麻豆官网

Now, in order to determine the best timing for your process, first it鈥檚 important to know the age limit for your country of citizenship:

• 18-35: Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kinkdom
• 18-30: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden

If you鈥檙e within the age range, it鈥檚 now time to figure out what to do next.

Watch our latest webinar where we covered key questions to help you prepare for IEC 2024!

Scenario 1: You鈥檙e within one year of the age limit

(For example, if you are Australian and 34 or 35 years old, or Belgian and 29 or 30 years old. See above for the exact age range for your country).

You don鈥檛 have much time to waste. The IEC pools are generally open from December to September, with downtime around October and November (during which time it is not possible to create a profile and begin the process). So, for most of the year Canada is welcoming new IEC candidates.

Once you鈥檙e approved you鈥檒l have 12 months to land in Canada and your age will be 鈥渓ocked in鈥�, meaning an Australian approved at age 35 may actually land in Canada after her 36th birthday, or a Belgian person approved at age 30 may land after his 31st birthday. Again, see above for the age range for your country.

If you鈥檙e within one year of the age limit but don鈥檛 plan on moving to Canada within the next 14 months or so, you鈥檒l have to either alter your plan in order to bring forward your move slightly, or figure out another way to move to Canada (see a guide on alternatives here). Don鈥檛 bank on Canada changing the age range for your country in the future 鈥� such changes are extremely rare.

Ready? Let鈥檚 get going!

Scenario 2: You plan on moving to Canada within the next 14 months

If you fall within the range for your country and the IEC pools are open 鈥� as they are generally from December through to September, so for most of the year 鈥� it鈥檚 a good idea to create your IEC profile as soon as possible. This way, the Government of Canada will know you want to move and you鈥檙e effectively putting your hand up to be invited when the Government conducts its weekly 鈥渄raws鈥� or 鈥渋nvitation rounds鈥� (the same thing). The sooner you create your profile, the more draws you鈥檒l open yourself up to, thereby increasing your chances of being invited to apply for a work permit.

When you are invited, you鈥檒l have up to 10 days to accept, then 20 more days to submit your full application, then the Government will take a few weeks (typically around six weeks) to process everything and 鈥� hopefully 鈥� approve your big move. Once approved, you鈥檒l have 12 months to land in Canada and begin living and working here.

So, if you plan on moving within the next 14 months, it鈥檚 time to create your profile.

Ready? Let鈥檚 get going!

Scenario 3: You plan on moving to Canada 15 or more months in the future

(For example, if you are Australian and 33 years old or younger, or Belgian and 28 years old or younger, and you plan on moving to Canada 15 or more months in the future. See above for the exact age range for your country).

If you were to begin the process soon (i.e. during the current year) and are invited and then approved, you鈥檇 have to actually move within a year. If you were to let the approval letter lapse (i.e. not land in Canada within a year of approval), this would still count as participation in the IEC program. You鈥檇 have used up your chance, even without moving!

For these reasons, some early planners wait a while before creating their IEC profile. In essence, you want to be approved for an IEC work permit within 12 months of your intended arrival date. It takes an additional two months or so of processing time before this year-long validity period kicks in. Some extensions to the approval letter (known as a Port of Entry Letter of Introduction) validity period have been granted during the coronavirus pandemic, but these are assessed on a case-by-case basis and only because of the extraordinary circumstances. There鈥檚 no expectation that Canada may approve extensions after the pandemic and its associated restrictions on international travel.

If you decide to wait a while before creating your IEC profile, please note the following caveats:

• While it is likely that people from your country will still be eligible in the future, it鈥檚 not completely guaranteed. In recent years, Canada has placed its IEC agreements with Mexico and Ukraine 鈥渦nder review鈥� for years on end. These multi-year pauses probably aren鈥檛 random and are perhaps because of security concerns of allowing Canadian youth to move to those countries. IEC is a reciprocal program; if you can move to Canada through IEC, it also means Canadians can move to your country.
• Even if you are eligible in the future, there is no guarantee that you will be invited to apply. Countries鈥� quotas can change each year, and for some countries demand often outpaces supply, leaving some candidates without an invitation. The exception here is Australia, which has an unlimited quota.

The next step: Your 麻豆官网 Account

Now that you have an idea of when to begin the IEC process, make sure to sign up for a free 麻豆官网 account. Your account gives you access to tons of resources, including checklists with step-by-step instructions for your immigration process, job openings from Canadian employers looking to hire IEC participants, and much more!

Once you sign up for free, we鈥檒l show you exactly where and how to create your IEC profile, plus a bunch of other important tasks to help you along the way.

Sign up for a free account here.

Next step: How to apply for an IEC work permit

More resources to prepare for your IEC:

• Most common questions answered about IEC
• How much does it really cost to move to Canada through IEC?
• Common mistakes to avoid when applying to IEC
• IEC applications for couples and groups
• Biometrics for IEC
• Make sure you understand everything about police certificates
• How to chose the right health insurance
• How to correctly format and size your documents for your application
• What documents will you need to add after you submit your application
• Some alternatives in case you can鈥檛 get your working holiday visa