Do you need IEC health insurance? Our partner, BestQuote, compares the leading insurance providers to find the best rates. Get a free quote!
Learn everything you need to know about Canadian immigration
If you need help with your immigration, one of our recommended immigration consultant partners can help.
Calculate your estimated CRS score and find out if you're in the competitive range for Express Entry.
Take the quiz
Your guide to becoming a student in Canada
Take our quiz and find out what are the top programs for you.
Learn more
Watch on YouTube
This guide will help you choose the best bank in Canada for your needs.
Get your guide
latest articles
Read more
By Stephanie Ford
Updated 2 minutes ago
Advertisement
You can join our community to receive weekly updates covering invitation activity, key information about the IEC pool, and tips to make your season run smoothly.
Track how the top IEC countries are performing week by week. Dive into detailed draw data, invitation numbers, and country-specific insights by selecting a country below.
UK Working holiday candidates will start to see some invitations rolled out next week, from January 19 onwards. Given that there are 5,296 profiles in the pool and 9,330 spots in the UK’s quota for 2026, we anticipate that there will be a good sized round of invitations for UK working holiday hopefuls.
That said, you aren’t guaranteed an invitation in any round — even if odds are excellent for receiving one, or if your quota is not yet full. The best way to improve your odds of receiving an invite is to enter the pool as early as possible.
IRCC hasn’t yet published its odds for selection for the first round next week, though we would estimate it to be Excellent based on our experience.
Australian candidates may still be reeling from the introduction of a quota this year. The quota may actually mean that there will be high competition for spots for Australian working holidaymakers this year — since the quota is much lower than the number of invitations issued to this program in 2025.
That said, we estimate that your odds of receiving an invitation to apply in the first rounds starting Monday January 19, 2026 are excellent at the moment. There are 1,486 profiles in the pool and 5,670 spots for the year, so competition isn’t high – yet.
Irish working holidaymakers will likely see invitations start to arrive from Monday (January 19). There are 1,340 profiles in the IEC pool and 2,735 spots for this program for the year. Based on our experience, we would estimate odds for those in the pool receiving an invitation to be ‘Excellent’ – though there have been plenty of changes this year, so we may be surprised here.
If you’re an Irish citizen considering a working holiday in Canada in 2026, it’s worth considering entering the pool as early as possible. With the number of profiles in the pool being around 50% of spots available for the year (before the invitation rounds even begin), we’d predict that competition will be high – particularly later in the season. The earlier you enter, the more draws you’ll participate in.
Unfortunately, New Zealanders hoping to do an IEC working holiday in 2026 will need to wait at least one more week for more information. The quota and the date for the first round of invitations have not yet been released by IRCC for this season.
There are currently 413 profiles in the pool for the 2026 season. For what it’s worth, NZ’s 2025 quota was 2,500 for this program so if that remains in place for 2026, competition may remain low throughout the year. However, we think that the quota may decrease, given that last year’s NZ pool was undersubscribed.
French candidates looking to do a working holiday in Canada in 2026 may have a tough season ahead of them. Invitations will start being issued from January 19 (Monday), but there are already significantly more candidates in the pool then there are spots available for 2026. While IRCC hasn’t released its odds of being selected in the next round, we would estimate them to be low to very low for French working holiday hopefuls.
So, where does that leave you? As French speakers, you do have alternate pathways to live and work in Canada – especially if you choose to live outside Quebec. There are multiple pathways that could offer you a temporary work permit in Canada that are worth considering instead of the working holiday program this year.
Otherwise, it may also be worth looking to see whether you’re eligible for another IEC program – Young Professionals, VIE, or International Co-op.
South Korea’s quota dropped marginally from 2025, but is still one of the most generous quotas we’ve seen for the 2026 IEC season. Many of those with profiles in the pool should see invitations start arriving from January 19, 2026.
Looking ahead, South Korean working holiday hopefuls may not experience the same level of high competition for spots that we’re either seeing or expecting to see in many other popular programs (like France or Australia’s working holiday pools).
While this is good news, it doesn’t mean you should delay entering the pool. It’s almost always a good idea to enter as early as possible, especially if you really want to come to Canada in 2026 or early 2027.
Japanese working holiday hopefuls will need to wait at least one more week before we can offer a deeper analysis on the season ahead. Unfortunately, Japan’s quota has not yet been announced and we aren’t sure when the first round of invitations for Japan will take place, just yet. But we keep our community members informed through our weekly IEC newsletter. Join us if you’re keen to learn more about the year ahead, whenever the information is released.
We’ll be publishing a full, data-driven analysis of the 2026 IEC Working Holiday program for Germany once the first rounds of invitation data are released.
Check back soon for detailed draw breakdowns, invitation trends, quota updates, and insights into what the numbers mean for applicants from Germany.
Or, if you’d rather get an email when updates happen – we keep our community members informed through our weekly IEC newsletter. Join us if you’re keen to learn more about the year ahead for German working holiday candidates once that information is released.
Italy’s quota dipped slightly for 2026 (down to 1,850 from 1,915 in 2025). But, the good news is: we don’t expect competition to be too high – unless many more Italian citizens are interested in a working holiday in Canada this year compared to last year.
Italian working holiday hopefuls with a profile in the pool could see an invitation as early as Monday, January 19. Though, the system is a lottery and there’s no guarantee of an invitation next week. This is especially true since we haven’t seen how IRCC plans to roll out invitations across the 2026 season. Typically, we do see large draws to begin the IEC season – but we don’t know for sure that IRCC will follow that pattern for 2026 just yet.
IRCC’s update on January 9 came with some surprises! From Australia’s IEC programs receiving a quota for 2026 to almost 10,000 people entering the pool in the week of January 9, here’s what you need to know about the most recent IEC update:
The programs with the highest number of candidates in the pool, as of January 9, 2026 are:
IRCC plans to issue the first invitations for 2026 in the week of January 19. This means this week is the first (of many) where invitations will be issued on a lottery basis.
But, not all programs are slated to receive invitations starting January 19, based on the January 9 data.
Here’s who might see invitations starting in the week of January 19:
All other countries and programs will need to wait and see when the first round of invitations might arrive. This is usually tied to quota announcements, so we should know more as more details about quotas roll out in the coming weeks.
Remember: IEC is not a first-come, first-served program, entering the pool early allows you to participate in more invitation rounds, increasing your chances of receiving an invitation. So, don’t let the number of people in the pool already put you off submitting your profile. If anything, it’s more important than ever to get into the IEC pool early.
So far, IRCC has only published quotas for a handful of countries and programs. Here are the IEC 2026 quotas that have been confirmed as of January 9, 2026:
Working Holiday: 24 (down from 25 in 2025)
One major surprise in this year’s update: Australia IEC programs have a quota this year. In prior years, Australia didn’t have a quota, so this is a big change.
International Co-op: 17
Working Holiday: 5,670
Young Professionals: 50
For context, Australia’s working holiday program received 9,479 invitations last year. So this quota may have a big impact on competition for Australia’s working holiday program in 2026. In other words – Aussies hoping to participate this season should enter the pool as early as possible!
Working Holiday: 725 (down from 750 in 2025)
International Co-op: 2 (same as last year)
Working Holiday: 80 (same as last year)
Young Professionals: 15 (down from 18 in 2025)
International Co-op: 5 (up from 3)
Working Holiday: 130 (down from 135)
Young Professionals: 58 (down from 62)
Working Holiday: 193 (down from 200 in 2025)
International Co-op: 5 (same as last year)
Working Holiday: 82 (down slightly from 85)
Young Professionals: 10 (same as last year)
Luxembourg saw some large changes in quota for 2026, but the practical impact might be minimal. This is because Luxembourg’s IEC programs were generally undersubscribed and may not have even met the quotas last year.
International Co-op: 3 (down from 10)
Working Holiday: 42 (down from 80)
Young Professionals: 3 (down from 10)
Working Holiday: 907 (down from 940)
Young Professionals: 55 (same as last year)
Quota not yet announced for your country or program?
Read our earlier coverage for information about last year’s IEC quotas. We don’t know how they will compare to all quotas this year (2025 did see a decrease in many quotas compared to 2024). But it may help you make sense of your possible odds for receiving an invitation for 2026.
Here’s what we don’t know, based on this update:
In other words, we’re still waiting on more key announcements over the next few weeks as IRCC releases more quota details and begins issuing invitations from the week of January 19.
Updates for 2026 IEC season
Here’s the data from the most recent IRCC update:
First round of invitations: January 13, 2025
Overall quota: 63,555
Total invitations in 2025: 102,289 invitations
Final round of invitations: October 27, 2025
Candidates in the pool on October 27, 2025: 40,080
Programs with low or very low odds of receiving an invitation in the final round for 2025:
All other programs concluded the 2025 season with excellent odds of receiving an invitation.
We’re sharing this information to let potential candidates from these countries know that entering the pool early is really important for the 2026. The IEC system is a lottery system, but you improve your odds by exposing yourself to as many rounds of invitations as possible.
Get the latest IEC news straight to your inbox! Sign up for the Moving2Canada newsletter for alerts and updates on the 2026 IEC Working Holiday season.
36,816 candidates are already in the pools ahead of the first invitation round on January 19, 2026. While most quotas are still “to be announced,” a few have now been published – including a notable change for Australia, which has a Working Holiday cap of 5,670 spots this year.
IEC Pools opened for 2026. Candidates can now enter the pool and wait for the first round of invitations in 2026.
For the 2026 season, applicants are required to pay an IEC fee of CAN $184.75.
In 2025, the fee was $179.75
2025 IEC Season Closed
If you’re hoping to snag an invitation through IEC, the best thing to do is plan ahead. You can start by checking your eligibility for IEC — take our free Canadian Immigration Quiz to see if you’re eligible.
First, make sure you’re eligible for one of the three IEC programs: the Working Holiday program (the most popular option), Young Professionals, and International Co-op.
If you meet the eligibility for one of the programs, you’ll be able to create a new profile once the 2026 pools reopen and submit it to the pool for your country and program. Submitting your profile early ensures you’re considered in all rounds of invitations.
You can also begin preparing yourself for the work permit application you’ll have to submit if you receive an invitation.
Effective December 23, flagpoling is no longer permitted for those in Canada as workers or students.
According to the IRCC, if you’re in Canada when you receive your POE letter of introduction, you must leave the country and re-enter to activate your work permit.
On 19 February, 2025, IRCC updated its guidance to note that “You may not be able to activate your work permit if you re-enter from the US or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.”
In other words, if you intend to travel to the US to activate your approved work permit, there is a high risk that such a request will be refused due to the confusion around the flagpoling issue and it’s impact on IEC workers.
Rachel walks us through how to come to Canada through IEC.
In order to come to Canada on an IEC work permit, such as the Working Holiday Visa, you need to get health insurance for the duration of your stay.
Every year, we hear stories of people who make major errors when it comes to insurance for their IEC adventure in Canada, leading to shorter-than-expect work permit durations and unnecessary medical bills. That’s why we released a video on all things health insurance. Check it out!
The 2026 International Experience Canada (IEC) season opened on December 16, 2025.
Eligible candidates are able to complete these steps:
Many IEC Working Holiday participants may want to start looking for jobs in Canada before they arrive. Thankfully, we have partnered with several Canadian employers who are looking to hire 2026 IEC participants.
Check out the Moving2Canada Jobs Board and join our IEC Talent Pool.
If you’re looking for a physically demanding job with a great crew, we recommend taking a look at our partner, Young Guns Container Crew. They’re hiring labourers to help unload shipping containers in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Cornwall, Ontario (among others!). They love IECers and can offer you a job before you arrive. Apply here — or get more information by watching this video:
Please explore our many resources to help you plan your application. Research is crucial as you plan for success on your Working Holiday Canada permit.
IEC Health Insurance
Join 170,000+ adventurers and get insider tips, visa updates, and job resources to make the most of your International Experience Canada (IEC) adventure.
Search results
results for “”