Canada Announces Country Quotas for IEC Work Permits in 2025

The International Experience Canada (IEC) program has announced its country quotas for issuing work permits in 2025. This program offers work permits to young people from countries that have Youth Mobility Agreements (bYMAs) with Canada. These agreements allow young people from participating countries to live and work temporarily in Canada, and also give Canadian youth the opportunity to work abroad in those countries.

To qualify for an IEC work permit, the applicant must be between 18 and 35 years old, depending on their country of citizenship. The work permits are available under three streams: Working Holiday, Young Professionals, and International Co-op. These streams allow young people to gain valuable work experience and explore Canada.

The quotas for each country show the maximum number of work permits that will be issued. For example, Australia has an unlimited number of permits for each category, while countries like Austria and Belgium have specific limits, such as 100 permits for the Working Holiday stream in Austria.

The Working Holiday stream is the most flexible of the three. It allows applicants to work for multiple employers in different locations and earn money to travel. This stream provides an open work permit (OWP), which means applicants don’t need a job offer before arriving in Canada.

The Young Professionals stream is for individuals who already have a job offer in Canada that contributes to their professional development. This stream requires an employer-specific work permit, which means the applicant can only work for the employer and in the location stated in their work permit.

The International Co-op stream is designed for students who need a work placement or internship in Canada to complete their studies. This stream also requires an employer-specific work permit, and the applicant must work for the same employer in a specific location for the duration of their placement.

While not all countries with a Youth Mobility Agreement are eligible for each of the three streams, there are specific categories that each country’s citizens can apply for. A complete list of countries and their corresponding streams is available on the IEC website.

To be eligible for these work permits, applicants must meet a few basic requirements. They must be citizens of a country with a Youth Mobility Agreement with Canada, hold a valid passport, be within the age range specified for their country, and have at least $2,500 to cover their living expenses upon arrival in Canada. They must also secure health insurance for the duration of their stay and be able to prove that they are admissible to Canada. Additionally, applicants cannot bring dependents and must have either a round-trip ticket or enough funds to purchase one.

In addition to meeting the above criteria, applicants must also pay any necessary fees for their application.