When Should You Begin The IEC Process?

Why Age Is Important:

The age limit for the IEC pool you are hoping to join plays a huge role in when you should apply—and for some, it may mean you have no choice but to apply soon to avoid missing out.

As a reminder, IEC applicants need to receive an invitation to apply whilst they are in the accepted age range for their country of citizenship.

IEC Age Limits by Country

Ages 18-35:

Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kinkdom

Ages 18-30:

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Iceland, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden

If you’re within the eligible age range, now is the time to decide when to apply to the IEC pools based on your personal timeline and goals. This page will guide you through planning your IEC move, helping you make the right decisions at the right time!

Watch our latest webinar where we covered key questions to help you prepare for IEC 2025!

Scenario 1: You’re within one year of the age limit

If you’re within one year of the age limit for your country’s IEC Working Holiday program (e.g., 34 or 35 for Australians, 29 or 30 for Belgians), you don’t have much time to waste!

The IEC pools are usually open from December to September, with a break in October and November, when new profiles cannot be created. Since Canada selects candidates on a rolling basis, you should apply as early as possible to maximize your chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) before your next birthday.

Once you receive an ITA, your age is locked in. This means if you’re selected and later approved, you still have 12 months to enter Canada, even if you’ve since aged out of eligibility. For example, a 35-year-old Australian could land in Canada at 36, or a 30-year-old Belgian at 31.

If you don’t plan on moving to Canada within the next 16 months, consider adjusting your timeline—such as landing in Canada briefly to activate your status before leaving—or explore alternative immigration pathways.

Scenario 2: You plan on moving to Canada within the next 16 months

If you meet the age eligibility for your country and the IEC pools are open (typically from December to September), it’s best to create your IEC profile as soon as possible. This signals to the Government of Canada that you want to move, and it puts you in the running for selection in the weekly invitation rounds (draws) which are generally bigger in size and less competitive. The earlier you enter, the more draws you’ll be included in, which increases your chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply ITA.

Once you do receive an ITA, you can expect the following timeframe:

• 10 days to accept the invitation.
• 20 days to submit your full application.
• 30 days to provide your biometrics-
• 8 weeks processing

Once approved, you’ll have 12 months to land in Canada and start your new adventure.

💡 Pro Tip: Controlling Your Processing Timeline- Want to pace your IEC application or speed it up? You have some control over the timeline!

⏳ If you want to extend processing time, you can:
✔ Accept your Invitation to Apply (ITA) on the 10th day (final day allowed).
✔ Submit your application on the 20th day (last day before the deadline).
✔ Provide your biometrics on the 30th day after submission (last day before the deadline).

This approach can buy you about two months before your application is fully processed.

⚡ If you want to speed things up, act quickly:
✔ Accept your ITA immediately after receiving it.
✔ Submit your full application as soon as possible.
✔ Provide biometrics at the earliest opportunity.

So, if you plan on moving within the next 16 months, it’s time to create your profile.

Scenario 3: You plan on moving to Canada 16 or more months in the future

(For example, if you are Australian and 33 years old or younger, or Belgian and 28 years old or younger, and you plan on moving to Canada 15 or more months in the future. See above for the exact age range for your country).

If you were to begin the process soon (i.e. during the current year) and are invited and then approved, you’d have to actually move within a year. If you were to let the approval letter lapse (i.e. not land in Canada within a year of approval), you would have to apply again to get an IEC work permit.

For these reasons, some early planners wait a while before creating their IEC profile. In essence, you want to be approved for an IEC work permit within 12 months of your intended arrival date. It takes an additional two to three months or so of processing time before this year-long validity period kicks in.

If you decide to wait a while before creating your IEC profile, please note the following caveats:

• While it is likely that people from your country will still be eligible in the future, it’s not completely guaranteed. In recent years, Canada has placed its IEC agreements with Mexico and Ukraine “under review” for years on end. These multi-year pauses probably aren’t random and are perhaps because of security concerns of allowing Canadian youth to move to those countries. IEC is a reciprocal program; if you can move to Canada through IEC, it also means Canadians can move to your country.
• Even if you are eligible in the future, there is no guarantee that you will be invited to apply. Countries’ quotas can change each year, and for some countries demand often outpaces supply, leaving some candidates without an invitation. The exception here is Australia, which has an unlimited quota.

The next step: Your Moving2Canada Account

Now that you have an idea of when to begin the IEC process, make sure to sign up for a free Moving2Canada account. Your account gives you access to tons of resources, including checklists with step-by-step instructions for your immigration process, job openings from Canadian employers looking to hire IEC participants, and much more!

Once you sign up for free, 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.

Sign up for a free account here.

Next step: How to apply for an IEC work permit

More resources to prepare for your IEC:

• Most common questions answered about IEC
• How much does it really cost to move to Canada through IEC?
• Common mistakes to avoid when applying to IEC
• IEC applications for couples and groups
• Biometrics for IEC
• Make sure you understand everything about police certificates
• How to chose the right health insurance
• How to correctly format and size your documents for your application
• What documents will you need to add after you submit your application
• Some alternatives in case you can’t get your working holiday visa