Forward Regulatory Plan: 2021 to 2023
Regulations amending Bilateral Youth Mobility Agreements and Arrangements under the International Experience Canada Program

Enabling Act: Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

Description

Canada’s youth mobility program, International Experience Canada (IEC), negotiates and manages bilateral youth mobility arrangements with other countries that allow youth to travel and work in Canada and abroad by facilitating the necessary authorizations such as work permits and visas.

Currently, work permits are issued to IEC Program applicants under section 200 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations on the basis of section 205 (Canadian interests), paragraph (b) (reciprocal employment).

An amendment is being proposed to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations to ensure that Canada’s bilateral youth mobility arrangements and the terms therein are appropriately referenced in domestic law.

An amendment is also being proposed to add authority to impose, where necessary, conditions on temporary residents who hold an IEC working holiday (open) work permits to limit the length the temporary resident may work for a single employer e.g. three or six months.

The objectives of the amendments are to create a discrete work permit category for IEC Program applicants that provides the flexibility to implement bilateral youth mobility arrangements that are symmetrical in nature, to ultimately expand benefits for Canadians and Canada under the arrangements.

Regulatory cooperation efforts (domestic and international)

Regulatory cooperation efforts are not required

Potential impacts on Canadians, including businesses

The proposed regulatory change (e.g. the work permit restriction) will provide the International Experience Canada Program with enhanced flexibility to negotiate and implement bilateral youth mobility arrangements. Canadians will therefore benefit from the proposed amendment through enriched international work and travel opportunities afforded to young Canadians under the international arrangements.

Some Canadian employers may be affected by the amendments. Imposing a work restriction on International Experience Canada work permits (such as three or six months maximum per employer) on a large scale, would impact Canadian employers, as it would make it less appealing for employers to hire and properly train these individuals for shorter periods of time. With this in mind, it is not International Experience Canada’s preference or intention to impose such a work restriction on a large scale. Generally, the program will continue to aim to keep work permits as open and as flexible as possible. However, where a country partner insists on imposing a work restriction on Canadians, the program will have the capacity to reciprocate the provision on foreign nationals from said country.

The proposed amendments will also have a positive effect on the integrity of the International Experience Canada Program and Canada’s bilateral youth mobility arrangements, as the arrangements will appropriately be incorporated into domestic law.

Consultations

This is a long-term initiative in the early stages of development. The department plans to consult with targeted stakeholders. The timing and approach for consultations will be added to this section once known.

Further information

Additional information that supports this regulatory initiative can be requested from the departmental contact.

Departmental contact information

Clark Goodman
Director, International Experience Canada
Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada
Email: Clark.Goodman@cic.gc.ca
Telephone: 613-437-6668

Date the regulatory initiative was first included in the Forward Regulatory Plan: April 1, 2021