Youth Mobility Work Permit Changes

Summary#

These are final amendments to the Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (International Experience Canada) that came into force on November 29, 2024. They let Canada more clearly issue work permits under youth mobility agreements and allow limiting how long a foreign youth can work for a single employer while in Canada.

What it does#

• Creates a clearer, specific regulatory authority to issue work permits for people coming to Canada under youth mobility agreements or arrangements. This covers agreements with foreign governments, foreign territories, and with international or domestic organizations.
• Adds the length of time a participant can work for any one employer to the list of work-related conditions an immigration officer may place on a temporary resident’s permit. That means an officer can limit, for example, how many months someone on a Working Holiday permit may work for the same employer.

Who's affected#

• Participants in International Experience Canada — mainly young people aged 18 to 35 who come under the Program’s three categories: Working Holiday, International Co-op, and Young Professionals. The Working Holiday category makes up about 90% of inbound participants.
• Canadian employers who hire program participants; some hires could be for shorter, specified terms if a country requires reciprocity.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which process permits and enforce conditions.
• Partner governments and organizations. Canada already has agreements with 38 countries and MOUs with 8 organizations. Currently 3 partners (Hong Kong, Australia, San Marino) limit how long Canadians can work for one employer abroad; similar limits could now be reciprocated.
• Scale estimates from the government:
  • 76,684 foreign nationals were approved for the Program in 2019.
  • In future negotiations with up to 20 countries, about 5 may ask for or impose employer-duration limits.
  • An estimated 6,250 foreign nationals per year from those countries might be affected.
• Government administration faces a one-time estimated cost of $12,000 to update materials and communications.

Why it matters#

• It helps Canada negotiate fair, “mirror” terms with partner countries. If another country limits how long Canadians can work for one employer there, Canada can now impose a similar limit on nationals of that country working here.
• For individual participants, it could mean shorter job stints with the same employer while on a Working Holiday permit. That can make it harder to hold a long job with one employer, but it also protects reciprocity for Canadian youth abroad.
• For employers, some hiring may become shorter-term and could change recruitment or training needs for the small number of affected workers.
• The change is already in effect as of November 29, 2024, so it applies to new agreements negotiated after that date.