International Experience Class Canada: Learn if you qualify for the Canada Working Holiday VISA
If you are interested in a working holiday in Canada, find out if the International experience Class (IEC) Working Holiday Visa is what you need.
The Canadian IEC Working Holiday Visa is a program that welcomes young professionals from around the globe for a paid work holiday. It gives foreign youth the opportunity to experience life in Canada while working and building a career.
This Working Holiday program is only available to citizens of countries (over 30 countries) that have consensual youth mobility agreement with Canada. It features three different categories, all of which offer a temporary work permit for a period of 12 to 24 months.
IEC Working Holiday VISA Programs
The IEC Working Holiday Visa program has different categories for applicants to choose from. With the exception of France which has four available categories, every other country has between one to three categories available to applicants.
The Working Holiday category
This is for young and vibrant individuals with the desire to visit Canada for a temporary vacation and tour. If you’d love to see every part of Canada on your visit, and experience living in the country while working for different employers, then this is the ideal program for you. With the Working Holiday VISA comes an Open Work Permit which is valid for either 12 or 24 months, depending on your country.
The Young Professionals category
This category is for foreign young professionals who wish to build their career by gaining professional work experience in Canada. To be considered eligible for a visa in this category, you must already have a job offer and a signed employment offer letter from a Canadian employer. This Visa comes with an Employer-specific Work Permit which is valid for the duration of your stay.
The International Co-op Internship category
The International Co-op internship is open to only post-secondary students. Applicants must already have a Canadian internship offer which they need to complete as part of their academic curriculum. This visa also comes with an Employer-specific Work Permit and is valid for 6 to 24 months, depending on your country.
How To Apply For IEC Working Holiday VISA in Canada
Find out your eligibility
To be eligible for the IEC Working Holiday Visa in Canada, your description should check all the boxes below:
- You are a citizen of one of the 35 countries in a “bilateral youth mobility agreement” with Canada.
- You are between 18-35 years (30 for some countries).
- You have a passport that will remain valid for the duration of your stay in Canada.
- You have no less than CAD$2,500 (or its equivalent) on arrival to over all the initial expenses.
- You have health insurance for the full duration of your stay in Canada.
- You have a round-trip ticket or sufficient funds to purchase one.
- You are not accompanied by dependents.
If you are a citizen of one of the countries listed below and within the listed age range, consider yourself eligible for the IEC Working Holiday Visa in Canada.
| Countries | Age | Countries | Age | Countries | Age |
| Australia | 18-30 | Hong Kong | 18-30 | Portugal | 18-35 |
| Austria | 18-30 | Ireland | 18-35 | San Marino | 18-35 |
| Belgium | 18-30 | Italy | 18-35 | Slovakia | 18-35 |
| Chile | 18-35 | Japan | 18-30 | Slovenia | 18-35 |
| Costa Rica | 18-35 | Latvia | 18-35 | South Korea | 18-30 |
| Croatia | 18-35 | Lithuania | 18-35 | Spain | 18-35 |
| Czech Republic | 18-35 | Luxembourg | 18-30 | Sweden | 18-30 |
| Denmark | 18-35 | Mexico | 18-30 | Switzerland | 18-35 |
| Estonia | 18-35 | Netherlands | 18-30 | Taiwan | 18-35 |
| France | 18-35 | New Zealand | 18-35 | Ukraine | 18-35 |
| Germany | 18-35 | Norway | 18-35 | United Kingdom | 18-30 |
| Greece | 18-35 | Poland | 18-35 |
Take The Eligibility Questionnaire
To confirm your eligibility for the Canadian Working Holiday Visa and start the application process, you’ll need to complete the eligibility questionnaire. This acts as an initial assessment of your IEC work permit qualification.
Create a profile to join the IEC pool
Upon completion of the eligibility questionnaire, if you’re qualified you’ll be given a personal reference code. Next, is to create an account. You’ll be asked to enter this code to create an account. Complete your IEC profile and select your preferred IEC category to join the pool.
Wait for an Invitation To Apply (ITA)
Now it’s time to wait for an Invitation to Apply (ITA). The system randomly selects profiles and sends out application invites. The number of persons invited to apply depends on the number of applicants in each pool and how many spots are available for each country and category. Once you receive an ITA, you have 10 days to decline the invite or start the application for a Working Holiday Visa.
Apply for work permit
If you accept the ITA and start the application process, you will have 20 days to submit a work permit application with all the necessary fees paid. For the Working Holiday Visa, you will have to pay a participation fee of CAD$150 and CAD$100 for an Open Work Permit.
While the employer will have 20 days to pay CAD$230 for candidates in the Young Professionals and International Co-op internship categories. And you’ll also need to receive an Employment Offer letter from your employer so you can attach this to your application.
If you want more information and would like to speak to a professional for personal assistance, Viewpoint Immigration services can help you obtain a working holiday visa in Canada.
