On November 14, 2022, Francesco Sorbara, Member of Parliament for Vaughan-Woodbridge, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the coming into force of a new Canada-Italy Youth Mobility Agreement.
Under this agreement, through the International Experience Canada program, Canadian and Italian youth ages 18 to 35 years old can work and travel for up to 12 months and participate twice in the program for a total of 24 months.
As part of the expansion, 2 new streams – International Co-op and Young Professionals – will help youth gain professional work experience.
There are 3 categories of participation under this program:
- Working-Holiday Visa
- You can receive an open work permit that allows you to work anywhere in the host country to support your travels.
- You do not need a formal job or internship offer.
- Young Professionals
- You can receive an employer-specific work permit to gain targeted, professional work experience that is within your field of study or career path.
- You must have a pre-arranged contract of employment that aligns with your previous field of study.
- International Co-Op
- You can receive an employer-specific work permit to gain targeted, professional work experience that is within your field of study.
- You must be enrolled in a post-secondary institution and have a pre-arranged work placement related to your field of study, as required by your academic curriculum.
This agreement between Italy and Canada aims to open up new opportunities for future work and travel between the two countries, while improving labour market access for both Canadian and Italian youth. Canada has formal youth mobility arrangements with 36 countries.
If you are interested in participating in any of the categories under International Experience Canada, please contact us to schedule a consultation.
