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By Stephanie Ford
Updated 4 hours ago
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued only 886 invitations to International Experience Canada candidates this week, one of the smallest draws for the 2025 season.
The total number of IEC invitations issued this year now sits at 95,212, according to our calculations.
Check below our analysis of the key trends from this week’s data!
This week saw 886 invitations issued. South Korea’s Working Holiday program led the way with 196 invitations, followed by Australia with 146.
Rounding out the top five were the Working Holiday programs for Germany, Italy, and Ireland.
With major programs like the UK and France issuing limited invitations, the number of candidates in the IEC pool has been slowly increasing, now sitting at 36,705 compared to 30,106 just a couple of months ago. Since both of these programs are listed as having a very low chance of success (with the France Working Holiday being oversubscribed from the start), it is safe to say that competition for spots in the 2026 season is building in some core countries.
We expect the 2025 season to close in late October. This week’s limited invitations may be a sign that the season is beginning to slow.
Although there are 36,705 candidates in the pool, over three times the 10,296 spots available, most programs still show excellent chances of receiving an invitation in the next round. Overall, that’s encouraging news for candidates currently in the pool.
However, some programs have very low odds of receiving an invitation in next week’s round (programs added this week are in bold):
All other programs currently have excellent odds for receiving an invitation next week.
To qualify, you must meet all of the following:
Updates for 2025 IEC season- what we know so far
The first round of invitations took place in the week of January 13, with the quota for this year’s IEC season sitting at 63,555.
Here’s the data from the most recent round of IEC invitations:
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.
For the 2025 season, applicants are required to pay an increased IEC fee of CAN $179.75, up from the 2024 fee of CAN $172.
Here are some notable changes we saw to quotas this year:
France: The Working Holiday and Young Professionals quota decreased by over 2,000 combined.
United Kingdom: The International Co-op program and Young Professionals quota increased however the quota for the Working Holiday program decreased by 500.
Ireland: The Working Holiday quota has been significantly reduced from 10,500 in 2024 to 3,800 in 2025. While this might seem concerning at first glance, it reflects a practical adjustment. In 2024, only 5,746 invitations were issued, indicating a lower level of interest in this pool. The new quota aligns more closely with the current demand.
Australia: This year, Australians will continue to enjoy unlimited quotas.
South Korea: The Working Holiday decreased by 1,625 spots however the quota for the Young Professionals and the International Co-op program increased by 1,625 spots showing that the overall spots available for South Koreans remain the same as in 2024.
Taiwan: The Working Holiday decreased by 2,240 spots.
You can read more about this in our IEC Quota comparison.
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 and will be sent starting January 13 (for select countries), 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.
Effective December 23, flagpoling is no longer permitted for those in Canada as workers or students.
According to the IRCC, if you’re in Canada when you receive your POE letter of introduction, you must leave the country and re-enter to activate your work permit.
On 19 February, 2025, IRCC updated its guidance to note that “You may not be able to activate your work permit if you re-enter from the US or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon.”
In other words, if you intend to travel to the US to activate your approved work permit, there is a high risk that such a request will be refused due to the confusion around the flagpoling issue and it’s impact on IEC workers.
Rachel walks us through how to come to Canada through IEC in 2025.
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 2025 International Experience Canada (IEC) season opened on December 16, 2024.
Eligible candidates are able to complete these steps:
Invitation rounds typically begin in the weeks following the season opening.
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 2025 IEC participants.
Check out the Moving2Canada Jobs Board and join our IEC Talent Pool.
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:
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.
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