Working Holiday Visa - IEC Canada

Canada Working Holiday - Working Holiday Category

The Working Holiday category is designed for eligible youth who want to travel and work in Canada.

It provides an open work permit, which generally allows the participant to:

• Work for different employers.
• Work in different locations in Canada.
• Change jobs without obtaining a new employer-specific work permit.
• Travel within Canada while working.

A job offer is not required before applying under the Working Holiday category.

For UK citizens, the current Canada–UK youth mobility arrangement allows UK nationals to participate in IEC and includes the Working Holiday, Young Professionals and International Co-op categories. The UK arrangement was expanded in 2023, including an increase in the age range from 18–30 to 18–35 and the addition of the Young Professionals and International Co-op categories.
 

Young Professionals - YP

The Young Professionals category is intended for eligible young people who want to gain professional work experience in Canada.

Applicants generally need:

• A qualifying job offer or employment contract from a Canadian employer.
• Employment that contributes to their professional development.
• An employer-specific work permit.
• The Canadian employer to submit the required offer of employment through the Employer Portal and pay the CAD $230 employer compliance fee before the applicant submits the work permit application.
   

TEER requirements

The position must generally be classified under NOC 2021 TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 to qualify as professional development.

A TEER 4 position may also qualify if it is directly related to the applicant's field of study. In that situation, the applicant must provide their post-secondary diploma, certificate or degree.
 

International Co-op (Internship)

The International Co-op (Internship) category is for eligible post-secondary students who need to complete a work placement or internship in Canada as part of their studies.

The applicant generally needs:

• To be enrolled in a post-secondary institution.
• A qualifying internship or work placement in Canada.
• The placement to be related to the applicant's field of study.
• An employer-specific work permit.

The Canadian employer must submit the offer through the Employer Portal and pay the CAD $230 employer compliance fee before the applicant submits the work permit application.

Important correction: International Co-op is not a Canadian study permit program. The applicant does not need to enrol in a Canadian DLI. The applicant's qualifying post-secondary studies and internship requirements are determined under the applicable IEC country arrangement.
 

How IEC Canada Works?

Step 1 – Check eligibility

Use IRCC's IEC eligibility tool and select your country or territory of citizenship. Your available categories and requirements depend on the specific youth mobility agreement between Canada and that country.

Step 2 – Create an IEC profile

Create an IRCC secure account and submit an IEC profile to the appropriate pool or pools.

There is no fee to submit an IEC pool profile.

Step 3 – Wait for an Invitation to Apply

Eligible candidates remain in the pool and may receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) during an invitation round.

For this season, invitation rounds are ongoing and the number of invitations and available spots vary by country and category.

Step 4 – Accept the invitation

If you receive an ITA, you have 10 days to accept the invitation.

After accepting, you have 20 days to complete and submit the work permit application and pay the required fees.

Step 5 – Submit documents and biometrics

You may need to provide documents such as:

• Passport
• Digital photograph
• Police certificates
• Medical examination, if required
• CV/resume
• Proof of funds
• Proof of health insurance
• Additional documents requested by IRCC

Biometrics may also be required depending on the applicant's circumstances and country of citizenship.

Step 6 – Receive the Port of Entry Letter of Introduction

If IRCC approves the application, the applicant receives a Port of Entry (POE) Letter of Introduction.

The actual IEC work permit is issued when the applicant arrives in Canada and meets the requirements for entering and activating the permit.
 

IEC General Eligibility

To participate in IEC, applicants generally must:

• Be a citizen of a country or territory that has a youth mobility agreement with Canada.
• Hold a valid passport from that country or territory.
• Meet the applicable age requirement.
• Meet the category-specific requirements.
• Have sufficient funds to support themselves at the beginning of their stay.
• Have the required health insurance.
• Be admissible to Canada.
• Meet the participation requirements applicable to their country.
• Obtain an ITA before submitting an IEC work permit application.

The age range is generally 18–35, although some countries have an upper age limit of 30. Therefore, the age requirement must be checked by country.
 

Financial Requirements

Applicants must have sufficient funds to support themselves when they arrive in Canada.

The exact amount and proof-of-funds requirements can depend on the applicant's country-specific IEC requirements.

Applicants may also need to demonstrate that they have:

• A return ticket, or
• Sufficient funds to purchase a return ticket.
   

Health Insurance

IEC participants must have health insurance for their entire stay in Canada.

The insurance should cover the required medical expenses, hospitalization and repatriation.

If the insurance period is shorter than the intended IEC participation period, the work permit may be issued only until the insurance expiry date. Participants should therefore arrange coverage for the full period they intend to stay, subject to the applicable IEC requirements.
 

IEC Fees

IRCC's current information confirms the IEC fee of CAD $184.75. Working Holiday participants also pay the CAD $100 open work permit holder fee. For Young Professionals and International Co-op, the Canadian employer pays the CAD $230 employer compliance fee.
 

IEC Processing Time

IRCC's published processing data can change regularly. As of February 28, 2026, the IEC service standard was 56 days, while the reported median processing time was 14 days. Processing times are not guaranteed and can change depending on application volume and individual circumstances.

Applicants should check the IRCC processing-time tool for the latest figure before quoting a processing time to a client.
 

IEC Categories - Quick Comparison

UK Citizens - IEC Canada

The United Kingdom is an IEC partner country, and UK citizens can currently access all three IEC categories:

• Working Holiday
• Young Professionals
• International Co-op (Internship)

The current Canada-UK arrangement allows eligible UK citizens to participate under the expanded youth mobility arrangement. The 2023 agreement increased the age range to 18–35 and introduced the additional Young Professionals and International Co-op categories.
 

How Y-Axis Supports Your Canada Application? 

Y-Axis UK acts as a registered immigration Agent supporting Dima Beyrouti, RCIC Licence No. R709716, a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). 
As your administrative support team, Y-Axis can assist you with:

• Gathering and organising your supporting documents
• Coordinating appointments and communication on your behalf
• Providing general, publicly available information about Canadian immigration programmes
• Referring you to Dima Beyrouti for all regulated advice, eligibility assessments, and application representation 
• All regulated immigration advice, eligibility assessments, and application representation are the exclusive responsibility of Dima Beyrouti, RCIC Licence No. R709716. 

Verify Dima Beyrouti on the CICC Public Register: 
https://register.college-ic.ca/Public-Register-EN/Licensee/Profile.aspx?ID=11831
Ready to take the next step? Contact us to be connected with Dima Beyrouti.

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