How to Create an International Experience Canada Profile for the 2026 IEC Season

Is the 2026 International Experience Canada season open?

Yes. IRCC confirms that the 2026 IEC season is open and eligible candidates can create and submit profiles to available pools.

IEC invitation rounds continue until available spots are filled or the season closes. IRCC normally updates country and category invitation information on Fridays.

What is an IEC profile?

An International Experience Canada profile is the first stage of the IEC process. It tells IRCC that you want to become a candidate in one or more IEC pools.

Submitting a profile is not the same as applying for a work permit. You can submit a work permit application only after IRCC sends you an Invitation to Apply.

Who can create an IEC profile in 2026?

Eligibility depends mainly on your country or territory of citizenship and the youth mobility agreement it has with Canada.

Each participating country has its own rules for:

• eligible age range;
• available IEC categories;
• maximum length of participation;
• how many times you can participate;
• whether separate participations must be in different categories;
• additional country-specific conditions.

Because these rules differ, there is no single age limit or participation rule that applies to every IEC nationality.

Which IEC categories can you enter?

IEC has three categories, although your country may offer only one or two of them.

Working Holiday

Working Holiday is generally designed for eligible youth who want flexibility to travel and work in Canada and who do not need a specific job offer before coming to Canada. Successful applicants normally receive an open work permit, subject to the conditions of their approval.

Young Professionals

Young Professionals is for eligible participants who have a Canadian job offer that contributes to their professional development.

IRCC states that the job must normally be classified in NOC TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3. A TEER 4 job may qualify if it is in your field of study, in which case you must provide your post-secondary diploma, certificate or degree when you later apply.

International Co-op (Internship)

International Co-op is intended for eligible students who need a Canadian work placement or internship as part of their studies and whose country offers this IEC category.

What information do you need for the IEC eligibility questionnaire?

Before you can submit a profile, IRCC requires you to answer eligibility questions.

The questionnaire asks about information including:

• your country of citizenship;
• your country of permanent residence, meaning the country where you have a permanent address;
• your current country of residence;
• your student status, if applicable;
• whether you have a job offer, if applicable;
• whether you have a confirmation letter from an IEC recognized organization, if applicable.

IRCC states that the questionnaire takes about 10 minutes to complete.

Do you have to answer the IEC eligibility questions?

Yes. IRCC requires the eligibility questions to be completed before an IEC profile can be submitted.

Your answers determine whether you qualify for one or more IEC pools. Only profiles of eligible candidates are placed in a pool.

You may answer the eligibility questions either before creating an IRCC account or while signed in to your account.

What do you need to create your IEC profile?

Once the questionnaire confirms that you are eligible, IRCC uses your answers to begin your profile.

To complete it, you need your passport and must provide:

• your full name;
• date of birth;
• place of birth;
• passport information;
• contact information;
• other information requested in the online profile.

Enter information exactly and truthfully. If you later receive an Invitation to Apply, you will need to provide documents supporting the information entered in the IEC profile.

How to create an IEC profile through your IRCC account

1. Create or sign in to your IRCC secure account.
2. Select International Experience Canada.
3. Complete the eligibility questionnaire.
4. Review the category or categories for which the system finds you eligible.
5. Continue to the online IEC profile.
6. Enter your passport details.
7. Complete your identity and contact information.
8. Review all answers for accuracy.
9. Submit your profile to the available eligible pool or pools.

How long do you have to finish an IEC profile?

You have 60 days to complete and submit an IEC profile after you start it.

You can leave the profile and return later because IRCC saves your information. If you do not submit it within 60 days, you will no longer be able to submit that profile and must start again.

What is the deadline to join an IEC pool?

You may submit an IEC profile at any time while the applicable pool is open during the 2026 season.

To have a chance of receiving an Invitation to Apply, IRCC must receive your profile before the final round of invitations for your country and category.

IRCC states that it will provide at least 5 days notice before a final invitation round.

Can you have more than one IEC profile?

No. IRCC allows you to have only one IEC profile at a time.

However, a single profile may be eligible for more than one IEC category, and you can submit that profile to more than one eligible pool.

Can you be in more than one IEC pool?

Yes. If your country and circumstances make you eligible for multiple categories, your profile can be submitted to more than one pool.

For example, IRCC may determine that you qualify for both Working Holiday and Young Professionals.

There is a separate pool for each participating country and IEC category.

Which IEC category gets invitations first?

When a candidate is eligible for multiple categories, IRCC issues Invitations to Apply in this priority order:

1. International Co-op (Internship);
2. Young Professionals;
3. Working Holiday.

For example, if your profile is in both International Co-op and Working Holiday, IRCC states that you will receive an International Co-op invitation first while spots remain in that category.

Does submitting an IEC profile guarantee an invitation?

No. Entering an IEC pool does not guarantee that IRCC will invite you to apply for a work permit.

The chance of receiving an invitation depends on factors including:

• the IEC category;
• your country or territory;
• the number of available spots;
• the number of candidates in the pool;
• the number and timing of invitation rounds.

IRCC's 2026 rounds of invitations page shows current quotas, candidates in pools and the likelihood of receiving an invitation for individual countries and categories where that information is available.

How long does your IEC profile stay in the pool?

Your profile stays in an eligible pool until one of the following happens:

• you receive an Invitation to Apply;
• IRCC removes profiles when the IEC season ends; or
• you are no longer eligible for IEC.

If the season ends without an invitation, being in the pool does not carry your profile automatically into a future IEC season.

How much does it cost to create an IEC profile?

There is no fee to create or submit an IEC profile.

IEC program and work permit fees become relevant only if you receive and accept an Invitation to Apply and proceed with the work permit application.

Those fees are part of the separate work permit stage and vary according to the IEC category and whether additional services such as biometrics apply.

Do you need a job offer before creating an IEC profile?

It depends on the category.

A Working Holiday candidate generally does not need a job offer before coming to Canada.

Young Professionals and International Co-op categories have category-specific employment or internship requirements. Your answers to the eligibility questionnaire help IRCC determine which pools are available to you.

What if your country is not listed for IEC?

IEC generally requires citizenship of a country or territory that has a youth mobility agreement with Canada.

If your country is not listed, IRCC directs prospective participants to review whether they may be able to participate through an IEC recognized organization. Recognized organizations offer support to eligible youth and may have different participation options or requirements.

Can you use a refugee travel document for IEC?

No. IRCC states that you are not eligible to participate in International Experience Canada if you hold a refugee travel document from any country.

What happens after you submit your IEC profile?

After submission, your eligible profile enters the appropriate IEC pool or pools and you wait for a round of invitations.

IRCC regularly invites candidates while spots remain available.

If you receive an Invitation to Apply, IRCC sends:

• a message to your IRCC secure account; and
• an email notification.

How long do you have to accept an IEC Invitation to Apply?

You have 10 days to accept an IEC Invitation to Apply before it expires. Your exact deadline is shown in the invitation.

If you do not respond before the deadline, the invitation expires. IRCC states that you must then submit a new IEC profile and wait for another invitation if you still want to participate.

What happens after you accept an IEC invitation?

From the date and time you accept your invitation, you have 20 days to complete and submit your IEC work permit application and all required supporting documents.

This 20-day period is why IRCC recommends preparing documents that can take time to obtain, such as police certificates, while you are still waiting in the IEC pool.

Can you decline an IEC Invitation to Apply?

Yes. If you decline an invitation and remain eligible, your profile stays in the IEC pool and you may be considered in later rounds.

IRCC states that declining an invitation does not negatively affect your chances of receiving another invitation.

Can you get more than one IEC permit in the same season?

No. IRCC states that you can receive only one IEC permit per season.

Your country may permit more than one lifetime IEC participation, but the number of participations and category combinations depend on the youth mobility agreement for your citizenship.

What counts as an IEC participation?

IRCC considers it a participation when you arrive in Canada and receive your IEC work permit.

If IRCC approves a work permit application but you never come to Canada to obtain the work permit, IRCC states that this does not count as a participation.

Should you prepare work permit documents before receiving an invitation?

Yes. IRCC specifically recommends preparing supporting documents while waiting in the pool because some documents, such as police certificates, can take time to obtain.

Once you accept an ITA, the 20-day work permit application deadline begins, so preparing in advance can reduce the risk of missing the deadline.

2026 IEC profile checklist

• Confirm that the 2026 IEC pool for your citizenship and category is open.
• Check your country-specific age and participation rules.
• Choose the appropriate IEC category or categories.
• Have your valid passport available.
• Create or sign in to your IRCC secure account.
• Complete the mandatory IEC eligibility questionnaire.
• Enter your identity information accurately.
• Complete your contact details.
• Review all answers before submitting.
• Submit the profile within 60 days of starting it.
• Submit before the final invitation round for your country and category.
• Monitor the official rounds of invitations page.
• Check your IRCC account and email regularly.
• Prepare supporting documents while waiting.
• If invited, respond within 10 days.
• If you accept the invitation, submit the work permit application within 20 days.