It’s great news for people who want to work and explore Canada! The International Experience Canada (IEC) 2024 season pools are now available. If you are interested in participating, you can register with the pool of candidates for the IEC.
It’s a fantastic opportunity, so don’t miss out! However, since spaces are limited, signing up as soon as possible is best. Moreover, we have an interesting observation: the French dominate the swimming pool scene.
How did the first week of IEC’s opening go?
The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shared some exciting news about working holidays. More than 15,000 people have already applied to participate in the program just five days after it opened. This shows how many people are interested in the program. This means there will be fierce competition for spots in the program.
What is the distribution of these 15,000 across the various countries?
Currently, more than 7,000 people have applied for a French working holiday, which is the most popular destination. Chile and South Korea are close behind, with over 2,000 applicants each, while UK applicants are just over 1,000.
Other popular countries include Australia, Costa Rica, Germany, and Japan, with a couple hundred applicants each. As we get closer to the first round of invitations in the new year, we expect more people to apply for these working holiday programs.
What is the expected date of the first round of invitations?
If you’re interested in working in Canada, an International Experience Canada (IEC) program invites eligible candidates to apply for a Canadian work permit. This program’s first round of meetings will happen soon, and invitations will be sent out during the week of Jan. 8, 2024.
If you want to be considered for this program, you still have four weeks to prepare your profile and respond to any invitations from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Remember that the number of candidates invited varies from round to round.
Canada is still accepting applications for the International Experience Canada (IEC) program until all spots are filled or the season ends. The application deadline for the first group of applicants ended on October 13th, and there will likely be a similar deadline for the second group of applicants.
Each country has a fixed number of spots available. The Canadian government has yet to announce how many spots will be available or when the first round of applications will be accepted. We will update you when the Canadian government provides more information.
Recently, the Canadian government announced some good news about International Experience Canada. Canada’s immigration minister, Marc Miller, says the program is a great way for young people to gain valuable life experience while helping the country.
This program aims to assist Canadian employers in finding skilled workers and boost the tourism industry locally. The program also provides opportunities for young Canadians to work and travel abroad, gaining valuable experience they can apply to their future careers.
Hon. Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship
Are there any changes in IEC 2024?
Two entirely new countries will be participating in IEC 2024: Iceland and Finland. Welcome!
Canadian programs have expanded to include the United Kingdom and South Korea and require that International Co-op students from Chile be registered at a Chilean school when they apply.
The following are the IEC 2024 updates in point form:
- United Kingdom – Those of you young British citizens between 18 and 35 are in luck! You have the option of participating in two programs over three years. In the first program, you can choose any category that interests you for a period of two years. After this, you can participate in a second program for one year. The good news is that those who participated in the first program for 12 months before 2015 will be eligible to participate in the second program for 24 months.
- South Korea – Two categories are now available to Korean youth between 18 and 35: Young Professionals and International Co-op (internship). The International Co-op category allows only one participation, but the Working Holiday and Young Professionals categories allow repeats.
- Chile – A Chilean applicant who is 18-35 must be enrolled in a Chilean school at the time of application for the International Co-op program.
- Finland – Under any of the three IEC programs, Finnish youth ages 18-35 can work in Canada for one year.
- Iceland – Youth ages 18-30 can work in Canada as part of the Working Holiday Program. Participants can stay for 24 months by renewing their participation every 12 months.
- Ukraine – When travel to Ukraine becomes safe, young people from both countries will be able to benefit from the bilateral agreement.
- Fees Increasing – In comparison with previous years, IEC participants will now have to pay a fee of CAD 172 for participation in the event.
What should I do if IEC 2024 is my ticket to Canada?
Right now, one of the most important things you can do is to create an account on the IEC pool. If you do this, you will have a higher chance of being selected during the next round of invitations. You should keep your profile in the pool for as long as possible to maximize your chances of being selected.
Suppose you’re considering moving to Canada but need to figure out which program you’re eligible for. In that case, you can check if you qualify for the International Experience Canada (IEC) program or any other 20+ immigration programs available in Canada.