Canada Working Holiday Visa 2026
The Canada working holiday visa is an open work permit from International Experience Canada (IEC) for youth from countries with a youth-mobility agreement. The age limit is 18 to 35, or 18 to 30 for some countries. You join your country's pool and wait for a random invitation. Government fees total $284.75 CAD, plus biometrics.
Closed
The status of the IEC Working Holiday pools
$284.75
Government fees for Working Holiday, plus biometrics
6 weeks
IRCC’s published processing time for IEC Working Holiday
IRCC has closed the pools for the 2026 IEC season. A new profile can be created when the pools reopen for the 2027 season.Processing time: IRCC, November 4, 2026. The fee calculator totals the IRCC fees for you.
Which IEC category is the working holiday visa?
IEC is a reciprocal program: Canada signs bilateral youth-mobility agreements with specific countries and territories so that young people can work and travel in each other’s country. There are three work-authorization categories, and which ones are open to you depends on your country of citizenship. Only one of the three gives a fully open work permit.
- Working Holiday
- An open work permit: work for most employers, in most occupations, anywhere in Canada. No job offer is required to apply. The age range and the duration depend on your country’s youth-mobility agreement. This is what most people mean when they say “working holiday visa.”
- Young Professionals
- An employer-specific permit: you can only work for the employer named on it. It requires a paid job offer, not self-employment, that counts toward your professional development: a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 job, or a TEER 4 job in your field of study. Duration is set by your country (12, 18 or 24 months).
- International Co-op (Internship)
- For students registered at a post-secondary institution outside Canada, with a job offer for a work placement or internship they need to complete their studies. Duration is set by your country (6, 12 or 24 months).
Which countries are eligible, and what are the age limits?
IEC is generally available to citizens of countries that have a bilateral youth-mobility agreement with Canada. Some Recognized Organizations (Canada-based organizations that help youth work and travel through IEC) can also help citizens of certain countries without an agreement; each sets its own eligibility, and most charge a fee.
Eligibility, the exact age range and the quota all vary by country, and quotas are decided each year. The examples below are a selection from IRCC’s country table, not a complete list, and a country can move between groups.
| Country group | Examples | Age limit (Working Holiday) |
|---|---|---|
| 18 to 30 countries | Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong SAR, Iceland, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden | 18 to 30 |
| 18 to 35 countries | Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, among others | 18 to 35 |
How do the pool and the invitations work?
The Working Holiday is not first-come, first-served, and joining the pool early does not by itself improve your odds within a given round. IRCC selects Working Holiday candidates at random, and every candidate in the pool has an equal chance of being invited. In Young Professionals and Co-op there are often more spots than candidates, so candidates usually receive an invitation.
Create a profile
Submit your profile on the IRCC IEC portal. It enters the pool for your country and category. No fee at this stage: the IEC fee is paid only if you are invited to apply.
Wait for an Invitation to Apply (ITA)
IRCC regularly invites candidates from the pools. Spots are limited by each country’s and category’s quota, there is no guaranteed timeline, and you may not get an invitation before the end of the season.
Accept the invitation
You have 10 days to accept the invitation before it expires. From the day and time you accept, you have 20 days to submit your work permit application online.
Submit the work permit application
Pay the government fees (the IEC participation fee plus, for Working Holiday, the open work permit holder fee), and give biometrics if required.
$284.75
Receive a Letter of Introduction (LOI)
After approval, you receive a Letter of Introduction. It is not the work permit itself: you bring it with you to Canada.
6 weeks
Enter Canada and get your permit
Present your LOI to CBSA at a Canadian port of entry. If you are admitted, the officer issues your open work permit.
The rule
Not everyone in the pool is invited, because each country and category has its own quota, which IRCC decides each year with the partner country.
What does it cost, and how long does the permit last?
- IEC participation fee
- $184.75 CAD.
- Open work permit holder fee (Working Holiday only)
- $100 CAD.
- Biometrics, if required
- $85 CAD per person, or $170 CAD maximum for a family applying together.
- Total government fees for Working Holiday
- $284.75 CAD, plus biometrics where applicable.
- Funds and insurance
- Working Holiday applicants must have a minimum of CAN$2,500 to help cover expenses, and health insurance for their full stay.
- Permit length
- Up to 12 months for most countries. Some countries (for example Australia, France, the UK and others) allow up to 24 months. The bilateral agreement sets the length, so confirm your own country’s maximum on IRCC.
Can you extend a working holiday permit?
The IEC Working Holiday permit generally cannot be renewed or extended on its own, because it is tied to your IEC participation. The Canadian work experience you gain on it can count toward permanent residence.
- Re-apply through IEC
- Some bilateral agreements allow a second IEC participation. Check whether your country allows repeat participation.
- A different work permit
- With a Canadian job offer, your employer may be able to support an employer-specific work permit, with an LMIA or an LMIA-exempt offer.
- Permanent residence
- Canadian work experience gained on an IEC permit can count toward the Canadian Experience Class (Express Entry) or a Provincial Nominee Program.
Which free tool checks your own case?
- Visa CheckerVisa or eTA, by passport and how you travel
- Fee CalculatorCurrent government fees, itemized
- Processing TimesIRCC wait times by program
Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.
What do people ask?
Can I get a working holiday visa for Canada?
It depends on your citizenship and your age. IEC is open to citizens of countries with a youth-mobility agreement with Canada who fall within that country's age range, and some Recognized Organizations can help citizens of certain other countries. You create a profile, enter your country's pool and wait for a random invitation. Working Holiday applicants also need a minimum of CAN$2,500 and health insurance. IRCC's IEC country page confirms your country's options.
What is the age limit for the Canada working holiday visa?
It depends on your country: 18 to 35, or 18 to 30 for some countries. You must be within your country's age range to be eligible. The rule differs between countries, and IRCC's IEC country page shows the range for yours.
Which countries can apply for the Canada working holiday visa?
Citizens of countries with a youth-mobility agreement with Canada. They include Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Chile, among others, and quotas are decided each year. Some Recognized Organizations can also help citizens of certain countries without an agreement; each sets its own eligibility, and most charge a fee. IRCC's IEC country page lists the countries and their age ranges.
How much does the Canada working holiday visa cost in 2026?
Government fees total $284.75 CAD: the $184.75 IEC participation fee plus the $100 open work permit holder fee. Biometrics add $85 per person, up to $170 for a family, if required. Working Holiday applicants also need a minimum of CAN$2,500 to help cover expenses, and health insurance for the whole stay. Our fee calculator totals the IRCC fees for you.
Do I need a job offer for a Canada working holiday visa?
No. The Working Holiday category gives an open work permit, so you can apply without a job offer and work for most employers once you arrive. The Young Professionals category is different: it needs a job offer that counts toward your professional development and gives an employer-specific permit. Our Canada Work Permit Without LMIA guide compares IEC with the other routes.
How long does a Canada working holiday visa take?
Two waits apply. The pool wait has no set timeline: IRCC draws at random, capped by your country's quota, and some people are not invited before the season ends. After you apply, IRCC's published processing time for IEC Working Holiday is 6 weeks (IRCC, November 4, 2026). You then receive a Letter of Introduction and get the permit at the border. Our processing times page tracks the current figure.
Can I extend a working holiday visa in Canada?
Generally no. The IEC Working Holiday permit is tied to one participation and cannot be renewed on its own. Some agreements allow a second IEC participation. Other participants move to a different work permit with a job offer, or apply for permanent residence using the Canadian work experience they gained, for example through the Canadian Experience Class. Our Express Entry guide explains that route.
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The economic and family pathways to permanent residence, explained from the published criteria.
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This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.