International Experience Canada – Bilateral agreements and arrangements: Canadian interests – Reciprocal employment (International Mobility Program)
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada staff. It is posted on the Department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
There are 3 possible categories of participation through bilateral agreements and arrangements under the International Experience Canada (IEC) program:
- Working Holiday (travel and work): Participants are eligible to apply for an open work permit to allow them to work for any employer or location in Canada to subsidize their stay as they travel and discover the country.
- Young Professionals (career development): Participants are eligible to apply for an employer-specific work permit to help them gain professional work experience in Canada.
- International Co-op (internships for students only): Participants are eligible to apply for an employer-specific work permit to help them gain experience in their field of study.
On this page
Medical requirements
Refer to the medical requirements program delivery instructions for information on who requires an immigration medical exam.
Police certificate requirements
IEC applicants who are from countries or territories that have no requirements to obtain a police certificate for IEC may be asked by the officer processing their application to provide one.
Applicants who have lived in other countries or territories outside of their permanent residence for 6 consecutive months or more since their 18th birthday must provide a police certificate for each of those countries or territories. Refer to How to get a police certificate for information on police certificate requirements.
Residence requirements
If the applicant’s current residential address is not in their country of citizenship, then they need to provide a permanent mailing address that is in their country of citizenship.
Discontinuance requirements
Where there is a discontinuance requirement (i.e., a specific length of discontinuous stay as specified in the agreement), the discontinuous stay will be calculated from the expiry of the first work permit.
Program requirements specific to each country or territory
Described below are the program requirements specific to each country or territory that holds a bilateral agreement or arrangement with Canada’s IEC program:
Australia
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation [see note] | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 24 months | Two participations maximum: A participation of 24 months in either Working Holiday or Young Professionals; a second participation of 12 months in International Co-op. These 2 participations can be carried out in the order of the applicant’s choice. |
No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals (Graduates) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 24 months | Two participations maximum: A participation of 24 months in either Working Holiday or Young Professionals; a second participation of 12 months in International Co-op. These 2 participations can be carried out in the order of the applicant’s choice. |
No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
International Co-op (Work placements) International Co-op (Inter-institutional work-study agreement) |
18-35 | Employer-specific | 24 months (unless it is the applicant’s second participation since 2015, in which case, 12 months) | Two participations maximum: A participation of 24 months in either Working Holiday or Young Professionals; a second participation of 12 months in International Co-op. These 2 participations can be carried out in the order of the applicant’s choice. |
No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
Note: Australian citizens who participated in the program prior to the 2015 quota year are eligible for 1 final participation in the category of their choosing. An applicant is considered to have participated prior to 2015 if their application(s) was submitted to any quota year prior to the launch of the 2015 quota year which took place on March 3, 2015.
There was no participation limit imposed on Australians prior to 2015. As such, Australians may have participated numerous times before the 2015 year. All Australian applicants who participated prior to 2015, regardless of the number of participations are eligible for a final participation of 24 months in the category of their choice.
Austria
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 12 months | One participation per category | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals (Canada-Austria Intra- & Partner-Company Training Program) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | One participation per category | No specific requirement | Must be permanently employed by an Austrian company and be coming to work with a partner, parent, or subsidiary company in Canada |
| International Co-op (Internship) (Canada-Austria Young Workers Exchange Program) graduate of post-secondary program in forestry, agriculture or tourism | 18-35 | Employer-specific Internship or work placement must be in forestry, agriculture, or tourism | 6 months | One participation per category | No specific requirement | Must be a resident of Austria at time of application |
Belgium
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 12 months | One participation | No specific requirement | Must be a resident of Belgium at the time of application |
Chile
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals (Supplementary graduate training) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Young worker exchange program) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
Costa Rica
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
Croatia
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is permitted | 3 months discontinuance | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is permitted | 3 months discontinuance | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is permitted | 3 months discontinuance | No specific requirement |
Czech Republic
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | Must be a resident of the Czech Republic at the time of application |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | Must be a resident of the Czech Republic at the time of application |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | Must be a resident of the Czech Republic at the time of application |
Note: For Czech nationals applying under International Co-op (Internship), this stream is only available to those currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution and internships in Canada must be paid.
Denmark
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | One participation | No specific requirement | Must be a citizen of Denmark and a habitual resident in Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands) at the time of application |
Estonia
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
France
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation [see note] | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 24 months | Two participations maximum: A participation of 24 months in either Working Holiday or Young Professionals or Young Professionals (VIE); a second participation of 12 months in International Co-op. Applicant can choose the order of these 2 participations |
No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 24 months | Two participations maximum: A participation of 24 months in either Working Holiday or Young Professionals or VIE; a second participation of 12 months in International Co-op. Applicant can choose the order of these 2 participations |
No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals - VIE | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 24 months | Two participations maximum: A participation of 24 months in either Working Holiday or Young Professionals or Young Professionals (VIE); a second participation of 12 months in International Co-op. Applicant can choose the order of these 2 participations. |
No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations maximum: A participation of 24 months in either Working Holiday or Young Professionals or Young Professionals (VIE); a second participation of 12 months in International Co-op. Applicant can choose the order of these 2 participations. |
No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
Note: French citizens who participated in the program prior to the 2015 quota year are eligible for 1 final participation in the category of their choosing. An applicant is considered to have participated prior to 2015 if their application(s) was submitted to any quota year prior to the launch of the 2015 quota year which took place on February 21, 2015. Those who have participated in IEC more than once before 2015 are no longer eligible.
Germany
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two times – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two times – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
Greece
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
Hong Kong
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 12 months | One participation | No specific requirement | Must be an ordinary resident of the Hong Kong SAR holding a valid Hong Kong SAR passport or a valid British National (Overseas) passport |
Ireland
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation [see note] | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 24 months | Two participations – 1 participation must be under the International Co-op (Internship) category | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 24 months | Two participations – 1 participation must be under the International Co-op (Internship) category | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – 1 participation must be under the International Co-op (Internship) category | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
Note: Irish citizens who participated in the program prior to the 2013 quota year up to a period of 12 months are eligible for 1 final participation of up to 24 months in the category of their choosing. An applicant is considered to have participated prior to 2013 if their application(s) was submitted to any quota year prior to the launch of the 2013 quota year which took place during January 2013. Those who participated in IEC for more than 12 months on applications made before 2013 are no longer eligible.
Italy
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 6 month work permit – may apply to stay an additional 6 months as a visitor | One participation | No specific requirement | Must be a resident of Italy at the time of application |
Japan
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 12 months | One participation | No specific requirement | Must be a resident of Japan at the time of application |
Latvia
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | 1 year | Must be a resident of Latvia at the time of application |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | 1 year | Must be a resident of Latvia at the time of application |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | 1 year | Must be a resident of Latvia at the time of application |
Lithuania
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | 3 months | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | 3 months | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | 3 months | No specific requirement |
Mexico
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday (Students only) | 18-29 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is permitted | 3 years discontinuance | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals | 18-29 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is permitted | 3 years discontinuance | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-29 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is permitted | 3 years discontinuance | No specific requirement |
Note: The youth mobility agreement between Canada and Mexico is currently under review. As a result Invitations to Apply are not being sent at this time.
Netherlands
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | Must be a resident of the Netherlands at the time of application |
| Young Professionals | 18-30 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | Must be a resident of the Netherlands at the time of application |
New Zealand
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 23 months (starting 2015) | One participation | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
Norway
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
Poland
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | 6 months | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | 6 months | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | 6 months | No specific requirement |
Portugal
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18–35 | Open | 24 months | One participation | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals | 18–35 | Employer-specific | 24 months | One participation | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18–35 | Employer-specific | 24 months | One participation | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
San Marino
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations | 12 months | No specific requirement |
Slovakia
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | 3 months | Must be a resident of Slovakia at the time of application |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | 3 months | Must be a resident of Slovakia at the time of application |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | 3 months | Must be a resident of Slovakia at the time of application |
Slovenia
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
South Korea
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 12 months | One participation | No specific requirement | Must be a resident of the Republic of Korea at the time of application |
Spain
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | 3 months | Must be a resident of Spain at the time of application |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | 3 months | Must be a resident of Spain at the time of application |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | 3 months | Must be a resident of Spain at the time of application |
Sweden
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | Must be a resident of Sweden at the time of application |
| Young Professionals | 18-30 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | Must be a resident of Sweden at the time of application |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-30 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is not permitted | No specific requirement | Must be a resident of Sweden at the time of application |
Switzerland
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 18 months Total duration of the 2 permits combined cannot exceed 18-months |
Two participations – Repeat category is permitted if the sum of the 2 participations is within the 18-month total limit | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 18 months Total duration of the 2 permits combined cannot exceed 18-months |
Two participations – Repeat category is permitted if the sum of the 2 participations is within the 18-month total limit | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
Taiwan
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | One participation | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | One participation | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | One participation | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
Ukraine
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-35 | Open | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| Young Professionals | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
| International Co-op (Internship) | 18-35 | Employer-specific | 12 months | Two participations – Repeat category is permitted | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
Note: The youth mobility agreement between Canada and Ukraine is currently under review. As a result are not being sent at this time.
United Kingdom
| Available categories | Age eligibility | Type of work permit | Maximum validity period | Frequency of participation [see note] | Discontinuance requirement | Residence requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 18-30 | Open | 24 months | One participation | No specific requirement | No specific requirement |
The applicant must be a British citizen from 1 of the following territories: the United Kingdom or the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
Note: British citizens who participated in the program prior to the 2015 quota year for a period of up to 12 months are eligible for 1 final participation of 24 months. An applicant is considered to have participated prior to 2015 if their application(s) was submitted to any quota year prior to the launch of the 2015 quota year which took place on March 12th, 2015. Those who participated in IEC for more than 12 months on applications made before 2015 are no longer eligible.
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