IRCC quietly kicked off the 2026 International Experience Canada (IEC) season today, inviting youth from 36 partner countries to submit profiles for Working Holiday, Young Professional and International Co-op permits. Program quotas, published on the IEC portal, total just over 90,000—similar to last year—but several bilateral agreements (notably with Italy and South Korea) have been renegotiated to extend participation age limits to 35.
Working Holiday candidates will receive open work permits valid for up to two years (three for Australians and French nationals in certain provinces). Young Professionals and Co-op participants must hold employer-specific job offers, and IRCC confirmed that occupations under the new federal skilled-trades training list will be processed on a priority basis.
![2026 International Experience Canada Season Opens, Offering 90,000+ Youth Work Permits]()
For Canadian employers, IEC remains the fastest route to on-board foreign graduates without a Labour Market Impact Assessment. HR teams should monitor country-specific round-opening dates, which will roll out through January, and be prepared to issue offer letters and Employer Compliance Portal submissions within ten days of candidate acceptance.
For those navigating the paperwork side of the IEC, VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers step-by-step checklists, document pre-screening and real-time status tracking, helping applicants avoid common mistakes and cut down on turnaround times. Their specialists can also advise on alternative Canadian visa options, ensuring both youth and employers pick the most efficient pathway for their needs.
Past participants no longer need to submit biometrics if collected after 2018, cutting processing times by up to two weeks. However, IRCC reminded applicants that medical exams are still required for occupations in health care and child care. Given tighter caps in other temporary streams, experts expect heightened demand and faster pool exhaustion in popular countries such as Ireland, France and Japan.
Working Holiday candidates will receive open work permits valid for up to two years (three for Australians and French nationals in certain provinces). Young Professionals and Co-op participants must hold employer-specific job offers, and IRCC confirmed that occupations under the new federal skilled-trades training list will be processed on a priority basis.
For Canadian employers, IEC remains the fastest route to on-board foreign graduates without a Labour Market Impact Assessment. HR teams should monitor country-specific round-opening dates, which will roll out through January, and be prepared to issue offer letters and Employer Compliance Portal submissions within ten days of candidate acceptance.
For those navigating the paperwork side of the IEC, VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers step-by-step checklists, document pre-screening and real-time status tracking, helping applicants avoid common mistakes and cut down on turnaround times. Their specialists can also advise on alternative Canadian visa options, ensuring both youth and employers pick the most efficient pathway for their needs.
Past participants no longer need to submit biometrics if collected after 2018, cutting processing times by up to two weeks. However, IRCC reminded applicants that medical exams are still required for occupations in health care and child care. Given tighter caps in other temporary streams, experts expect heightened demand and faster pool exhaustion in popular countries such as Ireland, France and Japan.
