How to Apply for a Canada Working Holiday Work Permit Through IEC

Is the 2026 Canada Working Holiday program open?

Yes. The 2026 International Experience Canada season is open. Eligible candidates can create an IEC profile and enter the Working Holiday pool for their country while that pool remains open.

IRCC runs rounds of invitations during the season until available spots are filled or the season closes. The number of invitations and the likelihood of receiving one depend on your country, quota and number of candidates in the Working Holiday pool.

What is the IEC Working Holiday program?

Working Holiday is one of the three International Experience Canada categories. It is intended for eligible international youth who want to travel in Canada and work temporarily to help fund their stay.

Unlike Young Professionals and International Co-op, the Working Holiday category does not require a job offer before you apply.

If your application is approved and the border services officer issues the permit, Working Holiday normally provides an open work permit. This means you can generally work for different employers and in different locations while the permit is valid, subject to any conditions shown on the permit.

Who is eligible for Working Holiday in Canada?

Your eligibility is based primarily on your country or territory of citizenship and the youth mobility agreement it has with Canada.

Country-specific rules can determine:

• your permitted age range;
• whether Working Holiday is available;
• the maximum length of the work permit;
• how many times you may participate in IEC;
• whether repeat participations must be in different categories;
• additional financial, residence or other conditions.

IEC is generally available to eligible youth aged 18 to 35, but some agreements set the upper limit at age 30.

You cannot participate in IEC using a refugee travel document.

Do you need a job offer for a Working Holiday work permit?

No. IRCC specifically states that Working Holiday candidates do not need a job offer to submit an IEC profile.

Working Holiday differs from Young Professionals and International Co-op because it normally results in an open work permit rather than an employer-specific permit.

Do you apply directly for a Working Holiday work permit?

No. The IEC process has two distinct stages.

1. Create an IEC profile and enter the Working Holiday pool.
2. Wait for an Invitation to Apply before submitting the actual work permit application.

Being in the pool does not guarantee that you will receive an invitation.

How long do you have to accept an IEC invitation?

If IRCC sends you an Invitation to Apply, you have 10 days to accept it. Your exact deadline appears in your IRCC secure account.

If the invitation expires, you cannot use it to submit a work permit application. If you remain eligible, you may need to create a new IEC profile and wait for another invitation.

How long do you have to submit the work permit application?

After you accept the Invitation to Apply, you have 20 days to complete and submit your IEC work permit application and supporting documents.

Because police certificates and other records can take time to obtain, IRCC recommends preparing supporting documents while you are still waiting in the pool.

How to complete the Working Holiday work permit application

After accepting the invitation, complete the application through your IRCC secure account.

You must complete all mandatory fields and must not leave unexplained gaps in your work or education history. Include periods of unemployment, travel and other absences where the application requests a complete history.

If the online form asks for an offer of employment number, Working Holiday applicants should follow IRCC's specific instructions:

• enter A9999999 in the offer of employment number field;
• select No when asked whether the employer paid the employer compliance fee;
• enter Non-applicable - Working Holiday in the employer address fields.

What documents do you need for an IEC Working Holiday application?

Your personalized IRCC checklist determines the final requirements, but common documents include:

• a clear copy of your passport;
• a CV or resume;
• a digital photo;
• police certificates where required;
• proof of an immigration medical examination where required;
• a recognized organization confirmation letter if you are participating through an RO;
• other documents requested by IRCC for your specific circumstances.

What are the passport requirements?

Your passport must be valid when you apply for IEC and when you enter and leave Canada.

Your Canadian work permit cannot be issued beyond the validity of your passport. The passport must also have a blank page other than its last page.

If your passport expires earlier than the maximum period available under your country's IEC agreement, your permit can be shortened to match the passport expiry date.

Do you need police certificates?

In most cases, IRCC requires police certificates for countries or territories where you have spent 6 or more consecutive months since age 18.

For the country where you currently live, the certificate must generally be no more than 6 months old when you apply.

For another country where you spent 6 or more consecutive months, the certificate generally needs to have been issued after you left that country.

Some countries have special IEC police certificate instructions, so applicants should follow the country-specific rules on Canada.ca.

What if your police certificate is not ready?

If you cannot get the police certificate before the 20-day application deadline, IRCC allows you to upload proof that you requested it.

This lets you submit by the deadline, but your application is not complete until the actual certificate is provided when IRCC requests it. This can make processing longer.

When is a medical exam required for Working Holiday?

You should complete an immigration medical examination before submitting the application if:

• you recently lived or travelled for 6 months or more in certain countries or territories; or
• you plan to work in health services, primary or secondary education, child care or elderly care.

The examination must be completed by an IRCC-approved panel physician.

If you do not complete a required medical exam, IRCC may refuse the application or issue a work permit with restrictions that prevent work in occupations requiring a medical examination.

What if you cannot complete the medical exam before the deadline?

You can upload proof that you booked an appointment with a panel physician before the work permit application deadline. IRCC can request the completed medical results later.

Medical examination results are normally valid for 12 months, so IRCC recommends waiting until you receive an Invitation to Apply before completing an upfront medical exam.

What must your CV or resume include?

IRCC requires a CV or resume describing your:

• education;
• qualifications;
• work experience and the main duties performed in each job;
• current job title;
• current city and country of residence.

What photo is required?

You must provide a digital photo meeting IRCC specifications.

The final frame must be at least 35 mm by 45 mm, show a full front view of your head and the tops of your shoulders, and have a head size from chin to crown between 31 mm and 36 mm. Digital dimensions must be at least 420 by 540 pixels.

How much does a Canada Working Holiday application cost in 2026?

For the 2026 season, all IEC work permit applicants pay an IEC participation fee of $184.75.

Working Holiday applicants also pay the $100 open work permit holder fee.

The standard Working Holiday total is therefore $284.75 before biometrics.

If biometrics are required, the fee is an additional $85.

You may also have separate costs for police certificates, medical examinations, document translations, insurance and other third-party services.

Are IEC fees refundable?

IRCC states that the IEC fee and Working Holiday open work permit holder fee can be refunded if:

• you withdraw the work permit application before IRCC issues the port-of-entry letter of introduction; or
• IRCC refuses your work permit application.

IRCC does not issue the refund if it determines that you misrepresented yourself by providing false information or leaving out important information.

Refunds are normally processed within 8 weeks after refusal or withdrawal.

Do you need biometrics?

If IRCC requires fingerprints and a photograph, you must pay the biometrics fee when submitting the application.

IRCC sends a biometric instruction letter after submission. You normally have 30 days after receiving the letter to provide biometrics at a visa application centre or another authorized collection location.

The time you need to provide biometrics is not included in the IEC work permit processing estimate.

How long does a Working Holiday work permit take to process?

IRCC states that the IEC work permit application assessment may take up to 56 days.

The estimate applies after you submit the required documents and does not include the time needed to provide biometrics.

Requests for additional documents, outstanding police certificates or medical examinations can make processing longer.

What happens if your Working Holiday application is approved?

If IRCC approves your application, it sends a port-of-entry letter of introduction to your IRCC account.

This letter is sometimes called a POE letter or letter of introduction. It is not itself a work permit and does not guarantee entry to Canada.

The IEC port-of-entry letter is generally valid for 1 year. You must use it on or before the expiry date shown on the letter.

If you do not travel to Canada and obtain the work permit before the letter expires, IRCC states that this does not count as an IEC participation.

Should you buy your flight before the application is approved?

IRCC advises applicants to wait until the application is approved before buying a plane ticket, purchasing health insurance, making firm accommodation commitments or making other irreversible travel arrangements.

What insurance do you need before entering Canada?

When you arrive in Canada to activate your IEC Working Holiday permit, you must have health insurance that is valid for your entire intended stay.

The insurance must cover:

• medical care;
• hospitalization;
• repatriation to your home country in the event of severe illness, injury or death.

A provincial or territorial health card is not enough because provincial health insurance does not cover repatriation.

What if your insurance covers only part of your planned stay?

If your insurance expires before your intended IEC stay ends, the border services officer can issue your work permit only until the insurance expiry date.

IRCC states that you cannot later extend the Working Holiday permit simply because you purchase more insurance. For that reason, your insurance should cover the full period you expect to stay in Canada.

How much money do you need when entering Canada?

When you arrive, the border services officer may ask for proof that you have at least the equivalent of CAN$2,500 to support yourself during your first 3 months in Canada.

You must normally present a bank statement issued no more than 1 week before you leave for Canada.

If you cannot obtain a bank statement, IRCC permits an original letter from your bank on official letterhead that was issued no more than one week before departure, clearly shows your balance and is signed and preferably stamped.

Do you need a return ticket?

You must arrive with either:

• a ticket for your departure from Canada; or
• enough additional funds to purchase a departure ticket.

This amount is separate from the funds you need to support yourself during the first months of your stay.

What documents should you bring to the Canadian border?

Be prepared to show the border services officer:

• your passport;
• your port-of-entry letter of introduction;
• proof of health insurance;
• proof of funds;
• a departure ticket or enough money to purchase one;
• copies of documents submitted with your IEC work permit application.

The border services officer makes the final decision on whether you can enter Canada and receive the work permit.

What should your Working Holiday work permit say?

Before leaving the port of entry, check your permit carefully.

For Working Holiday, the permit should normally show:

• open as the employer; and
• unknown as the employment location.

These entries indicate that you were issued an open work permit.

Also verify your name, expiry date and any medical restrictions. Tell the border services officer immediately if you believe the permit contains an error.

What can shorten your IEC work permit?

Your permit cannot normally extend beyond:

• the maximum participation period allowed under the youth mobility agreement for your country;
• your passport expiry date;
• your biometrics expiry date; or
• your health insurance expiry date.

Can you work for any employer on Working Holiday?

Working Holiday normally provides an open work permit, which allows work for different employers and in different locations.

You must still comply with any conditions or occupational restrictions printed on your permit and with federal, provincial and territorial employment laws.

If your permit has a medical restriction, you may not be authorized to work in certain health, child care, education or similar occupations until the restriction is properly addressed.

Do you need a Social Insurance Number after arriving?

Yes. You need a Social Insurance Number to work in Canada and access certain government programs and benefits.

IRCC advises IEC participants to apply for a SIN as soon as possible after arriving and receiving the work permit.

Working Holiday 2026 application checklist

• Confirm that Working Holiday is available for your country.
• Check the age limit, quota, participation length and repeat-participation rules.
• Create and submit an IEC profile.
• Wait for an Invitation to Apply.
• Accept the invitation within 10 days.
• Submit the complete work permit application within 20 days after accepting.
• Upload a valid passport copy.
• Upload your CV or resume.
• Obtain the required police certificates.
• Complete a medical exam if your history or planned occupation requires one.
• Upload a compliant digital photo.
• Pay the $184.75 IEC fee and $100 open work permit holder fee.
• Pay the $85 biometrics fee if required.
• Provide biometrics within 30 days if instructed.
• Wait for approval before making non-refundable travel commitments.
• Obtain health insurance covering your full intended stay.
• Prepare proof of at least CAN$2,500 in funds.
• Have a departure ticket or additional funds to buy one.
• Bring your port-of-entry letter and supporting documents to Canada.
• Check your work permit before leaving the Canadian port of entry.