Can You Enter More Than One IEC Pool at the Same Time?

The short answer is yes. But there are a few important rules that explain how it works – and what happens if you get invited for a category you don’t actually want. 

What Are IEC Pools? 

IEC pools are the waiting lists IRCC uses to invite eligible candidates to apply for a work permit. IEC participating countries have their own quota for each of the following categories: 

Working Holiday 

An open work permit. You don’t need a job offer. This category is for people who want the flexibility to work for different employers in Canada. 

Young Professionals 

An employer-specific (closed) work permit. You need a job offer related to your career or studies, and the permit is tied to that employer. 

International Co-op (Internship) 

An employer-specific work permit for students. You must be a registered student and have an internship or work placement in Canada that’s required for your studies. 

When you submit your IEC profile, IRCC reviews your answers and shows you which categories you’re eligible for. At this stage, you’re not applying for a work permit yet – you’re entering the selection process. As part of the profile, you’re asked whether you want to enter each pool you qualify for. For example, if you’re eligible for both Working Holiday and Young Professionals, you’ll need to confirm “yes” or “no” for each one. IRCC will only place you in the pools you choose to enter. 

Your profile stays in the pool until one of these happens: 

• You receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA)

• The IEC season ends and IRCC removes profiles from the pools

• You withdraw yourself 

Can You Be in More Than One IEC Pool? 

Yes, you can be in multiple IEC pools at the same time, as long as you’re eligible for those categories. For example, if your country allows it and you meet the requirements for both Working Holiday and Young Professionals, you may be able to enter both pools using one IEC profile. In some cases, a person may even be eligible for all three categories and can enter three pools at once, although that’s less common. 

Many people do this because it gives them more chances to receive an invitation during the season. The downside is that you might receive an invitation for a category you don’t really want. 

What Happens If You Get Invited for the “Wrong” Category? 

This is one of the most common questions people have, especially if they want an open work permit through Working Holiday but get invited for Young Professionals instead. 

When you receive an Invitation to Apply, it is tied to a specific category. You can’t switch it inside the application, and you can’t request a different category through the same invitation. 

At that point, you have two real options: 

• Accept the invitation and apply under that category

• Decline the invitation and continue waiting (if you’re still eligible) 

If You Decline an ITA, Do You Stay in the Pool? 

Yes, in most cases. IRCC states that if you decline an invitation, you will stay in the IEC pool of candidates (as long as you’re still eligible) and can be considered in future rounds of invitations. They also state that declining an invitation will not negatively affect future invitations. 

That matters because many people worry that declining an ITA will “look bad” or reduce their chances later. According to IRCC, it won’t. 

What If You Get Invited for Young Professionals When You Want Working Holiday? 

For example, you might be eligible for both Working Holiday and Young Professionals, and you might select “yes” to enter both pools. That can increase your chances of getting an invitation, but it also means IRCC could invite you through either category first. 

If you receive an ITA, you can decline it and keep waiting, as long as you’re still eligible. However, you can’t edit your profile after it’s submitted. So, if you originally selected “yes” to enter a category, you may be invited through that same category again in a future round. 

If you decide you don’t want to be invited through that category at all, the best option is to withdraw your profile and submit a new one, then only select the pool(s) you actually want to apply through. 

The key point is this: declining an ITA is fine, but changing which pools you can be invited from requires starting over with a new profile. 

Can You Have More Than One IEC Profile to Increase Your Chances? 

No. IRCC allows you to have only one IEC profile at a time. That profile can be eligible for more than one pool, but you can’t create multiple profiles to try to improve your odds. 

Can You Have More Than One IEC Application at the Same Time? 

No. Once you accept an invitation and start a work permit application, you are applying under that category. You won’t be applying for another IEC category at the same time. 

A simple way to think about it is this: 

• One IEC profile can be in multiple pools

• But you can only apply for one IEC work permit at a time 

What’s the Best Strategy If You’re Eligible for More Than One Pool? 

It’s usually best to enter the pool you actually want to apply through. That keeps things simple and lowers the chance you’ll get an invitation for a category you don’t want. However, if you’re eligible for more than one pool and you’d genuinely be happy with either option, entering multiple pools can be a smart strategy – especially if quotas are small or spots are filling up quickly. 

If you keep getting invited for a category you don’t plan to apply under, it’s a sign you should double-check your profile choices. Since you can’t edit a submitted profile, you may need to withdraw it and submit a new one so you’re only entered into the pool(s) you actually want.