Skip to content

Advertisement

Check if you’re eligible for IEC by taking our free Canadian Immigration Quiz.

Working Holiday Canada News

March 22 Sees The Smallest IEC Round of Invitations in 2024

Just 481 invitations were issued in this week’s IEC round. While some of you may guess that this is related to the recent announcement capping the number of temporary resident workers in Canada, the small round may have a different cause.

IRCC announced weeks ago that it plans to reduce the number of invitations being sent in the Working Holiday category for the next few rounds “due to a high number of Working Holiday applications in the queue”. It notes that the number of invitations will return to normal levels ‘soon’.

If you’re concerned about the impact of the temporary resident target on the IEC program, we have published an article about how the changes may impact the IEC program.

We cover the following questions:

  • I am waiting in the IEC pool, will this announcement reduce my changes of being invited in the coming rounds?
  • I am currently in Canada for a working holiday but I need to renew my work permit with an LMIA. Will this be possible?
  • Will they reduce the age limit for IEC participation?
  • Will more PR options become available for IEC workers?

Updated Quotas for High Demand Programs

To adjust for the extremely high demand for the working holiday program, IRCC has also increased the quota for the Working Holiday program for Austria, Belgium, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, and Spain.

The quota for Greece was also adjusted, with space in the Working Holiday and International Co-Op programs reducing to make way for more invitations in the Young Professional category.

Largest allocations this week

This week, France’s International Co-op, Japan’s Working Holiday, and the UK’s Working Holiday program candidates saw the largest rounds. No category saw more than 200 invitations being sent.

More About This IEC 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.

Quotas & invitations for the 2024 IEC season

Updates for 2024 IEC season

PoolQuotaInvitations since last weekSpots availableSpots filled last roundEligible candidates in poolCandidate changeChances of invite in next round
Andorra – WH25016011Excellent
Australia – WHUnlimited00n/a703234Very low
Australia – YPUnlimited110n/a7-2Excellent
Australia – ICUnlimited00n/a00Excellent
Austria - WH168068-1247Very low
Austria - YP1024121Excellent
Austria - IC202000Excellent
Belgium - WH7500214211722Very low
Chile - WH725019257,871230Very low
Chile - YP204131825Very low
Chile - IC504000Excellent
Costa Rica - WH8003201,94840Very low
Costa Rica - YP187061318Very low
Costa Rica - IC201000Excellent
Croatia - WH2752252043Excellent
Croatia - YP20017000Excellent
Croatia - IC505000Excellent
Czech Republic - WH1,000256981616-4Excellent
Czech Republic - YP145104577-2Excellent
Czech Republic - IC504000Excellent
Denmark – WH35082176102Excellent
Estonia - WH11037121-1Excellent
Estonia - YP101710-1Excellent
Estonia - IC505000Excellent
Finland - WHUnlimited70n/a83Excellent
Finland - YPUnlimited00n/a00Excellent
Finland - ICUnlimited00n/a00Excellent
France - WH7,000-12,6972018,288583Very low
France - YP2,200781,46946782Excellent
France - VIE1,00078448587Excellent
France - IC3,8001072,25875875Excellent
Germany – WH4,49003,1139424125Very low
Germany – YP35019218915-5Excellent
Germany – IC160611834-1Excellent
Greece - WH160087-12810Very low
Greece - YP3855483Excellent
Greece - IC202011Excellent
Hong Kong - WH200071-23810Very low
Iceland - WH1200111100Excellent
Ireland – WH10,50008,8510519129Very low
Ireland – YP1501012715-4Excellent
Ireland – IC5013710-1Excellent
Italy - WH1,7500982-118166Very low
Japan - WH6,50003,71014746272Very low
Latvia - WH4507-1184Very low
Latvia - YP300100Excellent
Latvia - IC202000Excellent
Lithuania - WH1881171770Excellent
Lithuania - YP1003022Excellent
Lithuania - IC202000Excellent
Luxembourg - WH80172122Excellent
Luxembourg - YP10010000Excellent
Luxembourg - IC10010000Excellent
Netherlands - WH500067-113122Very Low
Netherlands - YP10016371110-3Excellent
New Zealand – WH2,50001,7481117353Very low
Norway - WH135293220Excellent
Norway - YP1511210-1Excellent
Norway - IC505000Excellent
Poland - WH635044526114Very low
Poland - YP110298133Excellent
Poland - IC505000Excellent
Portugal - WH1,750381,4422219-13Excellent
Portugal - YP2001193010Excellent
Portugal - IC50050000Excellent
San Marino - WH25024000Excellent
Slovakia - WH31591435155Excellent
Slovakia - YP30210121Excellent
Slovakia - IC505000Excellent
Slovenia - WH80265120Excellent
Slovenia - YP15012000Excellent
Slovenia - IC505000Excellent
South Korea - WH10,00001,693561,771438Very low
South Korea - YP1,500101,3603146Excellent
South Korea - IC500449820-4Excellent
Spain – WH8750346-416862Very low
Spain – YP70101653-6Excellent
Spain — IECX Vives50049000Excellent
Spain – IC1504000Excellent
Sweden - WH580846764-3Excellent
Sweden - YP100090000Excellent
Sweden - IC20020000Excellent
Switzerland - YP200910581-6Excellent
Switzerland - IC50136110Excellent
Taiwan - WH940032592,349112Very Low
Taiwan - YP5013143146Excellent
Taiwan - IC100010000Excellent
UK – WH9,00034,38721,313390Very low
UK - YP9002575811241Excellent
UK - IC100194-221Excellent

 

Get the latest IEC news straight to your inbox! To receive alerts and updates about the 2024 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.

IEC 2024 fees announced

Canada has announced that the IEC fees for all participants in the IEC 2024 season is $172 CAD.

The fees you pay for IEC differ depending on which program you are using to come to Canada. Working Holiday candidates must pay a $100 CAD fee. Young Professionals and International Co-op candidates do not have to pay additional fees, but their employers must pay a $230 CAD employer compliance fee.

Those who need to give biometrics will also need to pay the $85 CAD biometric fee when you pay the IEC fee.

The IEC fee, open work permit holder fee, and employer compliance fees are refundable if you withdraw your work permit application before you receive your Port of Entry (POE) letter of introduction, or your employer withdraws their offer of employment before your work permit is issued. You will also receive a refund if your work permit application is refused.

Read more: How much does it cost to move 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 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.

What to do to prepare yourself for IEC?

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!

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

Articles

Facebook

Employment tips

Citation "Latest IEC Working Holiday Canada News." Moving2Canada. . Copy for Citation