TORONTO – The governments of the United Kingdom and Canada have signed a new agreement that will expand work opportunities in each other’s country for a longer period of time.
Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and Robert Jenrick, UK Minister of State for Immigration, announced the signing of a Youth Mobility Arrangement. Both countries anticipate implementing the new arrangement in 2024.
Under the arrangement, more Canadian and British youth will benefit from reciprocal work opportunities in each other’s country for an extended period of time through International Experience Canada (IEC) and the UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme.
The new arrangement complements an existing youth mobility partnership that started in 2008 and includes improvements like the eligibility age expansion from 18 to 30 to 18 to 35.
Moreover, two new streams—International Co-op (Internship) and Young Professionals — will be added to complement the existing Working Holiday category for UK nationals arriving in Canada.
Besides, under the fresh agreement, the total period that participants will be able to stay will increase from 2 to 3 years.
Commenting on the changes, Sean Fraser encouraged youth from both countries to embrace the opportunities offered under the program.
“The UK is one of the most popular countries for Canadian youth working and traveling abroad. Canada is equally a top destination for UK youth participating in IEC. This new arrangement makes it more accessible for Canadian and British youth to work and travel in each other’s country while enjoying the benefits of international youth mobility. I encourage youth from both countries to embrace the opportunities this program offers and explore new cultures, learn new skills, and gain international experience and perspectives,” he said.
On the other hand, UK’s Minister of State for Immigration, Robert Jenrick said the expansion opens up opportunities for even more young people to make lasting connections, build their skills and use the experience to contribute both to their host country and once they return home.
It bears mentioning that the International Experience Canada (IEC) is a reciprocal program that allows Canadian and international youth to work and travel in each other’s country.
The program has three categories listed below:
- Working Holiday participants receive an open work permit that allows them to work anywhere in the host country to support their travels.
- International Co-op (internship) participants receive an employer-specific work permit that permits students to gain targeted experience in their field of study.
- Young Professional participants receive an employer-specific work permit to gain targeted, professional work experience that is within their field of study or career path
The UK is not the only country with which Canada has such an agreement. In fact, Toronto has such agreements or arrangements with 37 countries and foreign territories. Over 240,000 Canadians have participated in IEC since 2008, and many have returned to Canada with new experiences valuable to both their personal and professional lives.
