Working Holiday and IEC 2025 (Canada): Latest updates

The 2026 season is open, and you can now join the pools. Learn how.

You will need a valid passport to apply. If you don’t yet have a passport or if your passport is about to expire, hurry and apply for your passport now!

The first draw took place on 13 January 2025. The last draw happened on 20 October 2025.

No, any profiles that are not selected by the end of the 2025 season are deleted from the pools. You have to submit your profile to the pools again.

You can check what the quota was for your nationality and IEC category here.

No, you can register for IEC at any time throughout the season. It may increase your chances of being selected if you apply earlier in the season, but it is still a random lottery with no guarantee of selection.

The lottery system means you aren’t guaranteed to be selected straight away. You might not be drawn at all, even if you apply to the pools as soon as they open. It is a random system and not everyone gets a place.

With that being said, chances of your profile being drawn are slightly higher if you join the pools at the beginning of the season. Once your profile is drawn, it usually takes 2-3 months to complete the application process.

Remember that once you complete the application process and your application is approved, you only have 12 months from that date to arrive in Canada. You don’t want to enter the pools too early if you know you can’t make it to Canada within the next year.

Yes, your profile will have a chance of being randomly selected for the duration of the season. If you are not picked by the time the season closes, your profile will be deleted and you’ll need to try again in the following season.

It depends on the time of year. The average time is usually around eight weeks but in busier periods, when there are lots of applications to be processed, it can take longer. You can check here for updates on the exact processing times.

There is no deadline for being drawn: some profiles will be drawn immediately; some aren’t so lucky and won’t be selected at all in an entire season.

Once your IEC application is approved, you will receive a Port of Entry (POE) Letter of Introduction. You must arrive in Canada and present your POE letter within 12 months of receiving it. The latest date by which you must arrive in Canada is printed on the POE letter.

If you don’t travel to Canada within this time, your approval expires and you must start the application process again.

No. The point of the Working Holiday permit is that you have the right, but not the obligation, to work during your time in Canada. The open work permit means you can work for any employer or multiple employers during your stay. You can wait until you arrive in Canada to look for work on this permit.

The application process is mostly the same as the Working Holiday permit. Make sure you register interest in the correct pool(s).

The main difference is that you must first have an offer of employment to be eligible for a closed work permit. Closed work permits tie you to a specific employer, so you cannot proceed with an application for this type of permit if you don’t have a job offer.

Your partner can join you in Canada as a visitor. Depending on their nationality, they may be authorised to travel with just an eTA, or they may need to apply for a tourist visa. Visitors can usually stay in Canada for up to six months.

If you are in a common-law partnership, there are certain conditions where you can apply for them to receive a spousal open work permit(SOWP) in Canada. Note that eligibility for SOWPs have been heavily restricted for 2025.