The IEC program allows youth from 30 different countries to work in Canada for temporary periods at any employer. This program is created to reinforce the economic and cultural ties between Canada and partner countries.

Under the IEC program, applicants receive work permits that are Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) exempt.

To qualify under the IEC program, each country has different age requirements and job options for applicants to come and work in Canada. Ages may vary from 18 to 35 years old.

IEC participants can obtain a work permit through these different options:

• Working Holiday
• Young professionals
• International Co-op Internship

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway , Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

Candidates under this category will receive an Open Work Permit valid  for up to 24 months. This is an ideal category for applicants that don’t have a job offer, want to work for many Canadian employers at different locations.

This category allows young individuals to get Canadian work experience under an employer-specific work permit.

To apply, you need to have a valid job offer that matches your professional background and plan to work for the same employer while you stay in Canada. The job offer must be under a National Occupation Code (NOC) 0, A or B.