The International Experience Canada pool 2023 is available now. Last year, an announcement came regarding the IEC program’s expansion. This expansion enabled around 90,000 applicants to work and reside in the country, provided they came from partnering countries. Therefore, now the IEC pool is available.
Overall, International Experience Canada is a Canadian pathway providing international-level experience and the chance to gain work experience. However, they must belong to any one of the 36 partner countries. Additionally, IRCC firmly believes that expanding the IEC program will help fulfill labor shortages (precisely the labor gap due to the pandemic). The tourism industry suffered a great deal.
International Experience Canada program’s work process
Citizens with bilateral Youth Mobility agreements and who belong to partner countries might become eligible for an IEC work permit. Besides this, their age group must be between 18 to 29, 18 to 30, or 18 to 35, and their nationality will also determine their eligibility.
These applicants can apply under the following three primary streams:
- Working Holiday Stream– The holders of the Working Holiday Stream can access the Open Work Permit for a period of two years. Also, this implies that employees can work under multiple employers and in various industries.
- Young Professional Stream– Individuals possessing a job offer will be able to receive an employer-specific work permit under the Young Professional Stream. They will get to work under one specific employer.
- International Co-op Stream– The participating country citizens under a post-secondary program will become eligible for an internship in a particular company.
The IEC operates based on an Expression of Interest and an Invitation to Apply structure. Furthermore, interested candidates have a chance to submit their profiles directly to the International Experience Canada pool. However, in the case of selection, they will receive an ITA for a Canadian work permit.
Also, in the case of application approval, they will receive their work permit under a particular stream and gain eligibility to work in the country. They will stay and work in Canada until their authorized timeframe.
Eligibility of IEC
Candidates will need to fulfill the following essential criteria to apply under the International Experience Canada program:
- Holder of citizenship and the passport of one of the total 36 countries having Youth Mobility Agreements with Canada.
- Possessing an authentic passport for the duration of the Canadian stay.
- Belong to the eligible age group between 18 to 29, 18 to 30, or 18 to 35. However, their nationality will also play crucial in determining their eligibility at the time of application submission.
- Own money equivalent to $2,500 CAD after they arrive in Canada.
- Health Insurance coverage for their stay duration.
- Admissibility in Canada.
- Before they leave Canada, they must hold sufficient funds to purchase their departure ticket or possess a round-trip ticket.
- None of the dependents should accompany the individual.
- They must be able to pay the necessary application fee.
The IEC program’s expansion in terms of its capacity has been done at the right time in Canada as the country seeks to welcome more than 800,000 immigrants under the economic class within the upcoming three years. Moreover, the youth having the required Canadian work experience might further gain eligibility for Canadian immigration in the coming years.
