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The 2023 IEC season is open and accepting applications.
Here’s the full list of participating countries in the International Experience Canada (IEC) work permit program. To begin with, some helpful notes:
There are between one and three categories available for each country (Working Holiday, Young Professionals, International Co-Op), with the exception of France, where a fourth is also available.
Open work permits allow the permit-holder to be employed with an eligible employer of their choosing. Employer-specific work permits are tied to the particular employer mentioned during the application process.
Medical exams are required if you have lived or travelled in certain countries for six months, in the year before you come to Canada.
If you have spent six months or more in a country not featured in this list, you may require a medical exam. See full list of countries here.
If your country of citizenship is not listed, you may be able to participate in the IEC program with the assistance of one of these IEC recognized organizations.
Sign up to get notified about important IEC updates!
New for IEC: Moving2Canada GO
The best, quickest, and most affordable way to prepare for the new IEC season is to create your Moving2Canada GO account. This way, you’ll receive a personalised progress checklist, relevant resources, and regular reminders of your most important tasks.
International Experience Canada participating countries
Country
International Experience Canada Category
Age eligibility
Type of work permit
Maximum validity
Participation frequency in International Experience Canada
Medical Exam needed?
Andorra
Working Holiday
18-30
Open
12 months
One participation
No
Australia
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
24 months
Two participations maximum in IEC. A participation of 24 months in either Working Holiday or Young Professionals; a second participation of 12 months in International Co-op. These two participations can be carried out in the order of the applicant's choice. Exception: If you participated in IEC one or more times before 2015, you might be eligible for a final participation of up to 24 months in the category of your choice.
No
Young Professionals (Graduates)
18-35
Employer-specific
24 months
No
International Co-op
18-35
Employer-specific
24 months (unless it is the applicant's second participation since 2015, in which case, 12 months)
No
Austria
Working Holiday
18-30
Open
12 months
Applicants are allowed 3 participations in total. No repeat categories are allowed.
No
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
International Co-op
18-35
Employer-specific Internship or work placement must be in forestry, agriculture, or tourism
6 months
Must be a resident of Austria and must be registered as a student in forestry, agriculture or tourism or have graduated in 1 of those fields within the past 12 months.
No
Belgium
Working Holiday
18-30
Open
12 months
One participation
No
Chile
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
Two participations – Repeat category is permitted
No
Young Professionals (Supplementary graduate training)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
International Co-op (Young worker exchange program)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
Costa Rica
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
Two International Experience Canada participations. Repeat category is not permitted
No
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
Croatia
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
Two International Experience Canada participations. Repeat category is permitted.
No
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
Czech Republic
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted
No
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
Denmark (Danish citizens who reside in Greenland and the Faroe Islands are also eligible)
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
One participation
No
Estonia
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
Two International Experience Canada participations. Repeat category is not permitted
No
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
France
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
24 months
Maximum of two participations.
A participation of 24 months in either Working Holiday or Young Professionals or Young Professionals (VIE); a second participation of 12 months in International Co-op. Applicant can choose the order of these two participations. Exception: French citizens who participated prior to the 2015 quota year are eligible for one final participation in the category of their choosing. An applicant is considered to have participated prior to 2015 if their application(s) was submitted to any quota year prior to the launch of the 2015 quota year which took place on February 21, 2015. Those who have participated in IEC more than once before 2015 are no longer eligible.
No
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
24 months
No
Young Professionals - VIE
18-35
Employer-specific
24 months
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
Enrolment in a training centre in France is acceptable.
No
Germany
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
Two times. Repeat category is not permitted.
No
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
Greece
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
Two International Experience Canada participations. Repeat category is not permitted
No
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
Hong Kong
Working Holiday
18-30
Open
12 months
One participation
Yes
Ireland
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
24 months
To avail of two International Experience Canada participations, one must be under the International Co-op (Internship) category.
No
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
24 months
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
Italy
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
6 months
In future seasons, Italians will be eligible for all three IEC programs and for work permits of 12 months' duration
No
Japan
Working Holiday
18-30
Open
12 months
One participation
No
Latvia
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted
Yes
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
Yes
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
Yes
Lithuania
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted
Yes
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
Yes
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
Yes
Luxembourg
Working Holiday
18-30
Open
12 months
Awaiting details.
No
Young Professionals
18-30
Employer-specific
12 months
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-30
Employer-specific
12 months
No
Mexico
The youth mobility agreement between Canada and Mexico is currently under review. As a result Invitations to Apply for an International Experience Canada permit are not being sent at this time.
No
Netherlands
Working Holiday
18-30
Open
12 months
Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted
No
Young Professionals
18-30
Employer-specific
12 months
No
New Zealand
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
23 months
One participation (if you participated in IEC before April 2, 2015, you are no longer eligible to apply)
No
Norway
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted
No
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
Poland
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted
No
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
Portugal
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
24 months
One participation
No
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
24 months
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
24 months
No
San Marino
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
Two participations
No
Slovakia
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted
No
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
Slovenia
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted
No
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
South Korea
Working Holiday
18-30
Open
12 months
One participation
Yes
Spain
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted
No
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
No
Sweden
Working Holiday
18-30
Open
12 months
Two participations. Repeat category is not permitted
No
Young Professionals
18-30
Employer-specific
12 months
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-30
Employer-specific
12 months
No
Switzerland
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
18 months (Total duration of the two permits combined cannot exceed 18 months)
Two participations. Repeat category is permitted if the sum of the two participations is within the 18-month total limit.
No
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
No
Taiwan
Working Holiday
18-35
Open
12 months
One participation
Yes
Young Professionals
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
Yes
International Co-op (Internship)
18-35
Employer-specific
12 months
Yes
Ukraine
The youth mobility agreement between Canada and Ukraine is currently under review. As a result Invitations to Apply for an International Experience Canada permit are not being sent at this time.
Yes
United Kingdom
Working Holiday
18-30
Open
24 months
One participation
No
Continued below…
Moving2Canada GO: Your personalized guide to IEC!
Our free interactive tool will help you plan for every step of the IEC journey.
We hope you are enjoying the content on Moving2Canada.
We pride ourselves on delivering fast and accurate immigration news to our community. Revenue from trusted advertisers helps support this work.
Please consider disabling your ad blocker while visiting our site.
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We hope you are enjoying the content on Moving2Canada.
We pride ourselves on delivering fast and accurate immigration news to our community. Revenue from trusted advertisers helps support this work.
Please consider disabling your ad blocker while visiting our site.
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Further help with your International Experience Canada work permit application
Please explore our many resources to help you plan your application. Research is crucial as you plan for success in Canada during your International Experience Canada permit.
Many newcomers are not eligible for Canadian healthcare coverage when they first arrive.
Our partner, Cigna, offers newcomers a range of comprehensive health insurance policies for peace of mind. Explore your options with a free quote today!
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