We are happy to see that the International Experience Canada program has reopened the candidate pools. The program now lets the eligible foreign youth apply for Canadian work permits for the 2026 season. Through the International Experience Canada program the young citizens from the 36 participating countries can work in Canada for up to two years. We think the reopening of the International Experience Canada program is a chance for the people. 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 for the IEC program?
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.
IEC Eligibility Requirements
- 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 first step toward an IEC work permit is submitting a candidate profile and entering one or more IEC candidate pools.IRCC will tell you which pool(s) you’re eligible for based on what you include in your profile.After you’ve entered the pool(s), you may be selected in an upcoming invitation round and issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
If you’re invited, you’ll have 10 days to accept the ITA, and then 20 days to apply for the work permit. Note that deadlines will be provided in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
The following must be done to submit an IEC work permit application:
Complete the online application form through your IRCC secure account;
Upload all required documents listed in the personalized document checklist generated by IRCC;
Pay the applicable fees
- All participants need to pay a $184.75 work permit processing fee.
- Working Holiday participants need to pay an additional $100 open work permit fee.
- Young Professional and International Co-op (Internship) participants need their employer to pay a $230 employer compliance fee.
- A $85 biometrics fee is required for those who haven’t given biometrics in a previous application.
Submit the complete work permit application.
If biometrics were not previously given, IRCC will send you a biometric instruction letter, and you will have 30 days to provide your biometrics.
If your work permit application is approved, IRCC will send you a Port of Entry (POE) letter to your online account. This letter will be valid for one year.IRCC notes that having a POE letter does not guarantee entry into Canada or receipt of a work permit.IEC applicants who are already in Canada may be eligible to have their work permit mailed to them.
What are your chances of selection?
Selection for an IEC work permit operates on a lottery system due to high demand.Each participating country has a per-category quota, and selection rounds take place until there are no more spots available—or until the 2026 season closes.
Rounds typically occur on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, depending on factors such as the number of candidates in the pool(s) and a country’s quota. The number of candidates invited in each round varies.
Of note is that IRCC only publishes specific selection dates for the first and *final round of invitations, but candidates can be invited at any time in between.On IRCC’s IEC webpage, candidates can gain a sense of their chances of receiving an ITA for a work permit under a specific work permit category “in the next round.”
To see their chances of getting an invitation, candidates need to select their country or territory of citizenship and the category they are interested in.
IRCC breaks down the likelihood of a candidate receiving an ITA in the next selection round as follows, for each country and category:
- Excellent (80%–90%).
- Very good (60%–70%).
- Fair (40%–50%).
- Low (20%–39%).
- Very low (1% to 19%).
These ratings are affected by factors such as how many candidates accept or decline their invitations, fail to respond to their invitation or let it expire, or withdraw their profiles—as well as each country’s quota for work permits under their agreement with Canada.
The Young Professionals category is generally prioritized in IEC invitation rounds, so candidates are often more likely to receive an invitation through that category versus Working Holiday. Even after the official final round, IRCC may conduct additional small draws to fill remaining quotas if invitations are declined or applications are refused.
Conclusion
International Experience Canada (IEC) offers a quick way for young people to get work experience. We have watched many young applicants use International Experience Canada (IEC) to start a job in Canada. Choosing the category and sending a profile matters a lot. If you are already thinking about International Experience Canada (IEC) 2026 you are ahead of people. That is a spot to be in. International Experience Canada (IEC) moves fast. The paperwork takes time. The yearly demand for International Experience Canada (IEC) never slows down. Preparing now gives you an edge, a sense of control, and frankly, some breathing room.