What is International Experience Canada (IEC)? (Working Holiday...)

International Experience Canada (IEC) is a Government of Canada program designed to give 18-35 year-old travellers from over 30 selected countries the opportunity to work in Canada.

These agreements are bilateral, which means young Canadians can also work and travel to one of these partner countries. Click here if you are a citizen of Canada.

There are three IEC work permit categories:

Working Holiday permit (often referred to as the “WHP”): This flexible open work permit gives you the chance to travel and work in Canada for up to one or two years (depending on your country of citizenship). You do not need to find a job before applying for it and you can work for any employer for as long as you want. For more info, read Introduction to the Canadian Working Holiday Program.
Young Professionals (“YP”): This employer-specific work permit gives you the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in Canada for up to one or two years (depending on your country of citizenship). You need to have a job offer in Canada before applying for the work permit. For more info, read Work experience in Canada: the Young Professionals work permit.
International Co-op (Internship): This work permit gives you the chance to complete a six-month, one-year or two-year (depending on your country of citizenship) internship in Canada. The internship must be linked to your field of studies and you need to find a suitable employer before your trip. For more info, read The International Co-op (Internship) IEC work permit.

Am I eligible to apply for an IEC work permit?

Canada currently has bilateral agreements with 36 countries. Eligibility and conditions vary from one country to another:

Some countries only signed an agreement for one or two of the three work permits highlighted above.
The age limit can be 30 or 35.
The work permit can be issued for six months, one year or two years.

Here is a summary:

Country of citizenship	Working Holiday	Young Professionals	International Co-op (Internship)	Age limit
Andorra	12 months	X	X	18-30 years old
Austria	12 months	12 months	6 months	Working Holiday: 18-30 years old – YP/Internship: 18-35 years old
Australia	24 months	12 months	12 months	18-35 years old
Belgium	12 months	X	X	18-30 years old
Chile	12 months (up to 24 months)	12 months (up to 24 months)	12 months (up to 24 months)	18-35 years old
Croatia	12 months (up to 24 months)	12 months (up to 24 months)	12 months (up to 24 months)	18-35 years old
Costa Rica	12 months	12 months	12 months	18-35 years old
Czech Republic	12 months	12 months	12 months	18-35 years old
Denmark	12 months	X	X	18-35 years old
Estonia	12 months	12 months	12 months	18-35 years old
Finland	12 months	12 months	12 months	18-35 years old
France	24 months	24 months	12 months	18-35 years old
Germany	12 months	12 months	12 months	18-35 years old
Greece	12 months	12 months	12 months	18-35 years old
Hong Kong	12 months	X	X	18-30 years old
Iceland	12 months (up to 24 months)	X	X	18-30 years old
Ireland	24 months	24 months	12 months	18-35 years old
Italy	12 months (up to 24 months)	12 months (up to 24 months)	12 months (up to 24 months)	18-35 years old
Japan	12 months	X	X	18-30 years old
Latvia	12 months	12 months	12 months	18-35 years old
Lithuania	12 months	12 months	12 months	18-35 years old
Luxembourg	12 months	12 months	12 months	18-35 years old
New Zealand	23 months	X	X	18-35 years old
Netherlands	12 months	12 months	X	18-30 years old
Norway	12 months	12 months	12 months	18-35 years old
Poland	12 months	12 months	12 months	18-35 years old
Portugal	24 months	24 months	24 months	18-35 years old
San Marino	12 months (up to 24 months)	X	X	18-35 years old
Slovakia	12 months	12 months	12 months	18-35 years old
Slovenia	12 months	12 months	12 months	18-35 years old
Spain	12 months	12 months	12 months	18-35 years old
South Korea	24 months (up to 48 months)	24 months (up to 48 months)	24 months (up to 48 months)	18-35 years old
Sweden	12 months	12 months	12 months	18-30 years old
Switzerland	X	18 months	12 months	18-35 years old
Taiwan	12 months	12 months	12 months	18-35 years old
United Kingdom	24 months (up to 36 months)	24 months (up to 36 months)	24 months (up to 36 months)	18-35 years old

Canada’s Youth Mobility Arrangements with Mexico and Ukraine are suspended.

What are the general eligibility requirements?

Your country or territory of citizenship must have an agreement with Canada.
You must have a valid passport from an IEC-eligible country.
You must meet the minimum and maximum age requirement (18-30 or 18-35).
You may have to prove you’re a resident in your country when you apply.
You must have a minimum of CA$2,500 to help cover your expenses in Canada.
You must have health insurance for the duration of your stay (for more info, read WHV Insurance!).

Useful links and resources

There’s only one official website to apply for an IEC work permit—the Government of Canada website: Canada.ca.

Pvtistes.net has you covered with:

A Step-by-step tutorial to apply for an IEC permit with screenshots and detailed info.

The free Guide to Working Holiday in Canada, a 300-page PDF guide packed with pre-trip info, practical advice for the adventure and useful tips to discover life in Canada.

Member benefits, special offers and discounts—including no-fee banking with Desjardins and National Bank of Canada, car rental discounts (Hertz, Thrifty and Dollar), money transfer services and more.

Our dedicated IEC page, detailing everything you need to know, from pre-departure preparation to opening a bank account, finding accommodation, landing a job, and more.

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