International Experience Canada (IEC) is a great opportunity to have a chance to work and travel in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Canada is known for their strong economy, amazing and friendly people and breathtaking landscapes full of forests, mountains, and wildlife. It’s also perfect for city lovers as major cities like Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Ottawa are there for those who would like to enjoy the big city life.
This is not the easiest program to get on to but it is really worth the while. There are of course steps tat you need to go through to be able to get a permit to work in Canada. Sadly, not everyone is eligible to participate in the program. The country you come from must have an agreement with Canada (that’s usually the case with any program that allows you to work abroad). You can check if you are eligible here.
If you are eligible, you will get to choose from three different travel and work experience opportunities:
- Working Holiday – allows you to get a temporary permit to work in Canada and travel during your stay there.
- Young Professionals – helps you to gain Canadian professional work experience to better compete in a global economy.
- International Co-op internship – The International Co-op Internship is for students who intend to complete a work placement or internship in Canada to fulfill part of their academic curriculum.
Once you decide which travel experience suits you best, you will have to submit your profile. After that, there will be many steps that will take some time and funds to carry out. You will have to get all the needed paperwork, go through some medical tests, pay all the fees and save the money for plane tickets.
You have to keep in mind that this is an investment for your job opportunity in the future, so you should be able to earn quite more than you will spend for the whole program costs. And you will be able to travel in the country as well.
Keep in mind that there are some strict criteria for the age and the number of participants Canada can invite from a specific country. So it is a bit like a lottery where you have to be quicker to register and get all the paperwork done than the others. Nevertheless, good things always are hard to get and we really think this is worth it.
You can find all the information about the International Experience Canada program and steps you would need to take in the official government website of Canada.
Good luck!
