Canadian Immigration Blogs

Work and Travel in Canada as a Youth

As you may know, Canada has many tourist hotspots that attract foreign travelers to visit. For example, Banff National Park, Niagara Falls, Toronto’s CN Tower, Whistler, and many more. There are also many young individuals who want to work in Canada, while having the ability and opportunity to visit the aforementioned tourist hotspots. If you are a young individual who wants to work and travel in Canada, you definitely have the opportunity to do so. The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada has introduced the International Experience Canada Program that allows youth to travel and work in Canada. In this blog, you will learn relevant information about the International Experience Canada Program.

What is the International Experience Canada Program

The International Experience Canada Program, as previously mentioned, is a program that allows youth to travel and work in Canada temporarily. Citizens of countries with a bilateral Youth Mobility Arrangement with Canada who are between 18 and 35 years old may be eligible for the International Experience Canada Program applications. There are three types of travel and work experience under the International Experience Canada Program: Working Holiday, Young Professionals, and International Co-op Internships

Work and Travel to Canada as a Youth

Canada is one of the most popular countries that a foreign national can dream of traveling to. Not only that, many people want to experience different cultures while gaining work experience in Canada. Do you want to make this dream come true? Well……the Canadian Government has heard your voices! The Canadian Government has a program named International Experience Canada (IEC), which is designed to help young foreign nationals work in Canada. If this sounds confusing to you, don’t worry. In this blog, you will learn about the International Experience Canada program, so that you may be able to work and enjoy beautiful tourist spots that Canada has to offer.

Eligibility for International Experience Canada (IEC)

If your country of origin has an agreement with the Canadian government, then you may be eligible for one of the three IEC programs. There are three IEC programs are:

What is the Youth Mobility Program?

Have you always wished of seeing foreign parts of the world? Are you a youth who wishes to travel and work abroad while you’re young? If so, the Canadian government has developed the program for you! The youth mobility program sets out to make it possible for youths to travel internationally to experience other cultures, study and work. Essentially, the youth mobility program is a part of international experience Canada, made possible by the various agreements Canada has with other nations which allow for individual exchanges. There are a variety of countries you could choose to visit, so, if this is something which has always interested you, keep reading to learn more!

How Does the Youth Mobility Program Work?

The youth mobility program is made possible by several bilateral agreements Canada has made with other counties. Depending on the country, the specific rules of an exchange may vary. For example, each different country has their own set number of individuals who can participate in an exchange. This means for any country, for example Italy; there will be a designated number of individuals who can go to Italy from Canada, and also come to Canada from Italy. Furthermore, there are different program streams you could enter; there is the working holiday stream, the young professional’s stream, and the international co-op internship stream, each with their own specific rules and requirements. Therefore, depending on what you want to do with your Canadian experience, you will choose what program to apply for. Finally, these are the countries that have agreements to participate in IEC:

FAQ – International Experience Canada

In this article, I will address a few popular questions and answers for International Experience Canada and some important information to consider when applying under this program. The International Experience Canada (IEC) program was intended for youth to be provided with the opportunity to work in Canada temporarily. Additionally, youth from designated countries that are between the ages of 18 and 35 may be eligible for IEC work permits. If you feel as though you would be eligible to apply under the IEC program, I suggest you read our article on “What is the Youth Mobility Program” before reading this question and answer article. The intention of this article is meant to clarify any misunderstanding or confusion with regards to International Experience Canada.

Q: Are there specific jobs that I can work for in Canada under the IEC program?

A: Not necessarily. Under the IEC program, you are able to work in a variety of different areas. However, this entirely depends on what job you intend on working and how determined you are to find a job. Most common jobs that youth tend to work for are in the tourism and hospitality industries, such as working for restaurants, hotels, etc. In these jobs, the employers are often more willing to offer temporary employment for temporary periods of time. However, it is important to note that if you have the appropriate skills and experience, you may also pursue jobs in fields such as law, health, education, etc.

Hiring Temporary Foreign Worker to Canada?

Are you an employer looking to hire a temporary worker? You may be wondering what an LMIA is and how it may apply to your situation. An LMIA is a common abbreviation for Labour Market Impact Assessment, which is a document that may be needed if you are an employer looking to hire a foreign temporary worker. This can be done through either the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) or the International Mobility Program (IMP).

Temporary Foreign Worker Program versus International Mobility Program

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program allows employers to hire workers to fill temporary work shortages, which can be either labour-related or skill-related. In this program, you would likely need to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment from Employment and Social Development Canada or Service Canada. The International Mobility Program also allows the employer to hire a temporary worker; however, this program does not require an LMIA. This is because the employees to be hired from this program may provide broader economic, cultural, or other competitive advantages for Canada or can provide reciprocal benefits to Canadians or other permanent residents. However, there may be other requirements for the IMP program. For example, you may need to pay a fee or submit an employment offer to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) through the Employer Portal. For more information regarding the specifics of each program, consider visiting the Canadian and Immigration Canada website.