Croatians Eligible to Work in Canada Under Youth-Mobility Program

Meurrens LawWork Permits

On May 10, 2011, the Canada-Croatia Arrangement on Youth Mobility came into effect.

Croatia is now the latest country to sign a Youth Mobility agreement with Canada.  The arrangement facilitates Croatian citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 to travel and work in Canada without the need for an employer specific work permit or a Labour Market Opinion.

There are three specific programs available to Croatians:

  • Working Holiday;
  • Young Professionals; and
  • International Co-Op.

Working Holiday

To be eligible for the Working Holiday category you must:

  1. Be between the ages of 18 and 35 inclusive at the time your application is received;
  2. Be a Croatian citizen holding a Croatian passport that remains valid throughout the period of stay in Canada;
  3. Be in possession of a departure ticket leaving Canada at the end of your authorized period of stay or sufficient financial resources to purchase such a ticket;
  4. Have proof of the financial resources necessary (C$2,500) to provide for your needs at the beginning of your authorized period of stay;
  5. Provide a clean Croatian police certificate ;
  6. Not be accompanied by dependant(s) under the application;
  7. Accept to purchase, prior to entering Canada, insurance for medical and health care, including hospitalization and repatriation, for the entire authorized period of stay;
  8. Pay the program fee and
  9. Have not participated more than once in International Experience Canada.

Young Profsesionals

To be eligible for the Young Professionals category you must:

  1. Be between the ages of 18 and 35 inclusive at the time your application is received;
  2. Be a Croatian citizen holding a Croatian passport that remains valid throughout the period of stay in Canada;
  3. Be in possession of a departure ticket leaving Canada at the end of your authorized period of stay or sufficient financial resources to purchase such a ticket;
  4. Have proof of the financial resources necessary (C$2,500) to provide for your needs at the beginning of your authorized period of stay;
  5. Provide a clean Croatian police certificate ;
  6. Not be accompanied by dependant(s) under the application;
  7. Accept to purchase, prior to entering Canada, insurance for medical and health care, including hospitalization and repatriation, for the entire authorized period of stay;
  8. Have obtained a signed offer of employment in Canada related to your field of professional expertise (degree and/or work experience) and in support of your career development (progression or lateral movement);
  9. Pay the fee; and
  10. Have not participated more than once in International Experience Canada.

International Co-Op

To be eligible for the International Co-op Internship category you must:

  1. Be between the ages of 18 and 35 years old inclusive at the time your application is received. Your application must be stamped as received by the Office of the Embassy of Canada in Zagreb on or after your 18th birthday, and before your 36th birthday;
  2. Be a Croatian citizen holding a Croatian passport that remains valid throughout the period of stay in Canada. This means that at the time of application your passport should be valid for approximately another 26 months to account for the application processing time of 8 weeks, the one year validity of the Letter of Introduction, and the normal stay of 12 months. The work permit will not be longer than the validity of the passport.
  3. Be in possession of a departure ticket leaving Canada at the end of your authorized period of stay or sufficient financial resources to purchase such a ticket;
  4. Have proof of the financial resources necessary (C$2,500) to provide for your needs at the beginning of your authorized period of stay;
  5. Not be accompanied by dependant(s) under your IEC application;
  6. Provide a clean Croatian police certificate;
  7. Accept to purchase, prior to entering Canada, insurance for medical and health care, including hospitalization and repatriation, for the entire authorized period of stay;
  8. Be registered at a post-secondary institution in Croatia;
  9. Have obtained a work placement or internship position in Canada related to your field of studies;
  10. Pay the fee; and
  11. Have not participated more than once in International Experience Canada.

And of course, once you’re in Canada, there are numerous ways to go from a Working Holiday Permit to either a work permit or permanent residency.