For Non-Canadians - Travel and Work in Canada

English: Lower Consolation Lake in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Deutsch: Lower Consolation Lake im Banff Nationalpark, Alberta Français : Lac Consolation dans le Parc national Banff en Alberta (Canada). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Make your dream of travelling and working abroad a reality! International Experience Canada gives you the information and resources you need to travel and work in Canada for up to one year.

You’ve always dreamed of spending a year living and working in Canada. Maybe you want to work at a ski resort in Banff... gain valuable work experience in the financial district in downtown Toronto... or do an internship entirely in French in Quebec City.

International Experience Canada (IEC) manages Canada’s youth mobility arrangements and agreements with different countries around the world. These arrangements and agreements make it easier for you to obtain a work permit to travel and work in Canada for up to one year.

Work permits under IEC are available to young people aged 18-35* who are from one of the countries that have a bilateral reciprocal youth mobility arrangement or agreement with Canada. Consult the list below for participating countries to see if your country of origin has a bilateral reciprocal youth mobility arrangement or agreement with Canada. Click on the name of your country to be redirected to the corresponding Embassy of Canada website for specific application details.

Can’t find your country in the list? Connect with one of these recognized organizations for other travel and work opportunities in Canada.

Over the age of 35?* Contact Citizenship and Immigration Canada for information on other work permit options.

Country Territory	Working Holiday	Young Professionals	International Coop
Australia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Austria	No	Yes	Yes
Belgium	Yes	No	No
Chile	Yes	Yes	Yes
Costa Rica	Yes	Yes	Yes
Croatia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Czech Republic	Yes	Yes	Yes
Denmark	Yes	No	No
Estonia	Yes	Yes	Yes
France	Yes	Yes	Yes
Germany	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hong Kong	Yes	No	No
Ireland	Yes	No	No
Italy	Yes	No	No
Japan	Yes	No	No
Korea, Rep.	Yes	No	No
Latvia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Lithuania	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mexico	Yes	Yes	Yes
Netherlands	Yes	Yes	No
New Zealand	Yes	No	No
Norway	Yes	Yes	Yes
Poland	Yes	Yes	Yes
Slovakia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Slovenia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Spain	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sweden	Yes	Yes	Yes
Switzerland	No	Yes	Yes
Taiwan	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ukraine	Yes	Yes	Yes
United Kingdom	Yes	No	No

Are you a Canadian citizen looking to travel and work abroad for up to one year? Find out more about international travel and work abroad options for Canadian citizens.

* In some countries the age limit is 18-29, or 30

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Cutting Red Tape for Skilled Immigrants: Minister Kenney Introduces New Bridging Open Work Permit

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Dec. 20, 2012) - The new Bridging Open Work Permit enables certain economic class applicants to maintain their status and continue working in Canada while they wait for a final decision on their permanent residence application, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney announced.

"We are making our immigration system faster and more flexible, and cutting red tape for the skilled immigrants Canada's economy needs to grow and thrive," said Minister Jason Kenney. "The new open work permit provides those who are transitioning to permanent residency with better opportunities to integrate into Canada's labour market to the benefit of our economy and all Canadians."

The bridging work permit is available immediately and is valid for one year from the date of issuance. Qualifying foreign nationals currently in Canada, who have submitted an application for permanent residence under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) or the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) may be considered for an open work permit if their current work permit is about to expire.

Previously, applicants who were awaiting a decision on their permanent residence application could find their temporary work permits expiring before their application was processed. As a result, these individuals would no longer have been authorized to work in Canada unless their employer applied for and received a Labour Market Opinion from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) and the applicant then applied for an extension of status.

Open work permits are already available for other in-Canada immigration streams, such as live-in caregivers, spouses or common-law partners. This improvement will result in consistent treatment for other applicants already in Canada.

"We are preventing unnecessary disruption in the lives of the newcomers who are already contributing and successfully integrating into the Canadian economy," said Minister Kenney. "Improvements to our immigration system like this will help Canada attract the best and brightest from around the world - the skilled immigrants we need to fill our skilled labour shortages."

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Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada's economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.