What is the International Experience Canada (IEC) program for Australian citizens?

The International Experience Canada (IEC) program provides unique pathways for Australian citizens aged 18-35 to travel and work in Canada for up to 2 years (24 months). This is a popular program allowing young Australians who intend to travel in Canada to find temporary paid employment to help pay for their trip through the following categories:  

1. Working Holiday

2. Australian Young Professionals in Canada

3. International Co-op (Internship)

Australian citizens may participate in the Working Holiday category only once. However citizens who meet the eligibility criteria may participate in the International Experience Canada (IEC) program one more time through the International Co-op Internship category. Those who participated in IEC one or more times before 2015 might be eligible for a final participation of up to 24 months in the category of your choice.

What are the International Experience Canada (IEC) requirements for Australian citizens?

Australian citizens must meet the following standard IEC requirements to be eligible for any of the three categories under the IEC program including the Working Holiday category, Australian Young Professionals in Canada, and International Co-op (Internship): 

Citizenship

You must have Australian citizenship.

Age

18-35 (inclusive) at the time of application.

Valid passport

Your work permit in Canada cannot be valid longer than your passport. 

Proof of financial support

You must have a minimum of CAD $2,500 to help cover initial expenses (approximately AUD $2803). A bank statement or a bank letter are accepted as proof of funds. The bank statement must be issued no more than 1 week before you leave for Canada. Make sure to bring this letter with you to Canada as border service officers may ask for it when you arrive.

Currency declaration

If you are travelling to Canada with CAN $10,000 or more (approximately AUD $11,176) you will need to declare it to Canada Border Services Agency.

Admissibility

You must not be inadmissible to enter Canada under immigration law.

Return ticket

Before departure, you must have a return travel ticket or funds to purchase one.

No accompanying dependents

You must not be accompanied by dependent children.

Health insurance

You must have health insurance for the duration of stay in Canada which you may be required to present when you enter Canada.

Pay the fees

You must pay the applicable fees for your IEC application.

Work permit

You will need to apply for the appropriate work permit, either the open work permit or the employer-specific work permit, as applicable under your IEC category.

Category specific documents

You may be required to submit specific documents relevant to the category you are applying for including: 

• CV/resume

• Police certificate

• Medical exam certificate

For more general information on visa and entry requirements visit our page on Canada's visa and entry requirements for Australians.

IEC working holiday

The Working Holiday category under the IEC program is for Australian citizens aged 18-35 who: 

• Don’t have a job offer 

• Want to work for more than one employer in Canada 

• Want to work in more than one location 

• Would like to earn some money so that you can travel

Entry requirements for Australian citizens on a Canada working holiday

Australian citizens must meet all of the standard IEC requirements listed above, as well as the following category specific requirements to be eligible for the Working Holiday category under the IEC program: 

• Work permit for working holiday: You will need to apply for an open work permit for the Working Holiday category which lets you work for almost any employer in Canada, subject to the exceptions outlined above 

• Medical exam: You may need to get a medical exam for some jobs 

• Additional documents: During your application, you may be asked to submit additional documents 

Australian young professionals in Canada

The Young Professionals category under the IEC program is for Australian citizens aged 18-35 who: 

• Are post-secondary graduates seeking career development opportunities by gaining professional work experience in Canada  

• Have a signed letter of offer or a signed contract of employment (up to 24 months) for a job in Canada that counts toward their professional development 

• Will work for the same employer in the same location during their stay in Canada 

Entry requirements for Australian young professionals in Canada

Australian citizens must meet all of the standard IEC requirements listed above, as well as the following category specific requirements to be eligible for the Young Professionals category under the IEC program: 

• Work permit for young professionals in Canada: You must work for the same employer in the same location during your stay in Canada under the Young Professionals category, so you will need to apply for an employer-specific work permit 

• Work type: Work must be paid work, not self-employed work 

• Job offer: You must have a signed letter of offer or a signed contract of employment (up to 24 months) for a job in Canada that counts toward your professional development 

• Job classification: The job must be classified under Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 of the National Occupation Classification 

• Additional documents: During your application, you may be asked to submit additional documents 

The table below provides some examples of jobs within the eligible TEER categories that may count towards your professional development. To check the TEER classification of your job, visit the National Occupation Classification website and enter in your job title. 

Australians interning in Canada's International Co-Op Program

The International Co-op category allows Australian students enrolled at a post-secondary institution in Australia to complete work placements or internships in Canada to fulfil part of their academic curriculum for up to 12 months. The International Co-op (Internship) category is for you if: 

• You are a student registered at a post-secondary institution in Australia 

• You have a job offer for a work placement or internship in Canada 

• You need to do this work placement or internship to complete your studies 

• You will work for the same employer in the same location during your stay in Canada 

Entry requirements for Australians interning in Canada's International Co-op Program

Australian citizens must meet all of the standard IEC requirements listed above, as well as the following category specific requirements to be eligible for the International Co-op (Internship) category under the IEC program: 

• Proof of school registration: You must provide a letter from your educational institution showing that you’re currently registered there. 

• Work permit for the International Co-op: You must work for the same employer in the same location during your stay in Canada under the International Co-op (Internship) category, so you will need to apply for an employer-specific work permit 

• Offer: You must have one of the following offers: 

  • signed letter of offer, or 

  • a signed contract for a work placement, or 

  • an internship in Canada that meets the requirements of your academic curriculum in Australia 

• Job study link: You must submit one of the following documents to prove that your job is linked to your field of studies 

  • Internship agreement: This is a 3-party agreement signed by you, your employer and your educational institution that must contain all: 

    • Job title 

    • Description of the tasks you’ll do 

    • Exact start and end dates of the internship 

    • Complete address of the job site 

    • Employer’s contact information 

  • Letter from educational institution: This letter from your educational institution must 

    • Be on an official letterhead of the institution 

    • State that your job offer is linked to your field of studies 

How can Australians apply for International Experience Canada?

Eligible Australian citizens wishing to participate in the IEC program must complete their application online. Below is a summary of the online application process for IEC.

1. Check IEC eligibility criteria: Familiarise yourself with the IEC requirements provided above and complete the Come 2 Canada (C2C) questionnaire to determine your eligibility for the IEC program 

2. IRCC account: Register for an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada secure account. Select ‘Apply to come to Canada’ and use your personal reference code to start your IEC application. 

3. Profile submission: Submit your profile and chose the IEC candidate pools you wish to be in 

4. Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA): If you receive an invitation to apply via your IRCC account, you will have 10 days to accept the invitation 

5. Start work permit application: Start your application for the appropriate work permit for your chosen category with the relevant supporting documents. You will have 20 days to complete and submit the work permit application and pay the appropriate fee. 

6. Employer compliance fee: During the 20 days period, your employer needs to pay the CAN $230 employer compliance fee for Young Professionals and International Co-op categories through their Employer Portal. Once this fee is paid your employer should send you an offer of employment number which you need to complete your work permit application. 

7. Supporting documents: Upload all supporting documents including police and medical exam certificates if applicable. If you cannot get a document such as a police certificate or medical exam certificate in time, submit a letter of explanation or proof that you have requested the police certificate or applied to undertake a medical exam. You may be able to request an extension. 

8. Pay IEC fees: Pay the IEC fee of CAN $179.75 (approximately AUD $201) through your IRCC account. Other fees may include a biometrics fee of CAN $85 (approximately AUD $95) and the Working Holiday open work permit holder fee of CAN $100 (approximately AUD $112). 

9. Provide biometrics: If you are required to provide biometrics (fingerprint and photo), a biometric instruction letter will be sent through your IRCC account after you submit your application. Once you receive the letter, you will have 30 days to submit your biometrics at a visa application centre (VAC).Visit the website of VFS Global, the exclusive service provider for the Government of Canada, authorized to provide administrative support services to visa applicants in Australia. 

10. IEC work permit assessment: The work permit application assessment may take up to 56 days. You may be asked to provide additional documents. 

11. Optional withdrawal: If you no longer wish to proceed with the IEC application process, you can now withdraw from IEC and obtain refunds for the IEC fee, open work permit holder and compliance fee as applicable. 

12. Port of entry letter: If your application is approved, IRCC will send a port of entry (POE) letter to your account. You will need to bring this letter with you to Canada. 

13. Arrival in Canada: Once you arrive in Canada, your work permit will be issued to you by a Canada Border Service officer. 

Understanding IEC invitation pools

Once you’ve made your IRCC profile, it will stay in the IEC category pool until: 

• You receive an Invitation to Apply for a work permit 

• We remove all of the profiles from the pool(s) at the end of the season or 

• You’re no longer eligible for IEC 

IRCC regularly invites eligible candidates from the IEC pools to apply for a work permit called rounds of invitations. The number of candidates invited to apply during each round varies. Invitation rounds take place until there are no more spots available or the IEC season closes. To check the current IEC invitation schedule, visit the IEC Rounds of Invitations page for your IEC category or follow the links below:

• IEC Invitation Schedule for Australia - Working Holiday in Canada

• IEC Invitation Schedule for Australian Young Professionals in Canada

• IEC Invitation Schedule for Australian - International Co-op (Internship)

Can I extend my IEC or change my work permit?

Extensions and changes to IEC work permits depend on your category and circumstances. To get the most accurate details, visit the IECs extend your participation or change your work permit page and select the options relevant to you. 

Working Holiday

Australian citizens may only participate in the Working Holiday category once. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you may participate in IEC one more time through the International Co-op (Internship) category. 

Young Professionals

Australian citizens may only participate in the Young Professionals category once. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you may participate in IEC one more time through the International Co-op (Internship) category.

International Co-op (Internship)

Australian citizens may only participate in the International Co-op (Internship) category once. If this is your first time participating, you may participate in the IEC one more time through the Working Holiday category or Young Professionals category provided you meet all other eligibility criteria. 

Australian citizens who have participated in IEC one or more times before 2015 might be eligible for a final participation of up to 24 months in the category of their choice.

Health insurance for the International Experience Canada program

Eligible Australian citizens travelling to Canada under the IEC program must take out health insurance for the duration of their stay in Canada as one of the key entry requirements of the IEC program. Here’s what you need to know about taking out health insurance for your trip to Canada under the IEC program. 

Your health insurance must cover: 

• Medical care 

• Hospitalisation 

• Repatriation including the cost of: 

• Getting you to a medical facility 

• Returning you to your home country or 

• Returning your remains to your home country 

If your health insurance doesn’t provide adequate cover in line with these requirements, you may be denied entry into Canada under the IEC program. Although you don’t have to have health insurance when you apply for the IEC program, you do need to have health insurance before you arrive in Canada. Your health insurance must cover the entire duration of your stay in Canada. The IRCC advises IEC participants to purchase 1 policy to cover the entire length of their work permit. However, if this isn’t possible, the IRCC advises participants to purchase 2 consecutive policies instead. 

You may be able to take out a travel insurance policy with medical benefits that provide adequate cover to meet the health insurance requirements under the IEC program. 

Please note that Fast Cover does not determine if your travel insurance policy meets IEC health insurance requirements. As IEC entry requirements may change over time, it is your responsibility to verify whether the medical coverage on your chosen travel insurance policy meets the IEC health insurance requirement. It is recommended to consult the IRCC or Canadian embassy for specific details.

Travel insurance with medical cover for your trip to Canada under the IEC

When planning your trip to Canada under the IEC program, it's important to consider travel insurance that provides cover for medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation in line with the requirements of the IEC program. 

Depending on the policy chosen with Fast Cover Travel Insurance, cover may be available for the following benefits to help you meet the IEC health insurance requirements: 

• Overseas 24/7 Emergency Medical Assistance,  

• Overseas Emergency Medical and Hospital Expenses,  

• Overseas Emergency Dental,  

• Overseas Emergency Medical Evacuation and Repatriation,  

• Overseas Hospital Cash Payment.  

It is important to note that your travel insurance policy may not provide cover if you do not comply with Canada’s visa or other entry requirements under the IEC program. To help ensure you are prepared for your trip, you should research and understand the relevant entry conditions before you travel to Canada.

See this helpful guide on how to apply to extend your travel Fast Cover travel insurance policy to cover the 24-month IEC program period.  

Eligibility criteria, policy terms, conditions, exclusions, limits, and sub-limits apply. Consider the PDS prior to deciding on which policy is right for you and your needs.