Work experience in Canada: the Young Professionals work permit

Chapter 2 of 3

The job offer

Under the Young Professionals category, you must have a job offer in Canada that contributes to your professional development (i.e. your current career path or field of studies).

The work must be paid and you cannot be self-employed. If you have an unpaid internship offer, you should apply for the International Co-op permit instead.

The job offer must meet all labour laws in the province/territory where you will be working, including the minimum wage requirements.

The job offer must be classified under the NOC TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3. To learn the differences between NOC TEER categories, read Working in Canada: what is meant by TEER categories 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5? You can use the Government of Canada’s website to find your NOC TEER category.

A TEER 4 job offer may qualify but only if it’s relevant to your field of study. For instance, if you studied IT, you won’t be eligible for a Young Professionals work permit if you find a position as a baker! When you apply, you’ll need to submit your post-secondary diploma, certificate or degree as proof. If your degree is not written in English or French, a translation must be submitted along with the original certificate.

Ultimately, it’s up to the Government of Canada employees to assess the duties listed under your job offer and decide if your work experience meets the “skilled” jobs criteria (NOC TEER categories).

Requirements for your employer

Before starting the Young Professionals application process, explain to your future employer that they will have to pay the compliance fee and complete their part in the process after you receive the Invitation to Apply (ITA).

Your future employer must:

• Create an account on the Employer Portal.
• Submit an offer of employment, which involves completing four forms (business information, foreign worker information, job details, wages and benefits).
• Pay the CA$230 compliance fee.
• Find the offer of employment number, which is a 7-digit number starting with the letter “A”, accessible as soon as the offer of employment is submitted.
• Give you the offer of employment number so that you can add it to your IEC application (read our step-by-step guide for more information).