Program delivery update: Instructions related to the International Experience Canada (IEC) Program

This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.

January 10, 2020

The instructions have been updated.

Bilateral agreements and arrangements

The discontinuance requirement section has been updated to include guidance on when the foreign worker may continue to work without a work permit under paragraph 186(u) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR).
For San Marino under the Working Holiday Program (WHP), the guidance was updated to indicate that there is no discontinuance requirement to participate in the WHP twice.
Under the guidance related to bilateral agreement requirements for France, a note was added about the Volontariat International en Entreprise (VIE) program.
The guidance related to Austria was updated to indicate that applicants are allowed 3 participations. No repeat categories are allowed.

Some countries require their students to be registered at a school in their country of citizenship. The requirement was missing and is now included for certain countries.
For Austria, students must be registered in forestry, agriculture or tourism or have graduated in 1 of these fields in the last 12 months.
For France, enrolment in a training centre instead of a post-secondary institution is acceptable.

Changes have been made to the International Experience Canada (IEC) categories that recognized organizations have access to.
U.S. border application procedures found in the IEC Processing procedures instructions have been transferred to the recognized organization instructions (given that only recognized organizations may serve U.S. clients).