What to do to prepare yourself for IEC 2025?

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, the next step is to submit yourself to the pools. Submitting your profile as early as possible will guarantee that you’re considered for all invitation rounds. Invitations are issued randomly, so you want to be in the pools as early as possible.

You can also begin preparing yourself for the work permit application you’ll have to submit if you receive an invitation.

For free personalized guidance, make sure to sign up for a 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!

When Do We Expect the 2025 IEC Season To Open?

The pools for the 2024 IEC season opened on December 11, 2023. We expect the 2025 season to follow suit — and may open between December 9 and December 16, 2024, with the first round of invitations happening in January 2025.

Whilst you wait for program updates, we suggest you create a Moving2Canada account and sign up for our newsletter so you can find out when the pools open and submit your profile.

There’s a chance the IEC quota may be smaller for the 2025 season, as Canada seeks to reduce the volume of temporary residents in Canada. So submitting your profile early may be key to getting an invitation to apply for IEC in 2025.

What’s New For 2025?

What Happened In IEC for 2024?

Our data shows that there were almost 125,000 IEC invitations issued in the 2024 IEC season.

Where did these invitations go? let’s take a look at the top 5 countries

• South Korea Working Holiday Program – received 18,221 of these invitations,
• United Kingdom Working Holiday Program – received 16,500 of these invitations,
• France Working Holiday Program– received 10,462 of these invitations, although this was the program that was in the highest demand with almost 25,000 applicants in the pool.
• Australia Working Holiday Program– received 9,868 of these invitations.
• Japan Working Holiday Program– received 8,500 of these invitations.

If you were hoping to be successful in the 2024 IEC program but did not receive an invite, apply early for the 2025 program to increase your chances of being selected.

If you received an invitation to one of the IEC programs in the 2024 season, make sure you read our guides:

• How much should you expect IEC to cost overall
• What you need to understand before submitting your biometrics
• How to choose the right health insurance
• Understand police certificates
• How to correctly format and submit your documents
• What you need to know before arriving in Canada

Quotas & invitations for the 2024 IEC season

Updates for 2024 IEC season

Get the latest IEC news straight to your inbox! To receive alerts and updates about the 2025 IEC Working Holiday Canada season, make sure you sign up for the Moving2Canada newsletter.

How to move to Canada through IEC: VIDEO

Rachel walks us through how to come to Canada through IEC in 2024.

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!

More About The IEC 2024 Season

The IEC 2024 season officially opened on December 11, 2023. International youth from eligible countries have been able to submit profiles to the IEC pool since then. Back in December, the Canadian government announced that the first round of invitations would begin the week of January 8, 2024. Read the full story here.

The 2024 IEC season

The 2024 International Experience Canada (IEC) season opened on January 8, 2024.

Since Dec. 11, 2023, eligible candidates are able to complete these steps:

1. Submit a profile: Submit a profile through your IRCC account in order to be considered for an invitation. If you submitted a profile in previous years, you can use the same account, but you have to create a new profile.
2. Receive an invitation: In order to apply for a work permit, first you have to be invited. Invitations are issued each week through a randomized lottery system. The earlier you’re in the pool, the more invitation rounds you’ll be considered for.
3. Submit a work permit application: If you receive an invitation, you then have 10 days to accept or decline the invitation. If you accept, you have 20 days from that moment to prepare and submit your application.

Invitation rounds typically begin in the weeks following the season opening.

Once quotas for each country are announced, they will be posted on this page along with regular updates on spots remaining and chances of receiving an invitation.

Finding a job for the 2024 IEC season

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 2024 IEC participants.

Check out the Moving2Canada Jobs Board.

Young Guns Container Crew

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:

Skyscapes Balcony and Patio Flooring

If you’re physically fit and looking to live in Toronto or the GTA, consider applying to work at our partner Skyscapes. They pay well, and offer team-wide profit sharing. They also have a track record of securing LMIAs for valuable team members, so it’s a good fit for those authorized to work in Canada on an IEC or other open temporary work permit.

Skyscapes is hiring general labourers and construction workers who are authorized to work in Canada or who will be soon. Learn more and apply here.

What is the IEC program?

The IEC program allows international youth from more than 30 countries aged 18 to 35 (or in some cases, 18 to 30) to live and work in Canada for up to 24 months.

Further help with your Working Holiday Canada application

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.

Other IEC Working Holiday Canada Resources

IEC Health Insurance

• Health insurance is a mandatory requirement for IEC — compare prices for IEC health insurance options with a free quote comparison from BestQuote

Articles

• Read our FAQ guide for IEC permits
• Find out which documents you need for your IEC application
• Learn about 5 avoidable mistakes IEC applicants make
• Visit our full IEC portal for more articles
• Where to buy your health insurance for Canada (note: this is a mandatory IEC requirement).
• What are your alternatives when you can’t immigrate through IEC? 

Facebook

• Join our IEC Working Holiday group on Facebook
• Get updates on our Moving2Canada Facebook page

Employment tips

• For construction and engineering jobs, visit our Outpost Recruitment agency
• How to adapt to the resume format in Canada (or ‘CV’)