The annual opening date for the IEC visa selection pool can vary each year and depends on your nationality. The IEC visa pools for 2023 opened on the 9th January and are expected to close around September/October.  We expect the 2024 pools to open around December / January. 

To be in with a chance of getting an IEC visa, you must submit your application into a pool of candidates. People will be chosen at random to accept an ‘Invitation to Apply’ for the visa once your job offer form has been submitted. You can then officially apply for the visa within a specified time frame. Don't worry too much about the process, that’s what we’re here for. We’ll walk you through it step-by-step once you’re on the Work Canada program.

An Invitation to Apply is the document you need before starting your work permit application.

Your visa duration will depend on your nationality.

American – up to 12 months
Australian – up to 24 months
British – up to 24 months
German – up to 12 months
Irish – up to 24 months
New Zealand – up to 23 months

For all other nationalities please contact us for information. 

BUNAC are partnered with SWAP, an organisation that has been allocated RO Letters. This means that BUNAC can provide a limited number of applicants with a RO Letter who ordinarily would not meet the criteria of the IEC work permit program. Eligible applicants must be: 

• Age 31-35 years old
  

There are two program options to choose from: 

• Work Canada Recognised Organisation Essential 
• Work Canada Recognised Organisation Ultimate

Click here for the current costs and inclusions. 

Please note that the amount must be paid upfront and in full. This cost covers the support program and the RO Letter. It does not include the cost of the visa itself, the ACRO Police Check, Support Funds and Biometrics Appointment. For a full breakdown of other costs please see our Work Canada Cost and inclusions page.

The Work Canada RO program is more expensive than the standard Work Canada program because of the additional fees associated with the RO Letter issuing process.

UK passport holders can participate for up to a maximum of 24 months; however, most employers generally offer employment contracts for around 12 months. US passport holders can participate for up to 12 months.

Your job offer must be classified as a National Occupational Classification (NOC) code. This is broken down into Training, Education, Experience and Responsibility (TEER) categories and your job must fall within TEER categories 0, 1, 2 or 3. For more information on TEER categories see here 

No, your job offer does not need to be directly related to your studies. It does need to be classified as a National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER category level 0, 1, 2 or 3. Contact the team to check if your job offer is suitable.

Yes, you can complete the program as part of a placement year providing your specific university can confirm the job offer qualifies.

The Young Professionals visa is only available through Recognised Organisations (ROs) of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). BUNAC works with SWAP Working Holidays to provide you with the correct documents and authorising letter needed to apply to the Young Professionals scheme with the Canadian Government.

Yes, but you would need to have secured a job offer with a Canadian employer and meet the other visa eligibility requirements to benefit from returning to Canada to work for up to 24 months on the Young Professionals visa.