Can I travel and work in Canada

Travel and Work in Canada through International Experience Canada

Under the International Experience Canada (IEC) youth can travel and work in Canada. To be able to participate in this program your country of citizenship must have an agreement with Canada that allows you to apply for the IEC work permit. You may also be eligible to apply through a Recognized Organization and you can choose from up three travel and work experiences depending from where you are from. These include Working Holiday, Young Professionals and International Co-op Internship.

Recognized Organizations that help find Foreign Youth Work

If you are a foreign youth and like to travel and work in Canada but not sure where to start then the Recognized Organization (RO) is the best place to call for advice and support. This organization will help you plan your trip and potentially able to find you work in Canada. Their services is not free comes with a price attached. You could also contact Akrami & Associates to assist you with the application and determine your eligibility and requirements you need to meet based on your country of citizenship. Canada has agreements and arrangements with over 30 countries and territories that allow foreign youth to travel and work in Canada. You do not have to use the RO if your country of citizenship has arrangements with Canada but if you come from a country that does not have agreements or arrangements than you must use one of the ROs listed below.

Recognized Organization for 2017 include:

International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE)
International Association for Students of Economics and Commerce (AIESEC)
Canadian Host Family Association (CHFA) with Communicating for Agriculture Education Programs (CAEP)
International Rural Exchange (IRE)
International Volunteer Exchange Program of the Mennonite Central Committee of Canada (MCC-IVEP)
Academic Internship Council
University of Alberta
University of New Brunswick
INTERNeX International Exchange
SWAP Working Holidays
GO International
Stepwest

What is Working Holiday Visa?

Working Holiday Visa is for foreign youth that do have job offer in Canada yet and their intent is to work for more than one employer in Canada and these youth do not want to be limited to working in one location. Their goal is to able to travel, work and make money at the same time. So these types of individuals are granted an Open Work Permit which allows them to work for any employer. They cannot work for an employer that is listed as ineligible employer. These are employers that have not complied with working conditions or employers that offer striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages.

Who are considered Young Professionals?

To be considered a Young Professional you would need a job offer in Canada that contributes to your professional development. Young Professionals do not have the freedom as persons that apply under Work Holiday Visa. Young Professionals work for the same employer and same location during their time of stay in Canada. Through this program these professionals gain Canadian professional work experience which open many doors for them in the future. Young Professionals get employer-specific work permit which indicates the name of the employer the can work for, how long the person can work for the employer and what the location the person will be working at. This type of work permit only allows the person to work for the employer for specific period of time and specified location.

What is International Co-op Internship?

You are eligible to apply under International Co-op Internship if you are registered in post-secondary institution, you have work placement or internship opportunity in Canada and you need work placement or internship because it is part of your program to complete your studies. During your time of stay in Canada you are required to intern with the same employer in the same location to be eligible under the International Co-op Internship. This type of work permit is also employer specific.

Is there are an application fee for International Experience Canada?

When applying under International Experience Canada (IEC) there is no fee for the profile creation. When you receive the Invitation to Apply (IAT) you are required to make payment for the Work Permit application fee. The fees are determined under which IEC category you apply under. All IEC participants are required to pay $126 CAD for the IEC participation fee for 2017.

Working Holiday participants are required to pay an Open Work Permit holder fee, which includes participants that apply through Recognized Organizations. Young Professionals and International Co-op (Internship) participants are not required to pay any other fees but your Canadian employer has the pay employer compliance fee which is $230 CAD. Also, the employer has to complete and submit an offer of employment to immigration Canada. So remember your employer has to complete all those steps before submitting a work permit application. Depending on the persons country of citizenship they may also need to submit biometrics. Biometric fees are $85 CAD if you needed one.

Who can apply under International Experience Canada (IEC)

To be able to work and travel in Canada for temporary basis under the International Experience Canada you need to become a candidate in one or more of the IEC pools. You have to apply to become a candidate as soon as possible as these application take time. To become a candidate you would need to go through series of steps. One of the steps includes answering some basic questions such as your country of citizenship, where you live currently, whether you are applying for internship or have job offer with an employer in Canada etc. Once you have completed the questionnaire you are asked to create online profile which is free of charge. So based on your answers it will be determined under what category or categories you are eligible to apply under. These categories were mentioned earlier, International Co-op (Internship), Working Holiday or Young Professionals. So you can submit your profile to one or more pools. Once you receive the invitation under the pool you can apply for the work permit.

Like to Travel and Work in Canada then Contact Akrami & Associates

If you like to travel and work in Canada but not sure how you can do so then contact our office at 416-477-2545. Our immigration professional at Akrami & Associates can determine your eligibility under International Experience Canada to apply. Contact us today for further details.

With Akrami & Associates there is always a way!!

Shabnam Akrami

Shabnam Akrami is the Managing Partner and Founder of Akrami & Associates. p> Prior to receiving her Paralegal Diploma with Honours, she completed her Law Degree from the UK at the University of London as well as completed a Post Graduate Diploma. In addition, she has also graduated from York University where she received both her Bachelor in Criminology and Masters in Socio-Legal Studies. She is also a Member in good standing with Law Society of Upper Canada. Prior to opening her own firm, she gained extensive experience in corporate immigration law; specializing in work permits, temporary resident permits and rehabilitation cases. She has in depth and hands on experience in all Canadian Immigration and Citizenship matters. These matters include preparation and submission of applications for permanent residence, work permits, NAFTA applications, labour market opinions, temporary resident permits, sponsorships, and business investors. Shabnam is dedicated to all her clients and committed to the successful completion of all the immigration matters in her care. With Shabnam, there is always a way!