Canada’s IEC 2024 Trends: What To Expect This Year Based on the First Draw

From the first round of invitations, we saw relatively high numbers of invitations for the Working Holiday program compared to the Young Professionals and International Co-Op programs across most countries. (France was a notable exception, where the number of International Co-Op invitations was high at 644, compared to 465 Working Holiday invitations.)

But we uncovered some numbers that may hint at broader trends in the IEC program in 2024. Scroll down to read our IEC 2024 trends from around the world.

Europe Key Insight: A ‘Very Low’ Chance For French Residents to Receive an IEC Working Holiday Invitation

Any working holidaymakers from France who have received an invitation to apply for the IEC Working Holiday stream in 2024 should count themselves quite lucky. 

There were just 7,000 spots allocated for French working holiday makers in the 2024 quota. This has been adjusted upwards following the first draw, and there are 6,681 spots available in the French Working Holiday program despite a draw of 465 this week. 

While this upwards adjustment is good news, there are now 15,801 candidates in the pool. This is an increase of 2,064 candidates since January 5, 2024. 

Clearly, the demand for this program in France is extremely high. In response, candidates may wish to explore other options within the IEC program, namely the Young Professionals stream, the Volontariat international en entreprise (VIE), or International Co-Op stream. 

Europe: Broader Trends

The odds for receiving an invitation in the IEC 2024 program are higher elsewhere in Europe. 

Austrian candidates have an Excellent chance of being issued an invitation in the next round in any IEC program, as do candidates in Andorra, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. 

Participants in Latvia face ‘Low’ odds of being invited to apply to the Working Holiday program in the next round. While those in the UK have a ‘Very Good’ chance of being issued an invitation in the next round. 

The IEC Program in Finland is still being negotiated. We expect to see invitations and its quota released later this year. 

Trends in South America IEC 2024 Invitations

Chile

Chilean candidates in the pool for the Working Holiday and Young Professionals programs have a ‘Very Low’ chance of being issued an invitation in the next round. Delving deeper into the demand in Chile, there are 702 spots available and 5,741 candidates in the pool. This is an increase of almost 1,000 candidates in the pool from January 5, 2024. 

Candidates hoping to participate in Chile’s International Co-Op program have ‘Excellent’ odds of being issued an invitation in the next round. However, there are an extremely limited number of spots available – just 5. 

Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s working holiday pool also shows very high demand – and, as a result, ‘Very Low’ odds of being issued an invitation in the next round. Costa Rica’s quota for the Working Holiday program in 2024 is 80, and there are over 1,280 candidates in the pool as of January 12. 

Similar to what we’re seeing in Chile, candidates in Costa Rica’s International Co-Op program pool have ‘Excellent’ chances of being issued an invitation in the next round. 

IEC 2024 Trends Across Asia

South Korea

Youths from South Korea looking to participate in the 2024 IEC Working Holiday in Canada have a ‘Fair’ chance of being issued an invitation. The quota for South Korea is quite high, at 10,000. After a draw of 2,300 invitations, the adjusted number of spots available for South Korean working holiday makers is 8567 – and there are 5,309 candidates currently in the pool.

While the total number of candidates in the pool in South Korea dropped between January 5 (where there were 6,200 candidates) to January 12 (where there are 5,309 candidates), we do need to remember that 2,300 invitations were issued. This means that there were an additional 1,409 candidates added to the pool during this week – showing strong demand for the program. 

Taiwan

Taiwanese candidates in the pool for the IEC 2024 Working Holiday face ‘Very Low’ odds of being issued an invitation in the next draw. There are currently 1,971 candidates in the pool and just 880 spots available for the year. This already shows a less than 1 in 2 chance of being selected – and that’s assuming no more candidates enter the pool, which is unlikely. 

Hong Kong

Candidates in Hong Kong are faring better than those in other countries in Asia, with ‘Excellent’ odds of receiving an invitation next round. As of January 12, there are just 29 candidates in the pool and 153 spots available. 

While there may just be lower demand within Hong Kong for the program, we do wonder whether the special measures for Hong Kong residents might contribute to the relatively low demand. 

Working Holiday Makers from Commonwealth Countries Have Better Odds of Receiving an IEC Invitation in 2024

As outlined above, candidates from the United Kingdom have a ‘very good’ chance of being issued an invitation in the next round. As of January 12, there are 1,796 candidates in the pool and 7,899 spots available. 

Australia is in the enviable position of having an unlimited quota, which means there is no cap on the number of Australians who can participate each year. 788 invitations were issued to Australians in the Working Holiday category this round.

Interestingly, the demand is quite low at present – with only 499 candidates in the pool. Australian working holiday makers have ‘excellent’ odds of being selected for the program.

What To Do If Your IEC Pool has more applicants that spots?

Even if your IEC pool has received more profiles than available spots, you can still enter the pool. However, given that it’s a lottery system, there isn’t anything you can do to improve your chances of receiving an invitation. It’s just a matter of waiting to see if you’re drawn from the pool. 

If your IEC program is in high demand, look at our table showing the quotas and current numbers for each participating program to work out if there’s another program available in your country with fewer candidates in the pool. Often, securing a job offer will mean you can apply under the less competitive, Young Professionals program.

For more information, view our other IEC 2024 resources: 

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).

Facebook

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

Employment tips for IEC working holiday.

• For construction and engineering jobs, visit our Outpost Recruitment agency
• How to adapt to the resume format in Canada (or ‘CV’)
• Our list of alternative jobs for your Working Holiday Visa

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