Common menu bar
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN CONCERNING YOUTH MOBILITY
The Government of Canada and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden (hereinafter referred to as "the Governments"),
Desiring to promote close cooperation between their countries;
Wishing to encourage the mobility and exchanges of youth, cooperation and partnership between Canada and Sweden and to enhance the excellence and competitiveness of postsecondary institutions and businesses, particularly small- and medium-sized businesses, in the two countries;
Wishing to increase opportunities for their young citizens to complement their post- secondary education or training; to acquire work experience; and to improve their knowledge of the other country's languages, culture and society, and thus to promote mutual understanding between the two countries;
Convinced of the value of facilitating such youth mobility opportunities;
Have reached the following understanding:
1. Purpose
Each Government will foster and facilitate administrative procedures applicable to young citizens of the other country who wish to enter and stay in its territory to complement their post-secondary education or training; to acquire work or practical experience; and to improve their knowledge of its languages, culture and society while undertaking temporary employment in support of their career development.
2. Categories of Citizens to Benefit from this Understanding
This Memorandum of Understanding is intended to benefit the following categories of citizens:
- Young post-secondary graduates who wish to obtain further training in the host country under a pre-arranged contract of employment in support of their career development;
- Registered students at a post-secondary institution in their home country who wish to complete part of their academic curriculum in the host country by undertaking a pre-arranged internship or work placement, including in the context of an agreement between post-secondary institutions;
- Young citizens who wish to obtain further training in the host country under a pre-arranged contract of employment in support of their career development;
- Registered students at a post-secondary institution in their home country who intend to travel in the host country during their academic vacation and who wish to obtain employment on an occasional basis in order to supplement their financial resources; and
- Young citizens who intend to travel in the host country and who wish to obtain employment on an occasional basis in order to supplement their financial resources.
3. Eligibility Requirements
In order to be eligible to benefit from the application of this Memorandum of Understanding, citizens of either country who fall under one of the categories referred to in Paragraph 2 will have to:
- Submit an application on an individual basis to the other country's diplomatic or consular mission in the territory of the country of which they are citizens;
- Be between the ages of 18 and 30 inclusively on the date the application is submitted;
- Not be accompanied by dependent children;
- Be a Canadian citizen residing in Canada and holding a valid Canadian passport or a Swedish citizen residing in Sweden and holding a valid Swedish passport;
- Be in possession of a return ticket or sufficient financial resources to purchase such transportation and have proof of the financial resources necessary to provide for their needs at the beginning of their stay in the host country;
- Pay the applicable fee;
- Prove that they have insurance for health care, including hospitalization and repatriation, for the duration of their authorized stay;
- As the case may be,
- Demonstrate that they have obtained a pre-arranged contract of employment. internship or work placement in the host country ; or
- Provide documentation proving registration at a post-secondary institution in their home country; or
- Confirm their intention to travel in the host country with the possibility of obtaining employment on an occasional basis to supplement their financial resources;
- Meet any other requirements of the host country’s immigration legislation and regulations; and
- Have not previously benefited from the application of this Memorandum of Understanding except as provided for in Paragraph 4.
4. Duration and Number of Stays
Eligible citizens may benefit from the application of this Memorandum of Understanding up to a maximum of two times, provided that there be an interruption between the two stays and that each stay be under a different category discussed in Paragraph 2. In all cases, the duration of each stay may not exceed 12 months, or in case of a shorter period, the period provided for in the documents referred to in Paragraph 5a).
5. Entry and Stay
- Subject to immigration laws and regulations, Canadian and Swedish authorities will issue to the other country's eligible citizens a document g ting access to their respective territory for a predetermined period of validity and stating the reason for the stay. For Canada, this document will be a letter of introduction; for Sweden, this document will be a temporary residence permit referring to this Memorandum of Understanding
- The access documents described in the preceding paragraph will be issued to eligible citizens by the other country's diplomatic or consular mission where the application was submitted.
6. Authorization to Work
- Canadian citizens who have been issued a temporary residence permit referring to this Memorandum of Understanding will receive, without reference to the labour market situation, a work permit valid for the duration of their authorized stay.
- Swedish citizens who have been issued a letter of introduction will receive, upon their arrival in Canada and without reference to the labour market situation, a work permit valid for the duration of their authorized stay.
7. Documentation Validity
The work permits issued by the Government of Canada pursuant to a letter of introduction will be valid throughout Canada and temporary residence permits and work permits referring to this Memorandum of Understanding issued by the Government of Sweden will be valid throughout Sweden.
8. Knowledge of Languages
The Governments will not reject applications covered by this Memorandum of Understanding solely on the ground of an applicant's lack of knowledge of the English, French or Swedish languages.
9. Laws of Host Country
- Citizens from either country staying in the other country under this Memorandum of Understanding will be required to obey the laws in force in the host country, particularly with regard to the practice of regulated professions.
- The laws and regulations of the host country relating to unemployment benefits, working conditions and wages will apply; in the case of Canada, the laws and regulations relating to working conditions and wages primarily fall -within the competence of the provinces and territories.
10. Application
- The Governments will encourage the relevant organizations in their respective countries to lend their support to the application of this Memorandum of Understanding, notably by giving the citizens benefiting from the application of this Memorandum of Understanding appropriate advice so that they can obtain information and look for work placements or employment.
- The Governments will implement this Memorandum of Understanding on the basis of reciprocity.
- The Governments will determine the minimum amount of financial resources required under sub-paragraph 3e) by mutual consent.
- The number of citizens benefiting from the application of this Memorandum of Understanding will be counted from the dare of coming into effect of this Memorandum of Understanding to the end of the current year, and then annually from January 1 to December 31.
- The Governments will determine the process for handling applications in their respective countries by mutual consent.
- The Governments will decide subsequent administrative measures through an exchange of diplomatic notes.
11. Final Provisions
- This Memorandum of Understanding will come into effect on the date of its signature.
- The Governments may amend this Memorandum of Understanding by mutual consent expressed in writing.
- Either Government may suspend or terminate this Memorandum of Understanding at any time by giving thirty days written notice to that effect to the other Government. Termination or suspension of this Memorandum of Understanding will not affect the validity of letters of introduction, visas and work permits already issued by Canada or Sweden in conformity with this Memorandum of Understanding at the time of termination or suspension.
Signed in duplicate Stockholm, this 27th day of April, 2007, in the English, French and Swedish languages, each version being equally valid.
