The 2026 season is over
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated its International Experience Canada (IEC) pages on October 19, 2026. They now state that the pools for the 2026 season are closed. The rounds-of-invitations page no longer shows a schedule for 2026.
IEC is the program that lets young citizens of countries with a youth mobility agreement with Canada work here for up to two years. It has three categories: Working Holiday (an open work permit), Young Professionals (an employer-specific permit for a job that counts toward professional development) and International Co-op, for students who need a work placement to finish their studies.
If you already have an invitation
An invitation issued before the pools closed is still valid. IRCC says candidates who received an invitation to apply can still complete and submit their work permit application. The usual limits apply: 10 days to decide whether to accept the invitation (the invitation shows the exact deadline), and then 20 days from the moment you accept to submit the online work permit application with the supporting documents.
If you let the invitation expire, you will need a new profile in a future season. An invitation is not a work permit; IRCC still checks the information in the profile and asks for documents before deciding.
If you were still waiting in the pool
Profiles that did not receive an invitation are removed from the pool at the end of the season. IRCC says these candidates can create a new profile when the pools reopen for the 2027 season. The account and GCKey stay valid; only the profile is removed. IRCC has not announced the opening date of the 2027 season.
Who is eligible: citizenship decides
IEC eligibility depends on the applicant's country of citizenship, not on where they live. IRCC's eligibility page lists 36 partner countries and territories, mainly in Europe, plus Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Chile, Costa Rica, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Iran is not on the list, so an Iranian passport on its own does not open this program. A person who also holds citizenship of a partner country should check that country's conditions on the IRCC page. Holders of a refugee travel document from any country are not eligible.
For people who do not qualify for IEC, the usual work permit routes remain: an employer-specific permit, an LMIA-exempt permit under the International Mobility Program, or an open work permit for those who meet one of its conditions.