The IEC 2027 season hasn’t been officially announced yet, but based on past years the pools are expected to open in December 2026, with first invitations in January 2027. The 2026 season closed on October 19, and profiles from the 2026 pool don’t carry over to 2027: they need to be created and submitted again. Dates are not yet confirmed by IRCC.

Timing benchmarks

The 2025 season opened on December 16, 2024, and the 2026 season opened on December 19, 2025. Based on this, a similar schedule is expected: pools opening in December 2026 and first invitations in January. These dates are not officially confirmed.

The 2026 season ended on October 19. The record was taken on Wednesday, October 28, so if you’re reading this later, the timeline may have changed.

What IEC is and which categories exist

International Experience Canada allows young people aged 18 to 30 or 18 to 35 (depending on the country) to come to Canada for a period of 1 to 2 years, depending on citizenship and chosen category. About 35 countries participate.

There are three categories: working holiday, young professionals, and international co-op. Young professionals requires a job offer from a Canadian employer, international co-op requires a pre-arranged internship or co-op placement for international students. Working holiday is the most popular category: no job offer is needed, and participants receive an open work permit allowing them to live and work anywhere in Canada and change employers freely.

How the pool works and why it’s a lottery

First, you create an IEC profile and submit it to the pool of candidates. Then IRCC sends invitations to apply throughout the season. Being in the pool doesn’t guarantee an invitation: chances depend on your country of citizenship and on how many visas are allocated versus how many people from the same country are competing.

When you enter the pool also matters: as the season progresses, pools fill up, especially for competitive countries. The earlier a profile is in the pool and the more invitation rounds it goes through, the higher the chance. Invitations for the working holiday, young professionals, and international co-op categories are generally issued throughout the year by random draw, so applying earlier doesn’t mean you’ll be selected before others.

If you applied in 2026

Profiles from the 2026 pool don’t carry over to 2027. After the season closed on October 19, IRCC removes all profiles from the pool. To try again, you’ll need to create and submit a new profile once the pools open. Old data in your account is usually retained, but the profile has to be submitted again.

If you already received an invitation in 2026, you can still complete your work permit application, following the deadlines stated in your documents.

A queue and waiting area at a visa centre in Canada where people submit work permit documents

What to do right now

First, check that your country of citizenship is on the list of participating countries, that your age fits, and which categories are available. Second, make sure your passport is valid, ideally for the entire duration of your stay in Canada. Third, get ready to submit your profile right after the pools open: this matters for the early invitation rounds.

The pool opening and first invitations haven’t been officially confirmed yet. Subscribing to the publication’s newsletter will let you know as soon as the opening is announced.