As part of IEC, agreements are in place between more than 30 countries and territories through which young people (aged 18 to 35) can obtain work permits more quickly. By hiring an IEC participant, you could find a qualified person and fill your position faster.

You do not need to obtain a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) when you hire someone enrolled in the IEC program.

Categories

EIC has three categories for participants, but not all categories are accessible to all partner countries:

1. Young professionals (closed work permit)

Young people can gain professional work experience in Canada that will help them find their place in the global economy. To hire someone in the Young Professionals category, you must make them a job offer.

The job must:

• contribute to the professional development of the person;
• meet all provincial or territorial employment standards, including minimum wage requirements;
• be part of the skill type 0, skill level A or skill level B job groups of the National Occupational Classification (NOC);
• a job at skill level C of the NOC can be accepted if the person can submit a certificate, a degree or a post-secondary diploma with his work permit application.

2. International coop internship (closed work permit)

Participants in this category must be attending a post-secondary institution. They must make a work placement or internship to complete their studies. To recruit someone in the International Co-op Internship category, you must make a job offer.

The job must:

• be directly related to the person’s field of study;
• meet all provincial or territorial employment standards, including minimum wage requirements.

3. Working – Holidays (open work permit)

Participants in this category get an open work permit. No specific guidelines apply for their hiring. Follow the same process you would normally follow.

Invitation to apply

1. Register for the EIC program in one of the categories offered (base);
2. Wait to be removed from the pool and obtain an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for a work permit;
3. After obtaining the ITA, start preparing your work permit application.

You should submit your job offer as soon as the person you want to hire receives an Invitation to Apply (ITA). When applicants receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA), they have ten calendar days to decline or accept the ITA. If they accept the ITA, they are considered “applicants” and have twenty calendar days to apply for a work permit (the 20-day period begins on the date applicants accept the ITA).

Admissible countries, program, age and duration

See the list of eligible countries.