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By Rebecca Major
Updated on August 7, 2025
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Key Takeaways
Watch our detailed video guide.
The Working Holiday is one of the most popular categories within the International Experience Canada (IEC) program — a Canadian government initiative that allows young people from over 36 partner countries to live and work in Canada temporarily. This category is particularly attractive because it provides participants with an open work permit, meaning they can work for any employer in virtually any location across Canada, offering a high level of flexibility and freedom.
These open work permits are issued under the International Mobility Program, and their duration typically ranges from 12 to 24 months, depending on the applicant’s country of citizenship. However, the final length of the stay may vary depending on factors like health insurance coverage.
It’s worth noting that Canada has reciprocal agreements with participating countries, meaning young Canadians can also take advantage of similar working holiday opportunities abroad.
In addition to the Working Holiday stream, the IEC program includes two other categories designed to support different types of work and learning experiences:
1. Young Professionals: This category targets post-secondary graduates who wish to gain career-relevant experience in Canada. Unlike the Working Holiday category, participants in the Young Professional category must have a pre-arranged job offer in their field of study or career. Successful applicants receive an employer-specific work permit, meaning they are tied to one employer for the duration of their stay.
2. International Co-op (Internship): This stream is designed for students enrolled in a post-secondary institution in their home country who need to complete a work placement or internship as part of their academic curriculum. To qualify for the International Co-op category, applicants must have a signed job offer that aligns with their academic program. Work permits under this category are generally valid for up to 12 months, although this may vary by country.
Get access to tons of free resources, including checklists with step-by-step instructions on how to apply for a working holiday visa, job matches from Canadian employers looking to hire IEC participants, guides on how to make a Canadian-style resume and killer cover letter, and much more!
Once you join, we’ll show you exactly where and how to create your IEC profile, plus a bunch of other important tasks to help you along the way. Join the Moving2Canada community here.
To be eligible to apply for an IEC Working Holiday Visa in Canada, candidates must:
To get a full list of all the documents you will need and more details, check out this guide about the documents for your IEC work permit application.
Rachel from the Moving2Canada team guides you step-by-step through creating your IEC profile in this video.
If your application is a success, congratulations! But you’re not quite there yet.
Next, a letter of introduction (LOI) will be sent to your account. At this point, you can book your travel to Canada (or organize to leave Canada and re-enter).
To successfully enter Canada on your IEC work permit, you will need to bring all of the documents required for your arrival in Canada:
For more detailed information, check our article on the necessary documents and requirements for a Successful Working Holiday arrival in Canada.
After providing all the documents to an immigration office at a Port of Entry (POE), such as an airport or border crossing. This is where you will receive your work permit.
Mandatory Insurance for Working Holiday participants
We do really want to stress the importance of adequate health insurance coverage at this point. If you are not adequately insured, you may not receive your IEC work permit at all. If you don’t have health insurance for the entire period, your IEC work permit duration may be shortened. In other words, if you only have insurance for 6 months but you want to stay for 2 years (and that’s what your country’s IEC agreement allows), you will only be able to stay on an IEC work permit for 6 months.
Health insurance is mandatory for Working Holiday participants. Not sure where to start?
Want the Full Picture? Check Out the Detailed Infographic
We broke down the IEC Working Holiday application into three main steps to help you get started with confidence. But if you want to see the entire process at a glance—from eligibility to receiving your Port of Entry letter—be sure to check out the detailed infographic below. It’s your visual guide to every step of the journey!
The documents you need to provide for your Working Holiday permit are quite straightforward. To make it even easier for you, we have come up with a handy guide on what documents you need to have ready for your IEC application.
It’s important that you get adequate insurance for the entire duration of your IEC work permit. Start by comparing prices for IEC health insurance options with a free quote comparison from BestQuote.
A prerequisite to qualify for the IEC program is to be able to show at least $2500 CAD in funds. There is no need to show these funds as part of your work permit application however, when you land in Canada with your port of entry letter to activate your work permit, you must present a bank statement no older than 7 days, which shows you have the equivalent of $2500CAD. If you are unable to show this, you will not be issued your Working Holiday permit.
The age limit for the Working Holiday visa depends on your country of citizenship, with most countries setting the limit at either 30 or 35 years old (inclusive).
To be eligible, your IEC profile must be selected from the pool while you are still within the age limit for your country’s program. Once you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA), your age is locked in, meaning you remain eligible even if you turn older before completing the application process.
Your chances of getting a Working Holiday visa depend on your country of citizenship, as each country has a limited number of spots available under the International Experience Canada (IEC) program. The selection process works like a lottery—once you submit your profile, you’re placed into a pool, and draws happen at random. The more people in the pool for your country, the lower your chances of being picked. Some countries have larger quotas, meaning more opportunities to be selected, while others have fewer spots, making it trickier to get an invitation. Since selection isn’t guaranteed, it’s a good idea to apply early and keep an eye on the draw rounds to see how many spots are left.
To help with your planning, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provides updates on your chances of being selected with each draw. IRCC ranks countries based on the probability of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in the next round:
✅ Excellent = 80% – 99% chance of being selected 👍 Very good = 60% – 79% chance of being selected 🤞 Fair = 40% – 59% chance of being selected ⚠️ Very low = 20% – 39% chance of being selected 🔴 Low = 1% – 19% chance of being selected
Keeping an eye on these rankings can give you a better idea of where you stand and help you plan your next steps!
If you’re hoping to secure a Working Holiday visa, there are a few ways to improve your chances and maximize your opportunities:
✅ Enter the pool as early as possible – Even if you’re not planning to move right away, submitting your profile as soon as you’re eligible gives you more chances to be selected in multiple rounds of invitations. The longer you’re in the pool, the better your odds.
✅ Keep an eye on your country’s selection odds – Check Immigration, IRCC updates on selection probabilities. If your country’s odds are low, you might want to explore alternative pathways.
✅ Consider applying through the Young Professionals Program – If your country has an agreement for the Young Professionals stream, this can be a less competitive route compared to the Working Holiday visa. The catch? You’ll need a job offer from a Canadian employer before applying. Start job searching early, network through LinkedIn, and explore job boards like Job Bank Canada and Moving2Canada’s own job board.
✅ Expand your job search beyond major cities – If you’re applying through the Young Professionals program, looking for jobs outside of popular hubs like Toronto and Vancouver can boost your chances. Smaller cities and rural areas often have less competition and may be more open to hiring international workers.
✅ Ensure your documents are ready – If selected, you’ll need to accept your invitation quickly and submit all required documents on time. Delays or missing paperwork can result in losing your spot.
✅ Stay flexible – If your country has a low quota or high competition, consider other immigration pathways, such as student visas, employer-sponsored work permits, or applying through a provincial program if you meet the criteria. A great example of this is alternative options for French citizens.
It does not cost anything to enter the IEC working holiday pool.
You only pay if you are selected and go on to submit a work permit application, at which point you will need to pay the appropriate processing fees.
To get a Working Holiday Visa in Canada, it will be necessary to pay a processing fees of CAD$179.75, and an open work permit holder fee of CAD$100. In addition to this, applicants will need to pay an $85 biometrics fee unless they have given biometrics in the 10 years preceding their application. Learn more about biometrics for IEC.
Since the IEC program is quota-based, each participating country has a set number of work permits available each year.The total quota for the 2025 program 63,535. Some countries, like Australia and Finland, have no cap on the number of permits issued, while others have fixed quotas. For example, in 2025, the United Kingdom has a quota of 9,000 permits, whereas Italy is limited to 1,750.
Yes! The Working Holiday permit is an open work permit, meaning you can work for almost any employer in Canada and gain valuable Canadian work experience—which can help support a permanent residency (PR) application. However, the type of work you do matters.
If you’re aiming for Express Entry, you’ll need skilled work experience in a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 job under Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. If your work falls under a lower TEER level, you may need to explore Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), which sometimes accept candidates with less specialized work experience.
Regardless of the path you choose, Canadian work experience boosts your chances of PR. Just keep in mind that self-employed work experience does not count toward eligibility for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) under Express Entry. So, if PR is your goal, choosing the right job while on a Working Holiday visa is key!
Finding a job in Canada as an IEC Working Holiday participant can be easier with the right approach. If you’re looking for opportunities in construction or engineering, consider checking out Outpost Recruitment, a specialized agency that connects job seekers with employers in these fields. To improve your chances of landing a job, it’s also important to adapt your resume (or ‘CV’) to Canadian standards, which often emphasizes concise formatting and clear, results-oriented descriptions. If you’re open to different job options, exploring alternative roles suited for Working Holiday visa holders—such as hospitality, tourism, or seasonal work—can help you secure employment quickly and gain valuable Canadian work experience.
As part of the eligibility criteria, applicants must not be accompanied by a dependant, including spouse or common law partner. however, there are ways your spouse/ common-law partner can join you in Canada.
Please explore our many resources to help you plan your application. Research is crucial as you plan for success in Canada.
We are committed to supporting IEC participants throughout their work and holiday journey. By joining Our community, you’ll find comprehensive information about working holiday visas, work permits, and the IEC program itself. There are step-by-step guides to help you navigate the application process, tips for finding employment, and advice on accessing healthcare while in Canada. Also, our Job Hub is a valuable tool, connecting Canadian employers with IEC participants and opening up a wide range of job opportunities. Whether you need help understanding your work permit, searching for employment, or learning about your rights as a worker, these resources are designed to make your experience in Canada as smooth and successful as possible.
Moving2Canada readers get their first five international money transfers free with CurrencyFair.
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