The Canada Working Holiday Visa is a great way to live, work, and explore the country. The IEC program makes it easy to start your journey
The following is the list of countries with whom Canada has agreements for the IEC in Canada program, including the Working Holiday Visa, Young Professionals (YP), and International Co-op (CO).
| Country | Working Holiday (WH) | Young Professionals (YP) | International Co-op (CO) | Age Limit (Years) |
| Andorra | up to 12 months | N/A | N/A | 18-30 |
| Australia | up to 24 months | up to 24 months | up to 12 months (if it is the applicant’s 2nd participation since 2015, in such case only) | 18-35 |
| Austria | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 6 months (if internship/work placement is in agriculture, forestry, tourism sectors) | 18-35 |
| Belgium | up to 12 months | N/A | N/A | 18-30 |
| Chile | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Costa Rica | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Croatia | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Czech Republic | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Denmark | up to 12 months | N/A | N/A | 18-35 |
| Estonia | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| France* | up to 24 months | up to 24 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Finland | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Germany | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Greece | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Hong Kong SAR | up to 12 months | N/A | N/A | 18-30 |
| Ireland | up to 24 months | up to 24 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Italy | up to 12 months ** | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Japan | up to 12 months | N/A | N/A | 18-30 |
| Latvia | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Lithuania | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Mexico | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Netherlands | up to 12 months | N/A | N/A | 18-30 |
| New Zealand | up to 23 months | N/A | N/A | 18-35 |
| Norway | up to 12 months | N/A | N/A | 18-35 |
| Portugal | up to 24 months | up to 24 months | N/A | 18-30 |
| Slovakia | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| Slovenia | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| South Korea | up to 12 months | N/A | N/A | 18-30 |
| Spain | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | N/A | 18-35 |
| Sweden | up to 12 months | N/A | N/A | 18-35 |
| Taiwan | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
| United Kingdom | up to 24 months | N/A | N/A | 18-30 |
| USA | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | 18-35 |
*Citizens can join special IEC student summer job initiatives that are exclusive to their country.
**Candidates can participate twice in a 24 month timeframe.
*** Canada is not accepting applicants at this time under Youth Mobility Arrangement between Mexico and Ukraine.
Canada IEC visa/permit processing time is on average 56 days or 8 weeks.
| Category | Fee (CAD) |
| General Fee (All Categories) | 156 |
| Working Holiday / WH | 100 (additional for Open Work Permit) |
| Youth Professionals / YP | 230 (additional) |
| International Co-op / CO | 230 (additional) |
Note: The payment must be made via credit/debit card.
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Canada IEC Working Holiday Visa provides you with temporary work permits for young professionals from over 30 countries who can legally live and work in Canada. The International Experience Canada / IEC permits are generally valid for 12 months or 1 year, depending on your country of origin. IEC is valid for 24 months or 2 years for some nations.
To apply for Canada IEC, you first create a profile, which notifies the Canadian government authorities in Canada. If you are a successful applicant, you will get an invite from Canadian government authorities to finish your work permit application, subject to your eligibility and seat availability.
If you apply under the YP and CO categories, you will receive an invitation issued once a week if spots are available. The government will randomly select you for an invitation under WH.
You must possess your POE Letter of Introduction to enter Canada and receive your work permit. This letter is usually valid for 1 year. Note that it can take a few months to receive an invitation to apply, complete your application, and have it assessed.
If you apply for a 2023 IEC Canada work permit in January 2023 and get an invite, you may get your POE letter within the next 1 or 2 months. This letter is valid for 1 year and allows you to enter Canada at any point of time during the period, as mentioned in it.
If you apply for a 2024 IEC Canada work permit in December 2023 or January 2024, you may get your invite in the following months. Subsequently, your application may be processed, and the POE letter will be sent. It will allow you to enter Canada anytime throughout 2024. As no definitive time frame is attached to it, you are best advised to plan early.
Each IEC season usually lasts around 10 months. IEC 2023, which began on January 9, 2023, closed on October 23, 2023. In the last week before the closing, Canada issued a total of 5932 invitations to candidates from all eligible nations. Overall, in 2023, Canada issued a total of 131,272 invitations to IEC candidates.
Canada IEC Program is based on reciprocal bilateral agreements signed between Canada and other nations. There are currently 37 countries that are part of Canada’s IEC Program. Under the agreement, applicants from each signatory country can only apply for WH, YP, and CO categories only as stipulated. France is unique and has a 4th category. These are as follows:-
| Countries | No. of Participations |
| Australia | 2 total 1 for WH or YP, and 1 for CO |
| Andorra | 1 total for WH |
| Austria | 2 total, |
| Belgium | 1 total |
| Chile | 2 total any category |
| Czech Republic | 2 total, |
| Costa Rica | 2 total, |
| Croatia | 2 total, |
| Denmark | 1 total |
| Estonia | 2 total, |
| France | 2 total 1 for WH or YP, and 1 for CO |
| Finland | 1 total |
| Greece | 2 total, |
| Germany | 2 total, |
| Hong Kong | 1 total |
| Ireland | 2 total 1 for WH or YP, and 1 for CO |
| Italy | 1 total |
| Japan | 1 total |
| Latvia | 2 total, |
| Luxembourg | 1 total |
| Lithuania | 2 total, |
| Mexico | *** |
| Netherlands | 2 total, |
| Norway | 2 total, |
| New Zealand | 1 total |
| Portugal | 1 total |
| Poland | 2 total, |
| San Marino | 2 total |
| Slovakia | 2 total, |
| Slovenia | 2 total, |
| Sweden | 2 total, |
| Switzerland | Two total, cannot exceed 18 months |
| South Korea | 2 total, |
| Spain | 2 total, |
| Taiwan | 1 total |
| Ukraine | *** |
| United Kingdom | 1 total |
*** The Youth Mobility Arrangement between Mexico and Ukraine is not accepting applicants at this time.
Under the old 'First-Come, First-Serve' system that was valid till 2015, allocations were sold out within a matter of days and sometimes hours. After 2015, IRCC updated the system to allow people to participate in the IEC program at any stage before the work permit slots in their country pool dries out.
So, it is better to join the program after the rush is over. This will expose you to as many invitation rounds as possible. In countries like the UK, where demand for Canada IEC far exceeds supply, it is important to create a profile as early as possible when the IEC window opens.
Since reorganizing the Canada IEC program, IRCC gives at least 5 days' notice before the closure of each country's pool window of invitations as per category.
Note that just getting a POE Letter of Introduction does not guarantee you an entry into Canada. Also, remember that the POE Letter of Introduction is not your work permit; it only makes you eligible to receive a work permit under the IEC program on entering Canada.
You must always keep the POE letter with yourself when entering Canada, and present it to any Canadian Border Service Officer at your POE, be it airport, land border, or sea port when asked. Your POE Letter of Introduction will have a stated expiry date. You must present this letter at any Canadian POE on or before the expiry date and start the IEC Canada visa process. To formally enter Canada with a POE Letter of Introduction, you also need to have:-
If your country of origin is not part of the Canada IEC program, you can still participate with the help of an IEC Recognized Organization.
A work permit is a document issued by the Canadian government that allows a foreign national to work in Canada. If you are not a Canadian citizen or PR holder, you require a valid work permit to work in Canada. Though there are some jobs in Canada, you can do without a work permit.
Note that as a foreign worker, you can only work with an employer who is mentioned on your work permit. You must apply for a new work permit if you change your employer. Only workers admitted into Canada on an 'open work permit' can change employers without reapplying. Also, you can extend your work permit from inside Canada if your work permit is still valid.
An 'open work permit' is a work permit that is not specific to any job, location, occupation, or employer. If you hold it, you are authorized to work anywhere in Canada with any employer. You can apply for an open work permit if you:-
You profile will remain in Canada’s IEC pool until one of the following things happen:-
| Difference | Co-op | Internships |
| Learning Experience | Co-op allows UK students a chance to learn during the study term as well as get an opportunity to implement theoretical knowledge to work during the study period. | Internships only offer work experience. |
| Eligibility | Only UK students enrolled in the Canada DLI co-op course are eligible for it. | Anyone is eligible to apply for an internship. |
| Duration | The total work terms in co-op vary from 8 to 12 months. | Internships can last anywhere from 2 to 3 months. |
| Pay Scale | Co-op participant students are paid by employers based on number of hours devoted to work. | Students may or may not get paid for the duration of the internship. |
The Canadian Working Holiday Visa, offered under the International Experience Canada (IEC) program, is generally valid for up to 12 months or 24 months, depending on the applicant’s country of citizenship and its bilateral agreement with Canada. For example, citizens of countries like Australia and Ireland may be eligible for 24 months, while many others receive 12 months. The visa validity begins when you enter Canada and present your Port of Entry (POE) Letter of Introduction. Extensions are not usually possible, so applicants must plan their work and travel within the allotted validity period.
Canada offers diverse accommodation choices for Working Holiday participants depending on budget and lifestyle. Initially, many opt for short-term stays in hostels, budget hotels, or Airbnb while job-hunting and settling into a city. Shared housing or sublets are popular mid-term options, especially in urban centers like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, as they provide affordable rent and community living. Some participants also use online platforms and local listings (such as Craigslist or Kijiji) to find longer-term leases. Rural placements, often tied to seasonal work, may include employer-provided housing, which reduces costs. Planning accommodation flexibility is key to easing the transition.
The validity period of a Working Holiday Visa is determined by the bilateral youth mobility agreement between Canada and your country of citizenship. It is typically 12 months, though some countries (such as Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland) allow stays of up to 24 months. Importantly, the visa validity does not begin when the visa is approved, but when you physically enter Canada and activate it at the port of entry. Holders should also ensure they maintain health insurance coverage for the entire stay, as failure to show proof may result in a shorter validity being granted.
The Working Holiday program is designed for young adults under the International Experience Canada (IEC) initiative. The standard age range is 18 to 30 years old, though some countries (like Australia, Ireland, and a few others) have extended the eligibility up to 35 years old, based on bilateral agreements. Applicants must apply before reaching the maximum age for their country of citizenship. This flexibility allows younger travelers to gain international work and cultural experience in Canada. Age eligibility is one of the first criteria checked, so applicants should confirm their country-specific rules before applying.
