IEC 2026 Season Recap: How It Compared to 2025

This year, the overall quota was smaller, fewer invitations were issued, and 52,875 candidates were still waiting when the season ended. That’s nearly 13,000 more than last year. 

So, which countries saw the biggest changes? We break down the final quotas, invitations issued, how competitive the pools got, and what stood out in 2026. 

Key Takeaways 

• The 2026 IEC season is now closed. Final invitations were issued during the week of October 19, 2026. 

• IRCC issued 96,696 invitations in 2026. Not every invitation results in an approved work permit, which is why invitation totals can exceed the quota. 

• More candidates missed out on invitations. A total of 52,875 candidates remained in the pools at the end of 2026, compared to 40,080 in 2025. 

How Did IEC Quotas Change in 2026? 

The overall IEC quota also changed throughout the 2026 season, falling from 63,065 at the start of the year to 62,239 by the final update in October. This reflected a series of adjustments to individual country quotas. 

IEC quotas are agreed upon annually between Canada and participating countries, but quotas are subject to change and often distributed to other pools throughout the season. 

Although the overall decrease was relatively small, some countries saw much more significant changes than others. 

Which Countries Had the Biggest Quota Changes: 2025 vs 2026 

Several countries had changes to their Working Holiday quotas in 2026, with some receiving significantly fewer spots than in 2025. The table below shows some of the biggest changes: 

One of the most notable changes was Australia, which went from an unlimited Working Holiday quota in 2025 to a capped quota of 5,820 in 2026. Finland also moved from an unlimited quota to just 120 Working Holiday spots. 

Among countries with fixed quotas in both years, South Korea experienced the largest decrease, losing 1,331 spots. Ireland and France also had large decreases. 

However, not every country experienced a decrease, for example Taiwan and the Netherlands received larger Working Holiday quotas in 2026. 

How Many IEC Invitations Were Issued in 2026? 

IRCC issued a total of 96,696 invitations during the 2026 IEC season, compared to 102,290 invitations in 2025. 

Which Countries Received the Most Working Holiday Invitations? 

As of October 26, these were the five countries that received the most invitations:

The United Kingdom, South Korea, Australia, Japan and France received the most Working Holiday invitations in 2026. These countries were also among those with the highest invitation totals in 2025. 

While the United Kingdom, South Korea, Australia and France received fewer invitations in 2026, Japan had a slight increase. 

How Competitive Was the 2026 IEC Season? 

One of the biggest differences between the 2025 and 2026 seasons was the number of candidates left in the pools when the season ended. 

At the end of the 2026 season, 52,875 candidates remained in the IEC pools, compared to 40,080 in 2025. That’s 12,795 more candidates, even though the overall IEC quota decreased by only 1,342 spots. 

These numbers show how tough competition can be, especially for those hoping to come to Canada on a Working Holiday permit. 

Which Countries Had the Most Candidates Left in Their Pools? 

The largest numbers of candidates remaining at the end of the 2026 season were concentrated in a handful of Working Holiday pools. As of October 26, the five largest were: 

France had the most candidates remaining, with 22,226 still in its Working Holiday pool when the 2026 season closed. For French applicants still hoping to work in Canada, there are other pathways worth exploring beyond the IEC Working Holiday program. 

The United Kingdom saw the biggest increase among these five countries, with its remaining pool nearly doubling from 3,172 in 2025 to 6,126 candidates in 2026. Chile was the only country in the top five to see a decrease, although more than 9,000 candidates were still left without an invitation at the end of the season. 

Together, these five Working Holiday pools accounted for 42,360 candidates, or around 80% of everyone remaining in the IEC pools at the end of 2026. 

Young Professionals and International Co-op: How Did They Compare? 

Compared to the Working Holiday program, Young Professionals and International Co-op generally offer better chances of receiving an invitation. These categories often have fewer candidates competing for invitations, but they also have smaller quotas and different eligibility requirements. 

• Young Professionals: applicants generally need a job offer in Canada. 

• International Co-op: applicants must arrange an eligible internship or work placement as part of their studies. 

We can see the difference in competition between program types by looking at three of the most competitive Working Holiday pools in 2026: 

France: The Working Holiday category had a quota of 5,861 spots and issued 8,176 invitations, yet 22,226 candidates remained in the pool. In comparison, Young Professionals had a quota of 1,900 and issued 3,362 invitations, with just 182 candidates not receiving an invitation. International Co-op had a quota of 2,590 and issued 3,619 invitations, with no candidates left in the pool. 

United Kingdom: Working Holiday had a quota of 9,346 and issued 14,719 invitations, but 6,126 candidates remained in the pool at the end of the season. Young Professionals issued 1,341 invitations against a quota of 451, while International Co-op issued 107 invitations against a quota of just 20. Neither category had any candidates remaining in the pool. 

Chile: Working Holiday had a quota of 655 and issued 932 invitations, with 9,002 candidates still waiting. Young Professionals had a quota of 65 and issued 147 invitations, with 285 candidates left without an invitation. International Co-op had a quota of just five spots and issued 11 invitations, with no candidates remaining in the pool. 

These numbers show how demand varied between IEC categories, even within the same country. For applicants who qualify, the Young Professional or International Co-op categories may be worth considering as alternatives to a highly competitive Working Holiday pool. 

What Were the Biggest Trends of the 2026 IEC Season? 

Working Holiday demand far outstripped supply. By the end of 2026, 52,875 candidates remained across all IEC pools, nearly 32% more than in 2025. 

France is the clearest example. Its pool already held 8,532 candidates on January 2, 2026, well above its original quota of 5,661 spots (later raised to 5,861). French candidates faced very low odds from the very first round of invitations, according to data released on February 6. 

Looking at individual countries, some of the biggest changes from 2025 included:

• Large quota cuts: South Korea and Ireland lost a lot of Working Holiday spots compared to 2025, and Australia went from an unlimited quota to a fixed cap. 

• Fewer invitations, bigger pools: France and the United Kingdom received fewer invitations than in 2025 and finished the season with more candidates left in the pool. 

• Brighter spots: Japan and New Zealand received more invitations than last year despite smaller quotas, and Chile ended with slightly fewer candidates waiting in the pool. 

What Can We Expect from IEC in 2027? 

With the 2026 IEC season now over, attention turns to what 2027 might bring. Canada is still working towards its goal of reducing temporary residents to less than 5% of the population by the end of 2027.  

Under the current Immigration Levels Plan, the government also plans to reduce new temporary worker arrivals from 230,000 in 2026 to 220,000 in 2027. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean IEC quotas will decrease. The government has not yet confirmed how many spots will be available for the 2027 season. 

Canada’s next Immigration Levels Plan, expected in early November, could give us a better idea of the government’s plans for temporary immigration. 

For now, anyone hoping to participate in IEC in 2027 will need to wait for the new season to open and the country specific quotas to be announced. We’ll continue tracking the latest IEC updates. 

When Will the 2027 IEC Pools Open? 

IRCC has not yet announced the opening date for the 2027 IEC season. IEC pools have previously opened in December, with the first invitations issued in January: 

• IEC 2025: pools opened December 16, 2024, with invitations beginning the week of January 13, 2025. 

• IEC 2026: pools opened December 19, 2025, with invitations beginning the week of January 19, 2026. 

If IRCC follows a similar schedule, we expect the 2027 pools to open in December 2026. And if you didn’t get an invitation this year, don’t forget you’ll need to create a new profile and re-enter the pool when they open.