IRCC has opened the 2024 IEC pool. The IEC is a work permit that allows youth who are citizens of nations that have bilateral Youth Mobility Arrangements with Canada to reside & work in Canada temporarily. This year’s intake will enable around 9,000 candidates from about 30 nations the opportunity to gain Canadian work experience. Starting today, all eligible & interested applicants must submit an IEC profile to IRCC. 

How Does IEC Function? 

Citizens & partner nations who have bilateral Youth Mobility Agreements with Canada & who are within the eligible age range might qualify for an IEC work permit. 

Similar to programs within Canada’s Express Entry program, the IEC functions on an applicant system. Interested individuals might submit a candidacy profile to IRCC. Well, at this point, they are applicants. If IRCC selects the applicant’s profile, they are further invited to apply for consideration to obtain a work permit. Once this application has been submitted, applicants are one step closer to obtaining the work permit. 

Under the program, candidates might obtain a work permit under any of the three streams mentioned below: 

  • The Working Holiday Stream: 

This stream offers an Open Work Permit for up to two years, thus allowing holders to work for Canadian employers in various industries. 

  • The Young Professionals Stream: 

This stream issued an employer-specific work permit for individuals who have an employment offer & plan to work with a single employer in Canada. 

  • The International Co-Op Internship Stream:    

This International Co-Op Internship stream enables citizens of participating nations enrolled in a postsecondary program to enter Canada & work for a specific Canadian company. Moreover, applicants must already have arranged co-op placements before applying. 

Basic Eligibility 

Applicants applying under the 2024 IEC pool must: 

  • Be a citizen/ passport holder of one of the 35+ partner countries with Youth Mobility Agreements with Canada. 
  • Have a valid passport for the duration of their stay.
  • Be within the eligible age range, depending upon the candidate’s nationality at the time of their application.
  • Have the equivalent of CAD 2,500 upon landing in Canada.
  • Be able to take health insurance for the duration of the stay. 
  • Be admissible to Canada.
  • Have a round-trip ticket or the financial resources to buy a departure ticket at the end of their authorized stay in Canada. 
  • Pay the fees.
  • Not to be accompanied by dependents.  

How Does The IEC Benefit Canada? 

The IEC helps Canada address labor shortages that continue to bother many of the nation’s industries. Immigration is the key source of workers, thus making bilateral agreements that Canada holds with partner IEC countries advantageous in providing young labor to key sectors while allowing foreign & Canadian youth to gain international work experience. These IEC workers further become eligible to immigrate permanently to Canada upon gaining the requisite amount of work experience, potentially adding to Canada’s labor force long-term. 

The 2024 IEC pool has been steady with last year’s intake expansion, showcasing IEC workers’ vital role in the Canadian economy. The next year is expected to witness the inclusion of Finland into the list of partner nations, with both countries set to ratify their new youth mobility agreement in the forthcoming years.