IEC Young Professionals Work Permit

In order to be eligible for the Young Professionals work permit, you must:

• Have a valid passport or valid travel document of an eligible, participating country for the duration of your stay in Canada
• Be between 18 and 30 years old
  • You may be able to apply if you’re under 35 years old if you’re from certain countries
• Have a minimum of CAN$2,500 to help cover your expenses in Canada
• Have health insurance for the whole duration of your stay
• Not be inadmissible to Canada
• Have, before departure, a round-trip ticket or demonstrate that you’ll have the financial resources to purchase a departure ticket at the end of your authorized stay in Canada
• Have a signed letter of offer or contract of employment in Canada
  • The employment offer must be in your field of expertise (through schooling or work experience) and contribute to your professional development
• Not be accompanied by dependants

In addition to this, the work placement or internship you’re taking must adhere to the wage and labour laws of the province or territory you’ll be working in.

The Young Professionals work permit requires applicants to have a valid job offer before coming to Canada to work.

This job offer will only be acceptable for the program if it’s in your field of expertise and it’s considered to be contributing to your own professional development.

Jobs that will be considered as contributing to your professional development include those that are classed as a National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill type or level 0, A, B, or possibly C in some circumstances.

Skill type 0 jobs include managerial roles such as advertising, restaurant or financial managers.

Skill type A jobs include occupations that usually require a university degree, such as doctors or architects.

Skill type B jobs include technical jobs and skilled trades that usually call for a college diploma or training as an apprentice, such as plumbers or electricians.

Skill type C jobs include intermediate jobs that usually call for high school qualifications or job-specific training, such as wait staff or drivers.

A skill type C job will only qualify for the Young Professionals work if it’s directly in your field of study. When you apply, you’ll also need to submit your post-secondary diploma, certificate or degree.

To successfully apply for a Young Professionals work permit, you must first create an IEC profile and submit it into the pools for selection.

If your profile is selected, you will then receive an Invitation to Apply.

Note that the pools are only open for a specific limited season each year. Your profile will stay in the pool until one of the following happens:

• You receive an Invitation to Apply
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) remove all of the profiles from the pools when the current IEC season ends
• You’re no longer eligible for IEC

You will be able to enter your profile into the pool at any time during the IEC season. However, you may have a greater chance of receiving an Invitation to Apply if you submit your profile earlier in the season.

After accepting your Invitation to Apply, you will then be able to apply for your work permit.

When completing the online application form, you must ensure that you:

• Answer all questions truthfully and completely
  • Your application may be refused if you give false information or leave out important details
• Fill out all the mandatory fields in the form
• Don’t leave any gaps in time in the work history and education history sections
  • You must ensure that you include all absences, periods of unemployment or travel dates
• Include all paid and unpaid work in the work history section
• Click “validate” at the end of each form so there are no errors or blank fields in your application

Once you’ve completed the online form, the system will give you a personalized document checklist, detailing all of the supporting documents you need to provide with your application.

Below is a general overview of the supporting documents you may have to provide with your work permit application:

• Proof of financial support
  • This will normally be a bank statement showing that you have at least CAN$2,500, issued no more than one week before your departure for Canada
• Proof of medical exam (if applicable)
• Proof of health insurance that covers the entire duration of your stay in Canada
• Police certificate (if applicable)
• CV or resume
• A copy of your passport
• A digital photo of yourself
• A Family Information (IMM 5707) form
• Proof of education for National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level C jobs, which will usually be a copy of your post-secondary diploma, certificate or degree

Note that this is not an exhaustive list and you may be expected to submit documents that aren’t listed here.

Participation Fees

After you complete your application and upload your documents, you will have to pay the participation fee for the program.

As of 2023, the participation fee for the Young Professionals program is CAN$156.

You may also need to pay an additional fee of CAN$85 if you’re required to give your biometrics information in the form of your fingerprints and a photograph.

Note that for the Young Professionals program, your employer must also pay a CAN$230 employer compliance fee and submit your offer of employment to IRCC before you submit your application for a work permit.

Note that the participation fee and employer compliance fee are only refundable if:

• You withdraw your work permit application before you are issued a port of entry letter of introduction
• Your employer withdraws their offer of employment before your work permit is issued
• Your work permit application is refused

Processing Times

The processing time for your application may take between a few weeks and a few months, depending on how busy the service is, and if there are any additional queries or issues with your application.

Up-to-date processing times for the current IEC season can be found on the IRCC website.

Once you submit your application, IRCC will verify that:

• All the information you gave in your application is true
• You’re eligible to work in Canada
• You’re admissible to Canada

You may also receive a letter requesting you to make an appointment to give your biometrics information. If you do, you must do so within 30 days of receiving your letter.

You may also be contacted by IRCC to provide more supporting documents or information, or to attend an interview with an officer.

If Your Application Is Approved

If your application is approved, you will receive a port of entry (POE) letter of introduction. You will need to show this letter and your other supporting documents to a border services officer before the letter’s expiry date.

The border services officer will then review your documents and assess whether you meet the basic entry requirements to enter Canada. In some cases, the border services officer stamps your passport as part of the process.

If Your Application is Refused

If your application is refused, you will receive a letter explaining why.

If you’re unsure as to why your application was refused or need help with the next steps to take, reach out to one of our immigration advisers. Call us on +1 844 290 6312, or contact us online.