Canada Releases List of 36 Countries Whose Citizens Can Apply for Youth Work Permits

• Canada's International Experience Canada programme has published a full list of countries whose young citizens qualify for youth work permits
• The 36 countries on the list have signed youth mobility agreements with Canada, making their nationals eligible to apply
• The number of times a citizen can participate varies by country, with some permitted to apply only once and others allowed twice

Canada has published the full list of countries whose citizens can apply for youth work permits through its International Experience Canada (IEC) programme, confirming that 36 nations currently hold active youth mobility agreements with the country.

The IEC programme allows young people from eligible countries to live and work in Canada temporarily. To qualify, an applicant's country or territory of citizenship must have a youth mobility agreement (YMA) in place with the Canadian government.

Countries eligible for Canada's IEC programme

According to the official eligibility page, the following countries and territories are currently recognised under the programme:

1. Andorra
2. Australia
3. Austria
4. Belgium
5. Chile
6. Costa Rica
7. Croatia
8. Czech Republic
9. Denmark
10. Estonia
11. Finland
12. France
13. Germany
14. Greece
15. Hong Kong SAR
16. Iceland
17. Ireland
18. Italy
19. Japan
20. South Korea
21. Latvia
22. Lithuania
23. Luxembourg
24. Netherlands
25. New Zealand
26. Norway
27. Poland
28. Portugal
29. San Marino
30. Slovakia
31. Slovenia
32. Spain
33. Sweden
34. Switzerland
35. Taiwan
36. United Kingdom

Notably, no African country appears on the list, meaning citizens from nations such as Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa are not currently eligible to participate in the programme.

Canada: Participation limits vary by country

Canada has clarified that how many times a person can participate in the IEC programme depends on their country of citizenship. Some countries allow their nationals to apply only once, while others allow participation twice, though in different programme categories. Prospective applicants are advised to review the specific eligibility conditions that apply to their own country before submitting an application.

The publication of the list has drawn attention from young people worldwide, particularly those in countries not included, who remain ineligible for this route to working in Canada.

In a similar report, Legit.ng published that Canada announced two countries whose citizens can use an alternative to visitor visas.

UAE: African countries on 14-day entry visas

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the EAE expanded its entry visa programme, including the new eligibility for Kenyan and South African nationals and the conditions applicants must meet.

The visas allow eligible travellers to stay for 14 or 60 days, but they must also hold a valid residence permit from an approved country. Applicants who overstay face a daily fine.