Bilateral agreements and arrangements: International Experience Canada (IEC) – [R205(b) – C21] – Reciprocity – International Mobility Program (IMP)
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 that will 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 that will help them gain professional work experience in Canada.
- International Co-op (Internship) (internships for students only): Participants are eligible to apply for an employer-specific work permit that will help them gain experience in their field of study.
On this page
Medical requirements
Refer to the program delivery instructions on medical requirements for information on who requires an immigration medical exam (IME).
Police certificate requirements
Officers processing IEC applications from countries or territories that have no mandatory requirement to provide a police certificate for IEC may ask the applicant to provide one, if required.
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 and Police certificates for more guidance.
Residence requirements
Applicants must provide a permanent mailing address that is in their country of citizenship even if the applicant’s current residential address is not in their country of citizenship. Italian citizens must also provide a residence certificate (“certificato di residenza”) to prove they live in Italy. This certificate must be translated into English or French.
Discontinuance requirements
Where there is a discontinuance requirement (meaning a specific length of discontinuous stay specified in the agreement), the discontinuous stay will be calculated from the expiry of the first work permit.
For the IEC Program, even though there are discontinuation clauses under the youth mobility arrangements (YMAs), the clauses apply only between one IEC participation and the next IEC participation. If a foreign worker has finished their IEC participation and has applied for a work permit renewal in another work permit category, the discontinuation clause in the YMA doesn’t apply. For more information, consult International Experience Canada (IEC) program participants changing work permit categories.
Applications for work permits in the IEC Program are always submitted “outside of Canada” and therefore do not meet the requirements for maintained status for an extension of stay under subsection 183(5) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR). IEC work permit applications do not meet the requirements for work without a permit under paragraph R186(u) either.
