Ali Ehsassi, on behalf of Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, declared signing a deal promoting work opportunities for youths in Canada & South Korea. 

Under this arrangement, youths from both countries will have more options while applying for international travel & work opportunities via IEC, i.e., International Experience Canada. This deal’s signing is for promoting work opportunities that feature advancements on an existing memorandum of understanding created in the year 1995.

It includes the following: 

  • The eligibility age – which will increase from 18-30 to 18-35. 
  • 2 new streams, i.e., young professionals & the international co-op, will now be counted to complement the working holiday category. 
  • Most youth will also have the alternative of participating twice in the program – every time for up to 24 months.

 

The government of Canada expects to implement this new arrangement in the next year. Sean Fraser asserted that as both countries celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations, they will sign a mobility arrangement, thus promoting work opportunities for youth. He further states that foreign experience & perspectives are incredibly crucial in today’s global economy. This is why the Canadian government continues to support & create reciprocal arrangements for Canadian & foreign youth to work and travel simultaneously in each other’s countries. 

 

What Is IEC? 

The IEC is a corresponding program that focuses on promoting work opportunities & enabling international youth to work as well as travel in both countries. The county has signed youth mobility agreements with over 36 countries & foreign territories. 

In addition, work permits issued under the IEC are exempted from the LMIA, i.e., the Labor Market Impact Assessment requirement. However, this program has three categories: 

  • Working Holiday: 

Herein individuals receive an open work permit. This permit allows them to work anywhere in the country to support their tours/ travels. 

  • International Co-Op: 

In this category, individuals get an employer-specific work permit. As a result, this enables students to attain targeted experience in their fields of study. 

  • Young Professionals:

Herein, the participants obtain an employer-specific permit to gain professional work experience within their study field/ career path.

 

Eligibility Requirement For IEC

In order to be eligible for IEC, here’s what one needs to fulfill: 

  • Be a passport holder of Canada or South Korea or be a resident of one of the territories with a bilateral Youth Mobility Arrangement in Canada.
  • Have a valid passport for their stay duration in the country.
  • Be betwixt 18-35 years of age during the time of application. 
  • Have money equivalent to $2500 to help cover direct expenses. 
  • Be able to take out health insurance. 
  • Be allowable to the country.
  • Have a round-trip ticket or enough financial resources to buy a departure ticket at the end of the authorized stay in Canada.  
  • Not be accompanied by parents.
  • Pay the fee. 

The IEC operates on the ITA model. Thus, eligible applicants create an IEC profile but must also obtain an ITA before they apply.