One of the attractions of Canada is to offer young talent from certain countries the possibility of obtaining a work permit using a simplified process.

The International Experience Canada program is open seasonally and has just opened again for 2022. It has been closed since last November. This is good news for employers wishing to recruit abroad: this is why.

The program

The International Experience Canada program includes several permit categories, of which the Young Professional, the Co-op Internship, the Working Holiday

The Working Holiday Permit is an open permit that does not require employer participation. The holder must however have received an invitation, which is not guaranteed, because of the large number of requests and the random way in which invitations are sent out.

For the Coop Internship and the Young Professionals, the candidate must have received an offer of an internship or a job from a Canadian employer. This gives rise to a work permit restricted to one employer, profession and work place. The IEC is open to the nationals of 37 countries, aged between 18 to 30 or 35 years.

37 nationalities

Given the large number of countries concerned, when starting a work permit application process, we recommend checking that the talent is a national of one of the countries benefitting from the IEC programs, as the administrative procedures

In Montreal, we often see French professionals who hold a Young Professional permit. But did you know that young people from Chile, Lithuania, or Taiwan, could also benefit from this process?

The rules are then specific country by country. The types of permit can indeed vary, as can the duration of the permits and the possibility of renewal. When it comes to the age limit of the candidates, this can vary from 30 or 35 according to their nationality.

As an example, Australian nationals between 18 and 35 years can obtain a Young Professional permit for a period of 12 months, which cannot be renewed under the same category. Costa Rican nationals of that age range can obtain two Young Professional permits, each for a period of 12 months. As for Italians, they only have access to the Working Holiday permit and can work for a maximum of 6 months under these rules.

So as not to risk making a mistake, it is best not to copy others and check thoroughly the rules that apply to each country before opting for the IEC programs.

The advantages for the Employer: reduced formalities and shorter deadlines

As International Experience Canada is part of the international mobility program, the employer does not have to provide a Labour Market Impact Assessment and a Quebec Acceptance Certificate for the Young Professionals and the Coop Internship permits.

A job offer on the IRCC site for employers is sufficient, thus reducing the administrative steps for the employer and the government fees to $230.

The processing time, which is identical for all participants of the program, is also shorter. For the moment, it is two months, according to information from the authorities.

Faced with these advantages, when a candidate is eligible, what is stopping an employer from resorting to a Young Professional permit?

Analysing the best immigration options

Before any work permit application, an analysis must be made in order to guide an employer or candidate towards the best option as regards their situation and needs, notably in regards cost and flexibility. The duration of validity of the Young Professional permit can be one of the reasons not to use this process.

Depending on the candidate’s nationality, the maximum duration that can be obtained for this type of permit is 12 or 24 months, whereas, with other types of permit, the initial duration can be 36 months. Longer permit durations can be seen as more stable and a way of retaining the candidate in the company, therefore making us turn towards another program.

For each permit, it is the intrinsic knowledge of the stakes for the employer, and the situation of the foreign worker, that enables the professionals to recommend the most appropriate temporary immigration program.