Bleona Restelica
Young citizens of Canada and Finland now have the opportunity to engage in work and travel experiences in each other’s countries.
Canada and Finland signed a Youth Mobility Agreement in 2023. The agreement is officially in effect, which means that young people from these two countries are now able to explore new cultures and build lifelong connections, VisaGuide.World reports.
In line with the Canada-Finland Youth Mobility Agreement, Canadians and Finns between the ages of 18 and 35 can work and travel in each other’s countries through the International Experience Canada program.
The initiative, which became effective on March 1, 2024, aims to deepen the relations between Canada and Finland. The move also marks the 77th anniversary of the formal diplomatic ties of the two countries.
Expressing his enthusiasm for the agreement, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marc Miller, highlighted the benefits of the program.
Minister Miller said that the program will enable young people from both countries to develop their essential skills, expand their career prospects, and cultivate friendships.
He also further highlighted the people-to-people connections and the shared values that reinforce the relationship between the two countries.
IEC will allow Canadian and Finnish youth to learn from new cultures and experiences while developing skills, enhancing career prospects, and strengthening friendships they will benefit from for the rest of their lives.
Under the International Experience Canada program, the Canada-Finland Youth Mobility Agreement offers three participation categories.
The first category of participation is the Working Holiday. Under this category, participants are issued an open work permit. The open work permit allows all of its holders to work anywhere across the host country to support their travels.
The second participation category is the International Co-op (Internship), whose participants receive a specific work permit. This type of permit enables these groups to gain targeted work experience that aligns with their field of study.
The third and last participation category is Young Professionals. Participants of this category receive an employer-specific work permit that is issued solely to gain professional work experience that is relevant to their career path.
All those interested in applying for one of the programs mentioned above are able to do so as of March 1, 2023.
Canada founded the International Experience Canada Program in 1956, and currently, it has cross-cultural connections with more than 35 partner countries and territories.