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IEC Launches 2026 Season With Opening of Work Permit Pools
The International Experience Canada (IEC) program has officially reopened its candidate pools, giving eligible foreign youth the opportunity to apply for Canadian work permits for the 2026 season.
Through IEC, young citizens from 36 participating countries can live and work in Canada for up to two years. Eligible applicants must generally be between 18 and 30 years old, although some countries allow participation up to age 35.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will conduct regular invitation rounds throughout the season, inviting candidates from various IEC pools to apply for work permits. Candidates who created an IEC profile during the 2025 season but were not selected must submit a new profile to be considered for 2026.
Who can apply under International Experience Canada?
IEC is open to citizens of countries that have a bilateral Youth Mobility Agreement with Canada. Eligibility depends on the applicant’s country of citizenship, age limits and participation caps.
Each participating country has its own rules, including how many times a person can apply and whether they can participate in more than one category.
In addition to country-specific requirements, all IEC candidates must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Hold a valid passport for the full duration of their stay
- Have private health insurance covering their entire stay in Canada
- Show proof of at least $2,500 in funds
- Have a round-trip ticket or sufficient funds to buy one
- Meet Canada’s general admissibility requirements
Some applicants may also need to provide proof of a valid job offer. IEC participants are not allowed to bring dependents with them to Canada.
Types of work permits available under IEC
The IEC program offers three different work permit categories:
- Working Holiday: This category provides an open work permit, allowing participants to work for almost any employer in Canada. No job offer is required, but this stream is highly competitive.
- Young Professionals: This category offers an employer-specific (closed) work permit. Applicants must have a job offer that supports their professional development, usually in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupations. Self-employment is not allowed under this stream.
- International Co-op (Internship): Designed for students, this stream requires applicants to be enrolled in a post-secondary institution outside Canada. The job offer must be related to their field of study and required for academic completion. This is typically the least competitive IEC category.
IEC work permits are LMIA-exempt, meaning employers do not need a Labour Market Impact Assessment. Not all countries participate in every category and eligibility depends on each country’s agreement with Canada.
How to apply for an IEC work permit
The IEC process begins by creating an online candidate profile and entering one or more eligible pools. IRCC determines which pools applicants qualify for based on the information provided.
If selected, candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA). They have 10 days to accept the invitation and 20 days to submit a complete work permit application.
Applicants must:
- Complete the online application through their IRCC account
- Upload required documents
- Pay applicable fees
Fees include a work permit processing fee of $184.75. Working Holiday applicants must also pay an additional $100 open work permit fee. Employers hiring under the Young Professionals or International Co-op categories must pay a $230 employer compliance fee. Applicants who have not previously provided biometrics must also pay an $85 biometrics fee.
Once approved, IRCC issues a Port of Entry (POE) letter, valid for one year. However, IRCC notes that a POE letter does not guarantee entry into Canada or issuance of a work permit.
Applicants already in Canada may qualify to receive their work permit by mail.
How competitive is the IEC selection process?
IEC selections operate on a lottery system due to high demand. Each country has a fixed quota for each category and invitations are issued until quotas are filled or the season ends.
Invitation rounds usually occur weekly or bi-weekly. While IRCC publishes the dates of the first and final rounds, candidates can receive invitations at any time in between.
IRCC also provides estimated chances of selection for each country and category, ranging from “excellent” to “very low.” These chances are influenced by quota sizes, candidate numbers and how many applicants decline or fail to respond to invitations.
Historically, the Young Professionals category is prioritized during selection rounds, offering higher chances of receiving an invitation compared to the Working Holiday stream.
IRCC may conduct additional small rounds after the final draw if spots remain due to declined or refused applications.