), youth from countries that have bilateral Youth Mobility Agreements (bYMAs) can obtain one- to two-year work permits.
IEC work permits are exempt from Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs), making them quicker and easier to obtain than permits under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
Schedule a Free Work IEC Permit Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm
To qualify for the IEC program, citizens of participating countries must be aged 18–30 or 18–35, depending on their country of citizenship.
In some cases, you can participate in the IEC program more than once.
This article will cover
Which nationalities can qualify for IEC work permits and eligibility considerations;
What the IEC program is and its available categories; and
How to apply to the program.
Eligible nationalities
The table below outlines the maximum eligible age for youth participants by country, as well as the number of times someone can participate in the IEC program.
CountryUpper age limitNumber of times you may participate*
Andorra301
Australia353
Austria353
Belgium301
Chile352
Costa Rica352
Croatia352
Czech Republic352
Denmark351
Estonia352
Finland353
France353
Germany352
Greece352
Hong Kong301
Iceland302
Ireland353
Italy352
Japan302
Korea, Rep.352
Latvia352
Lithuania352
Luxembourg351
Netherlands302
New Zealand351
Norway352
Poland352
Portugal351
San Marino352
Slovakia352
Slovenia352
Spain352
Sweden302
Switzerland352
Taiwan351
United Kingdom352
Foreign nationals must be at least 18 years old to qualify, regardless of country or category.
*Each country will have unique considerations and stipulations pertaining to the number of times you can participate in the IEC program, including but not limited to only being able to participate once per category.
You can check whether there are any restrictions in place for your country and its available categories by visiting IRCC’s “Who can apply” webpage.
Eligibility
To qualify under the IEC program, you must
Be a citizen of a country or resident of a territory with a youth mobility agreement between your country and Canada;
Be at least 18 years of age, and up to 30 or 35 depending on your country of citizenship;
Have private health insurance for the full duration of your stay;
Have a passport that remains valid for the full duration of your stay;
Have at least $2,500 in available funds to support yourself during your initial three months; and
Have a round-trip ticket or the financial resources to purchase a departure ticket to leave Canada at the end of your stay.
In all cases, you need to be admissible (that is, not inadmissible) to Canada to gain entry and begin working under the IEC program.
In limited cases, youth from non-partner countries can participate in the IEC program with assistance from certain Canadian-based recognized organizations (ROs).
Schedule a Free Work IEC Permit Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm
About the International Experience Canada
The International Experience Canada (IEC) program enables young foreign nationals to obtain work permits under three specific streams, or categories.
These permits are made available through reciprocal international agreements that promote youth mobility, allowing participants from select countries to temporarily live and work in Canada, while offering Canadian youth equivalent opportunities abroad.
If you are a citizen of a country that has a youth mobility agreement with Canada, you may be eligible to apply for a Canadian work permit through one or more of the following International Experience Canada (IEC) categories:
Working Holiday;
Young Professionals; and
International Co-op (Internship).
Closed or open work permit?Job offer required?How competitive?Additional requirements
Working HolidayOpenNoVery competitiveN/A.
Young Professionals*ClosedYesNot very competitive-Job offer must fall under TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3, or TEER 4 related to your field of study.
-Cannot be self-employed.
International Co-op (Internship)*ClosedYesThe least competitive-Must be currently enrolled at a post-secondary institution.
-Job offer can be for a work placement or internship and is required to complete your studies.
-Internship must be directly linked to your field of study.
-Whether an internship needs to be paid is dependent on a province or territory’s labour code.
*Employment obtained must comply with local labor laws, including minimum wage rules, in the province or territory of work.
The Working Holiday category, in most countries, operates on a lottery system due to there being more demand than supply for IEC OWPs.
So, if you have a job offer, applying under the Young Professionals category instead typically gives you a much higher chance of success in obtaining an LMIA-exempt IEC work permit.
How to apply for the IEC
To be considered for an IEC work permit, you must complete and submit a candidate profile, which is then entered into one or more IEC candidate pools.
Based on the information included in your profile, IRCC will tell you which pools are available to you.
Once in the candidate pool(s), you can be selected for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for a work permit in the next round of IEC invitations.
To gain a sense of your chances of receiving an ITA in the next round of invitations, you can check the official IRCC “Rounds of invitations” webpage.
You will have 10 days to accept the ITA—and if you accept it, 20 days to apply for a work permit.
To apply for an IEC work permit, you must do the following:
Complete the online form in your IRCC secure account.
Provide the necessary documentation detailed in your personalized document checklist generated for your by IRCC.
Pay the necessary fees:
All participants must pay $179.75.
Working holiday participants must pay an additional $100 OWP holder fee.
Young professionals and International Co-op (Internship) participants must ensure their employer pays the required $230 employer compliance fee.
You may also be required to pay a biometrics fee ($85).
Submit your complete application.
IRCC aims to process IEC work permit applications within six weeks for the 2025 season.
If your work permit application is approved, IRCC will send you a Port of Entry (POE) letter to your online account.
Family members cannot be added to your application under the IEC program. If they want to join you in Canada, they must apply for their own IEC or non-IEC work permit, a study permit, or a visitor visa.
Schedule a Free Work IEC Permit Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm
