Come to Canada through the International Experience Canada Program

Table of Contents


This article will cover: What is the International Experience Canada (IEC) program, The three types of IEC visas, Visas available by country.

This article will cover:

Work, travel and explore Canada under the “International Experience Canada” program.

Maybe it’s time to pack up and begin to explore the world and all it has to offer. “International Experience Canada” (IEC)   gives you the opportunity to work, travel and gain experience in Canada.

The Canadian department of trade and foreign affairs has an agreement with 30 countries which encourages and enables cultural exchange between these countries. Adults aged 18-35 can travel to a country of their choice for 12-24 months for work, internships and apprenticeships.

Also this is an excellent opportunity for Canadians to travel and visit various countries and gain experience.

Here are countries that participate:

Australia Czech Republic Ireland Mexico Slovenia
Austria Denmark Italy Netherlands Spain
Belgium Estonia Japan New Zealand Sweden
Chile France South Korea Norway Switzerland
Costa Rica Germany Latvia Poland Taiwan
Croatia Hong Kong Lithuania Slovakia Ukraine

Canada issues a specific visa quota to each country every year. The number of visas issued varies from country to country. For example in 2013 Canada made available 14,000 visas for France, whereas Costa Rica was only given a70 visa quota. There are three categories under the IEC:

Working Holiday Visa

This is the most popular and used category. Applicants aged 18-35 are granted a 12-24 month open work permit in the destination country. The conditions of the visa are different for each country. Some nationals will have a 24 month option whereas some countries cap their visas at 12 months. And depending on which country you are from the allotment of visas can go really fast. The visa quotas are issued in January and in some cases are all filled within days!

Young Professionals

The Young Professionals category is designed for post-graduates and apprentices who wish to further their careers by gaining work experience under a pre-arranged contract of employment in Canada.

International Co-op

The International Co-op (Internship) category is designed for students and apprentices who are registered students at a post-secondary institution in Canada and who intend to complete a work placement or internship in Canada.

Some categories are not available to select countries. For more information, visit our working holiday webpage, contact us or visit international.gc.ca.

Visas Available by Country as of August 27th, 2013

Please note that the number of available visas is constantly changing. For up-to-date numbers, please visit international.gc.ca.

Country Working Holiday Young Professionals International Co-op Country Working Holiday Young Professionals International Co-op
Australia 1744 7 48 Japan 2132 N/A N/A
Austria 2 43 Korea 0 N/A N/A
Belgium 150 n/a n/a Latvia 0 2 2
Chile 340 13 8 Lithuania 0 6 3
Costa Rica 49 20 10 Mexico 0 0 0
Croatia 0 8 3 Netherlands 0 0 N/A
Czech Rep 0 0 0 New Zealand 1069 N/A N/A
Denmark 113 N/A N/A Norway 31 9 25
Estonia 0 13 4 Poland 0 0 35
France 0 0 0 Slovakia 0 5 0
Germany 0 0 0 Slovenia 0 0 0
Greece 11 2 0 Spain 0 40 10
Hong Kong 0 N/A N/A Sweden 105 49 38
Ireland 0 N/A N/A Switzerland 34 N/A 10
Italy 0 N/A N/A Taiwan 0 0 15
Ukraine 0 154 12 United Kingdom 0 N/A N/A

Statistics updated on 13-08-2013 from www.international.gc.ca. Please contact www.international.gc.ca for the latest visa information.

Have someone from our team call you back and answer all your questions.

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