Canada and Portugal Forge New Youth Mobility Agreement

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Announcement of Youth Mobility Agreement

The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, alongside José Luís Carneiro, Secretary of State of Portuguese Communities Abroad, has formalized a new Youth Mobility Agreement between Canada and Portugal.

International Experience Canada Program: New Opportunities

May 3, 2018 – Ottawa, ON – The newly signed agreement enhances youth exchange opportunities between Canada and Portugal. It allows individuals aged 18 to 35 from both nations to live and work abroad under the International Experience Canada (IEC) Program’s Working Holiday, International Co-op, and Young Professional streams. This initiative provides Portuguese youth the chance to explore Canada while offering Canadians the opportunity to experience life in Portugal.

Through the IEC Program, young people gain invaluable international work experience. Portugal now joins 33 other countries and territories available to Canadians seeking global exposure. The agreement signing was attended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Portugal’s Prime Minister, António Costa, during his Canadian tour.

Leaders’ Perspectives

“I am pleased that we are able to reach this arrangement with Portugal and further strengthen the great relationship between our two countries. Getting international travel and work experience allows youth to immerse themselves in a different culture and develop life skills, all while improving their employability back at home. This new arrangement will give Canadian and Portuguese youth the opportunity to broaden their perspective of the world and gain a better understanding of each other’s cultures, languages and societies while traveling and working abroad.”

– The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

“I am very happy that we have signed today our Youth Mobility Arrangement which I am confident will give great impetus to people-to-people contacts, thus enabling Canadian and Portuguese youth to gain a better understanding of each other’s culture, language and society. We hope that this instrument will ultimately contribute to bringing us closer together, while improving mutual knowledge of the existing opportunities in both our countries. I encourage our youth to take advantage of the experience that this agreement will provide, embarking on a journey that will enable them to discover different ways and traditions, increasing at the same time their personal and professional wealth.”

– José Luís Carneiro, Secretary of State of Portuguese Communities Abroad

Key Facts About Canada-Portugal Relations

• Canada and Portugal share a robust relationship based on common values, strong cultural ties, and beneficial trade relations. Canada hosts a vibrant community of over 480,000 Portuguese-Canadians.
• The Working Holiday initiative began in 1951 as a cultural exchange with Germany. By 1967, following its success, Canada expanded it to a full international travel and exchange program. Over 45 years later, Canada remains dedicated to fostering cultural exchanges among youth.
• More than 200,000 Canadians have gained life-changing experiences through the IEC program, enriching both their personal and professional lives.
• The program includes three participation categories:
  1. Working Holiday participants receive open work permits, allowing them to work anywhere in the host country while traveling.
  2. International Co-op participants receive employer-specific permits to gain experience in their field of study.
  3. Young Professionals participants obtain employer-specific permits for targeted professional work experience related to their career path.

Related Resources

• International Experience Canada

Media Contacts

Contacts for media only:

Hursh Jaswal
Minister’s Office
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-954-1064

Media Relations
Communications Branch
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-952-1650
IRCC.COMMMediaRelations-RelationsmediasCOMM.IRCC@cic.gc.ca

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