Last Updated On 16 February 2024, 10:03 AM EST (Toronto Time)
The Working Holiday Visa Canada 2024 season, along with two other categories of International Experience Canada (IEC), is now open as of today, December 11, 2023.
Registration is now open for eligible individuals from 36 eligible countries in the IEC candidate pool for working holiday visas.
The first round of invitations will be announced in the week of January 8, 2024 so candidates have around 4 weeks to submit a profile and participate in the first draw of IEC 2024.
This year, two new countries—Finland and Iceland—will also be participating in the reciprocal IEC program.
This year will also be the first time that IRCC will be using automation tools widely to process IEC applications quickly.
In 2023, the IEC Working Holiday Visa sent out 116,030 invitations to apply for open work permits.
In comparison to prior years, IEC participants will now be required to pay an IEC fee of $172 CAD.
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Canada extends invitations to qualified applicants from the IEC pools to apply for a Canadian work permit every week.
Draws for the IEC season will be held in Canada until the IEC season concludes or all slots are taken, whichever happens first.
The IEC 2023 ended on October 13, which is approximately when the IEC season ends on average. For IEC 2024, a comparable closure period should be anticipated.
Although Canada has not yet disclosed a separate quota for each nation, it is safe to assume that candidates from all eligible nations stand a good chance of receiving an invitation in the first few rounds.
The 2023 IEC season had a quota of 90,000 and it is expected that this year’s quota will also be around this number.
There is also a possibility that a couple of countries may not be allocated quotas immediately with the first round of invitations.
For example, the IEC quota for Germany was allocated after the first few weeks of the IEC season opened in 2023 for other countries.
IEC 2024 Categories
IEC has 3 categories, with working holiday visas being the largest category, sending 116,030 invitations last year.
Two other categories are young professionals and international co-op. In 2023, the Young Professionals category sent only 8,056 invitations, while the International Co-op sent only 4,488 invitations.
Below are details about all three categories:
- The Working Holiday Visa category is the largest, allowing young people from qualified nations to apply for an open work visa that will let them work anywhere in the nation.
- The Young Professionals category gives young people from qualifying nations a closed work visa for a single firm, giving them greater exposure and opportunities to grow in their careers.
- International Co-op (internship): After completing their education, international graduates from qualified nations can apply for work placements to complete internships in Canada.
Full list of countries eligible for Working Holiday Visas (IEC 2024)
| Andorra |
| Australia |
| Croatia |
| Czech Republic |
| Denmark |
| Estonia |
| Finland |
| Germany |
| Greece |
| Iceland |
| Ireland |
| Italy |
| Korea Republic |
| Luxembourg |
| Netherlands |
| New Zealand |
| Norway |
| Poland |
| Portugal |
| San Marino |
| Slovenia |
| Spain |
| Sweden |
| United Kingdom |
| Austria |
| Belgium |
| Chile |
| Costa Rica |
| France |
| Hong Kong |
| Japan |
| Latvia |
| Lithuania |
| Slovakia |
| Taiwan |
New IEC 2024 Season Changes
- Under the bilateral agreement, young Britons between the ages of 18 and 35 are now permitted to participate twice for a total of 36 months.
- They can participate for 24 months in any IEC category for their first participation and 12 months for their second.
- Additionally, they will be qualified for a second 24-month participation if their initial participation was completed for 12 months prior to 2015.
- Young people from Korea, between the ages of 18 and 35, are now permitted to apply for the Young Professionals and International Co-op (internship) categories, and they may be allowed to participate twice.
- The Working Holiday and Young Professionals categories permit reapplication in Canada; however, the International Co-op category is limited to one participation per candidate only.
- Applicants from Chile who are between the ages of 18 and 35 must be enrolled in school in Chile at the time of application for the International Co-op.
The International Experience Canada 2024 season is now open!
— IEC (@IEC_EIC) December 11, 2023
Click here to find out if you’re eligible, create a profile and learn when the first invitation round will take place for your country or territory: https://t.co/p63AUwHEZX
What is the Working Holiday Visa under IEC?
The Canadian government participates in a reciprocal program for young individuals from 36 nations to work for any employer and vacation in Canada for a predetermined amount of time, called the working holiday visas.
A working holiday visas offers an open work permit to youth between the ages of 18 and 35 to experience working for any employer, learn about Canadian culture, and support the country’s economy.
What is the processing time for IEC?
4 weeks is the processing time for IEC as per the most recent IRCC processing update.
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