The International Experience Canada (IEC) program provides young individuals with the opportunity to travel and work in Canada. While the IEC work permit itself is not a direct pathway to permanent residency (PR), it can be utilized as a stepping stone towards achieving PR status in Canada. Here’s how you can leverage an IEC work permit to increase your chances of obtaining permanent residency:
- Canadian Work Experience: Through the IEC program, you can gain valuable Canadian work experience, which is a significant factor in many economic immigration programs, including the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) within the Express Entry system.
- Express Entry: If you qualify for the CEC or other Express Entry programs like the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), your Canadian work experience can earn you additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, increasing your chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency.
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): Provinces and territories in Canada have their own immigration programs, known as PNPs. Many PNPs value candidates who have local work experience or job offers. Working in Canada on an IEC permit may position you well to be nominated by a province for PR.
- Establishing Connections: While working in Canada, you can establish social and professional networks that may lead to job offers or endorsements from Canadian employers, which can be beneficial in your PR application.
- Language Proficiency: Living and working in Canada can help improve your English and/or French language skills, which are assessed in most PR applications.
- Learning About Canada: Your time in Canada on an IEC work permit allows you to understand Canadian society and culture better, which can be helpful when transitioning to permanent residency.
Tips on maximizing your chances for PR
- Hit the ground running with a job
Once you’ve got you’re IEC work permit approved in principle, start searching for jobs. Employers will be open to hiring you as you are legally able to work in Canada when you arrive there. This ensures that no time is wasted looking for a job when you first arrive in Canada.
- Ensure your job offer is at the correct TEER level.
Occupations in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 are eligible for Express Entry. Jobs such as waitressing or bartending are fun but do not contribute towards eligible work experience as these occupations fall under TEER 5 category.
- Consider a Young Professional Visa instead of a Working Holiday Visa
A job offer is required before you can be eligible for the Young Professional Visa. Once approved, your work permit will be an LMIA-Exempt employer-specific work permit, which would grant you 50 points towards your CRS score for Express Entry once you’ve worked for the employer for one year.
- Research the eligibility criteria for the province your job offer is in
Each province has various streams with different eligibility criteria. Your job offer and background will determine whether or not you are eligible for a PNP stream. Take into consideration that some provinces work on a scoring system, which means you can apply for PNP once you receive an invitation to apply.
To transition from an IEC work permit to permanent residency, you should:
- Ensure you meet the eligibility criteria for one of the PR programs.
- Gather documentation such as work experience letters, language test results, and educational credential assessments if required.
- Create an Express Entry profile if applicable and enter the pool of candidates.
- Consider applying for a PNP if you have a connection to a specific province or territory.
- Stay informed about any changes in immigration policies or programs that may affect your eligibility for PR.
