International Experience Canada (IEC): 2026 Guide

IEC is based on youth mobility agreements between Canada and partner countries and territories. Young Canadians get similar chances abroad. IEC work permits are part of the International Mobility Program, so employers do not need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). IRCC gives IEC its own code, C21.

Each country's agreement sets which categories you can use, your age limit, how long you can stay and how many times you can take part. IRCC also agrees a quota with each country every season, which caps the number of work permits it can issue.

Partner countries and territories

36

Usual age range (18–30 in some countries)

18–35

Longest IEC stay

2 years

Minimum funds to bring

CAN$2,500

The one thing most people get wrong: submitting a profile is not applying for a work permit. You can only apply after an invitation to apply (ITA), and Working Holiday invitations are random. Popular countries have many more candidates than places, so you may not be invited before the season ends.

• Citizenship and passportCitizen of a partner country or territory, with a valid passport for your whole stay. Your permit cannot outlast your passport.
• AgeWithin your country's limit, for example 18 to 35 inclusive
• FundsAt least CAN$2,500 to cover your first 3 months, shown on a bank statement issued no more than 1 week before you leave
• Health insuranceMedical care, hospitalization and repatriation for your entire stay, in place before you arrive
• Return ticketA round-trip ticket, or the money to buy a ticket home at the end of your stay
• Admissible and aloneNot inadmissible to Canada, and not accompanied by dependants
• FeesPay the IEC fee and any category fee when you apply

Categories differ by country. Andorra, Belgium, Denmark, Hong Kong, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand and San Marino offer Working Holiday only. Switzerland offers only Young Professionals and International Co-op. The Netherlands offers Working Holiday and Young Professionals. Most other partners offer all three.

Length also differs. Most stays are up to 12 months. Australia, France, Ireland, the Republic of Korea, Portugal and the United Kingdom (first participation) allow up to 24 months in some or all categories, New Zealand up to 23 months and Switzerland's Young Professionals up to 18 months. Some countries allow one participation, others two or three, sometimes in different categories. A participation counts only once you arrive and get your work permit.

There is one pool per country and per category. You can have only one profile at a time, but you can enter every pool you are eligible for. IRCC holds rounds of invitations through the season until there are no spots left or the season closes.

• Invitations go out in this order: International Co-op, then Young Professionals, then Working Holiday. If you are in a Co-op pool and a Working Holiday pool, you get the Co-op invitation.
• Young Professionals and International Co-op pools often have more spots than candidates, so candidates are usually invited.
• Working Holiday candidates are chosen at random. Everyone in the pool has an equal chance, and you may not be invited before the season ends.
• IRCC rates each pool's chances weekly, from very low (1% to 19%) to excellent (80% to 99%).
• You can get only one IEC permit per season, and an officer checks your past participations when you apply.

For 2026, the first rounds were held in the week of January 19 for most countries, and later for some (for example the week of March 2 for Japan). The final round for every country and category was in the week of October 19, 2026. The number of invitations can exceed the quota because some candidates decline or their applications are refused. IRCC agrees each quota with the partner country and announces it before that country's first round.

1. 1

   Check eligibility in your IRCC account

   Answer the IEC questionnaire (about 10 minutes) with your citizenship, residence, studies and any job offer.

2. 2

   Complete and submit your profile

   You have 60 days to complete it once started. Submit it before your country's final round so it can be considered.

3. 3

   Prepare documents while you wait

   Order police certificates for every country where you spent 6 months or more in a row since age 18. Get a medical exam only if needed, and ideally after you are invited, because results are valid for 12 months.

4. 4

   Accept your invitation within 10 days

   If you miss the deadline, the invitation expires and you must submit a new profile. Declining keeps you in the pool without penalty.

5. 5

   Apply within 20 days

   From the moment you accept, you have exactly 20 days (counted in Coordinated Universal Time) to submit the full application and pay. Young Professionals and Co-op employers must first submit the offer of employment and pay $230.

6. 6

   Give biometrics and get your letter

   Give biometrics within 30 days of the instruction letter. If approved, you receive a port of entry letter of introduction valid for 1 year.

7. 7

   Activate your permit at the border

   Show your passport, letter of introduction, proof of insurance and funds, and a return ticket or the money for one. The officer issues the permit.

If you are already in Canada on a valid IEC permit and have a new IEC letter of introduction, you can ask IRCC to mail the new permit to a Canadian address. Otherwise you must leave and re-enter Canada from a country other than the United States or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon to activate it.

The IEC fee, open work permit holder fee and employer compliance fee are refunded if you withdraw before IRCC issues your letter of introduction, your employer withdraws the offer before the permit is issued, or your application is refused. Refunds normally arrive within 8 weeks. You also pay third parties for insurance, police certificates and any medical exam. IRCC's processing times tool shows a separate IEC wait, counted from when you submit all documents and give biometrics.

• Check your permit before leaving the border. It cannot be valid past your country's agreement limit, your passport, your biometrics, your health insurance or, for Young Professionals and Co-op, your contract.
• Working Holiday permits show an open employer and an unknown location, with no limit on hours. Young Professionals and Co-op permits name your employer and location.
• A provincial health card does not replace your private insurance, because provincial plans do not cover repatriation. In Quebec, add repatriation cover if you rely on the Quebec Health Insurance Plan.
• After you are approved, your spouse or partner may apply for an open work permit outside IEC if they meet those rules, or apply to IEC on their own.
• Skilled Canadian work experience gained on IEC can count toward the Canadian Experience Class and provincial nominee programs.