You have found the right candidate: a young engineer from Lyon or a marketing graduate from Geneva, fluent in French, comfortable in English and ready to move. The question is how to bring them to Canada without months of paperwork. For many employers, the answer is the Young Professionals category of International Experience Canada (IEC), where no Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is needed.
This guide covers what the category is, which jobs qualify, what you as the employer must do, and how long it takes. It is general information, not immigration or legal advice; check the IRCC pages linked below or a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) or lawyer for your situation.
Why bilingual hires matter
English and French have been Canada's official languages in federal institutions since the Official Languages Act was first passed in 1969. For a private employer, bilingual staff mean you can serve clients, partners and communities in both languages, and French-speaking talent can be hard to find locally outside Quebec.
What International Experience Canada is
International Experience Canada lets young people from partner countries work in Canada under agreements between Canada and those countries. It has three categories: Working Holiday (an open work permit), International Co-op (Internship) for students, and Young Professionals. Which categories are open, the age limit and the permit length all depend on the candidate's country, so check their country on the IEC eligibility page. France and Switzerland, two of the main sources of francophone candidates, both have a Young Professionals category.
Which jobs qualify for Young Professionals
Young Professionals gives the candidate an employer-specific work permit: they can only work for you, in the job and location you offer. According to IRCC's employer page (as of November 2026), the job must:
- contribute to the candidate's professional development;
- respect the labour laws of your province or territory, including minimum wage;
- fall under TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
A TEER 4 job may be accepted if the candidate has a post-secondary credential in a related field. For example, a hospitality graduate could qualify for a front-desk role that builds on their studies.
The steps, for the candidate and for you
The candidate starts. They create an IEC profile in their IRCC account and enter the Young Professionals pool for their country. When they receive an invitation to apply (ITA), your part begins. Submit your offer only after they have the ITA, because they then have 20 days to send a complete work permit application.
Then, as the employer:
- Create the job offer in the IRCC Employer Portal.
- Pay the employer compliance fee of CAD 230.
- Submit the offer. You receive an offer of employment number: the letter "A" followed by seven digits.
- Give the candidate that number, proof of fee payment and a signed job offer letter whose details match what you submitted. You cannot correct the offer once it is submitted, so check it twice.
The candidate then pays their own fees (the IEC participation fee was CAD 184.75 for the 2026 season, plus CAD 85 for biometrics if required) and applies for the work permit.
How long it takes
IRCC says the assessment of the work permit application may take up to 56 days, starting once biometrics are submitted. Biometrics mean a photo and fingerprints at a visa application centre, and booking an appointment can add time depending on the candidate's country. Build that into your start date, and use IRCC's processing times tool for a current estimate.
Once approved, the candidate receives a port of entry letter of introduction. They show it to the border officer on arrival, who issues the work permit, and they can start on the date in their job offer.
Finding the candidates is the hard part
The immigration side is manageable. Finding the right young francophone professional abroad is usually harder. Build ties with French and Swiss universities and engineering or business schools in your field, take part in the international job fairs they organize, and post your offers where francophones look when they plan a move to Canada.
If you are hiring for several roles, our guide to organizing a virtual or in-person hiring event shows how to meet many candidates at once. For French speakers who don't fit Young Professionals, read our article on hiring through Mobilité francophone, a separate program for French-speaking workers.
Canada Talents works with a large community of bilingual and francophone professionals. If you want help finding candidates for a bilingual role, see how our recruitment service works and tell us what you are hiring for.
