Did you know you can work while travelling in Canada?
The International Experience Canada (IEC) has been created for young people who want to work while travelling in Canada.
The IEC allows international youth to travel and work for up to 2 years in Canada, gaining experience that can be useful to them when seeking other future applications.
Citizens of countries with a bilateral Youth Mobility Agreement with Canada who are between the ages of 18 and 35 may be eligible for IEC work permits.
Work permits issued under the IEC are exempt from the requirement for an LMIA!
(As a general background, the LMIA is a special assessment used by Canada to evaluate whether an international worker is actually needed and to explore whether the available position could instead be filled by a local citizen or permanent resident. Many see the LMIA as a tool to prevent the arrival of foreign workers which can affect workers in Canada.)
According to IRCC, there are 3 different types of work and travel experiences available:
Working Holiday Visa
To obtain the Working Holiday Visa, travellers do not need to have a valid job offer and can change employers whenever possible. Their employers can be in different provinces or territories of Canada.
Young Professionals Visa
To obtain the Young Professionals Visa, a valid job offer and a work permit from a specific employer are required. Young professionals must remain with the same employer during their stay in Canada.
International Co-op Internship
The International Co-op Internship program is aimed at post-secondary students who are studying outside of Canada. They must submit a job offer to do an internship that is valid to complete their studies. They must remain with the same employer during their stay in Canada.
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.
Countries eligible for the Canada International Experience:
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.
Contact us and a consultant duly authorized by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants – CICC representing AMIGRAR Immigration Consulting will offer you the professional advice necessary to determine if you qualify for your Working Holiday Visa application, or for your Young Professionals permit, or for your International Cooperative Internship (CO-OP).