Repeat Canada Work Permits Available for IEC Youth

Young people from 28 countries may be able to work in Canada more than once through the International Experience Canada program.

The program, known as IEC, gives eligible foreign nationals a simpler route to Canadian work permits compared with many other work permit streams. Depending on their country, citizens aged 18 to 30 or 18 to 35 can apply under IEC and may be able to work in Canada for up to two or three years in total.

Countries That Allow Repeat Participation

Canada’s IEC program is based on agreements with participating countries. Some of these countries allow their citizens to take part more than once.

The countries that currently allow repeat IEC participation include Australia, Austria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Most of these countries have an upper age limit of 35. Iceland, Japan, the Netherlands, and Sweden have an upper age limit of 30.

Austria and Finland allow up to three IEC participations. The other listed countries allow up to two, although some have special rules. In many cases, applicants must wait for a set period between participations, such as three months. Some countries also require the second participation to be in a different IEC category than the first.

A single IEC work permit is generally issued for up to 12 or 24 months, depending on the applicant’s country of citizenship and the type of permit.

Three IEC Work Permit Categories

IEC offers three types of work permits: Working Holiday, Young Professionals, and International Co-op Internship.

The Working Holiday permit is an open work permit. This means the worker is not tied to one employer or job. Permit holders can work for most employers in most industries and may change jobs during their stay.

The Young Professionals permit is employer-specific. Applicants usually need a job that matches their education, training, or professional background.

The International Co-op Internship stream is for students enrolled in post-secondary studies outside Canada. To qualify, they must have a Canadian job offer for a work placement required by their study program.

Not every participating country has access to all three categories. Access depends on the agreement between Canada and the applicant’s country.

Basic Eligibility Rules

Applicants must meet the age limit for their country and qualify for the IEC category they choose. They must also buy health insurance for their full stay in Canada.

In addition, applicants must show they have at least $2,500 CAD, plus enough money for travel costs.

They must also meet Canada’s general entry rules. A person may be refused entry because of a serious medical condition, criminal history, or national security concerns.

Selection Is Not Guaranteed

Although IEC can be easier to qualify for than other work permits, approval is not automatic. Canada sets annual quotas for each participating country and each permit category.

Because demand can be higher than the number of available spots, IEC uses a lottery-style invitation system.

Applicants first create an online candidate profile. If selected, they receive an invitation to apply. They then have up to 10 days to accept the invitation and up to 20 days to submit a complete online work permit application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

IEC pools usually open in January or February. Invitation rounds continue until a country’s quota is filled or the season closes.

As of May 2025, Canada allows repeat IEC participants to have their work permits mailed to Canadian addresses. Before this change, many applicants had to leave Canada and return to activate a new permit.

Eight IEC countries allow only one participation per citizen: Andorra, Belgium, Denmark, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Portugal, and Taiwan.