Everything you need to know about the 2020 International Experience Canada Visa Process
The COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant impact on both the Canadian economy and workers across Canada.
Due to the global pandemic the IEC has temporarily paused the working holiday program. For more information regarding how COVID-19 is affecting travel to Canada check out our blog.
The 2020 IEC invitation rounds are currently on hold due to COVID-19. Once the invitation rounds resume we will provide an update on our website and social media.
Rounds of Invitations
The Government of Canada will update the first and final rounds of invitations for the 2020 IEC Visa’s as this information becomes available to them.
They will provide at least five days’ notice before
- The first round of invitations and
- Final round of invitations
If you are currently in a pool, you could receive an Invitation to Apply any time after the date of the first round of invitations.
Invitations are sent out every week. The below will give you an overview of the number of invitations that have been sent out for each country for 2020.
Australia
Chance of receiving an invitation: Excellent
Quota: Unlimited
First round of invitations: January 6th 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 3,398
Spots available: Not applicable
Candidates in the pool: 942
Belgium
Chance of receiving an invitation: Low
Quota: 750
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 959
Spots available: 97
Candidates in the pool: 205
Chile
Chance of receiving an invitation: Low
Quota: 725
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 725
Spots available: 183
Candidates in the pool: 5,767
Costa Rica
Chance of receiving an invitation: Very Low
Quota: 80
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 101
Spots available: 14
Candidates in the pool: 290
Croatia
Chance of receiving an invitation: Very Low
Quota: 275
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 178
Spots available: 165
Candidates in the pool: 33
Czech Republic
Chance of receiving an invitation: Low
Quota: 1,000
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 1,125
Spots available: 241
Candidates in the pool: 1,171
Denmark
Chance of receiving an invitation: Very Low
Quota: 350
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 297
Spots available: 150
Candidates in the pool: 74
Estonia
Chance of receiving an invitation: Very Low
Quota: 110
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 135
Spots available: 38
Candidates in the pool: 16
France
Chance of receiving an invitation: Low
Quota: 7,100
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 5,625
Spots available: 3,133
Candidates in the pool: 17493
Germany
Chance of receiving an invitation: Low
Quota: 4,490
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 3,518
Spots available: 2,036
Candidates in the pool: 667
Greece
Chance of receiving an invitation: Very Low
Quota: 180
First round of invitations: January 20 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 202
Spots available: 42
Candidates in the pool: 75
Hong Kong
Chance of receiving an invitation: Very Low
Quota: 200
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 267
Spots available: 24
Candidates in the pool: 368
Ireland
Chance of receiving an invitation: Excellent
Quota: 10,500
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 5,825
Spots available: 6,857
Candidates in the pool: 1,891
Italy
Chance of receiving an invitation: Low
Quota: 1,000
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 1,144
Spots available: 388
Candidates in the pool: 220
Japan
Chance of receiving an invitation: Excellent
Quota: 6,500
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 2,403
Spots available: 4,565
Candidates in the pool: 673
Korea, Republic
Chance of receiving an invitation: Good
Quota: 4,000
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 3,946
Spots available: 1,464
Candidates in the pool: 14,308
Latvia
Chance of receiving an invitation: Very Low
Quota: 40
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 55
Spots available: 11
Candidates in the pool: 101
Lithuania
Chance of receiving an invitation: Very Low
Quota: 175
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 212
Spots available: 55
Candidates in the pool: 399
Luxembourg
Chances of receiving an invitation: Very Low
Quota: 80
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 34
Spots available: 60
Candidates in the pool: 7
Mexico
Note: The youth mobility agreement between Canada and Mexico is currently under review. As a result, the pools are not open.
Quota: To be announced
First round of invitations: To be announced
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: To be announced
Spots available: To be announced
Candidates in the pool: Not accepting applications
Netherlands
Chance of receiving an invitation: Very Low
Quota: 430
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 582
Spots available: 34
Candidates in the pool: 232
New Zealand
Chance of receiving an invitation: Excellent
Quota: 2,500
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 1,051
Spots available: 1,837
Candidates in the pool: 290
Norway
Chance of receiving an invitation: Low
Quota: 130
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 77
Spots available: 79
Candidates in the pool: 13
Poland
Chance of receiving an invitation: Very Low
Quota: 635
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 832
Spots available: 128
Candidates in the pool: 261
Portugal
Chances of receiving an invitation: Low
Quota: 1,750
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 398
Spots available: 1,481
Candidates in the pool: 134
San Marino
Quota: 25
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 5
Spots available: 22
Candidates in the pool: 1
Slovakia
Chance of receiving an invitation: Very Low
Quota: 315
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 369
Spots available: 63
Candidates in the pool: 406
Slovenia
Chance of receiving an invitation: Very Low
Quota: 80
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 56
Spots available: 49
Candidates in the pool: 14
Spain
Chance of receiving an invitation: Very Low
Quota: 800
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 929
Spots available: 213
Candidates in the pool: 1,045
Sweden
Chance of receiving an invitation: Excellent
Quota: 580
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 170
Spots available: 482
Candidates in the pool: 69
Taiwan
Chance of receiving an invitation: Very Low
Quota: 940
First round of invitations: January 6 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 830
Spots available: 464
Candidates in the pool: 4,405
Ukraine
Note: The youth mobility agreement between Canada and Ukraine is currently under review. As a result, the pools are not open.
Quota: To be announced
First round of invitations: To be announced
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: To be announced
Spots available: To be announced
Candidates in the pool: Not accepting applications
United Kingdom
Chance of receiving an invitation: Very Low
Quota: 2,500(subject to change)
First round of invitations: February 24 2020
Final round of invitations: To be announced
Invitations issued to date: 291
Spots available: 2,347
Candidates in the pool: 6,494
I am from Lithuania.
I was wondering if you know (rough) dates for:
1. Final round of invitations.
2. The actual start of a programme (2017) once you’ve accepted the invitation. Is it February? January? Or spring?
Hi Gytis!
Thanks for your question.
The final round of invitations are unknown – however our guess would be October 2017.
The start date also is not set in stone, once you have received your POA (Port of Entry), you can go to Canada anytime up to a year after receiving this.
Hope this answers your questions 🙂
Jane
Hi! I applied for this, I’m Spanish. Any idea why our quota is not set yet? 🙁
Hi Sara,
I’m not sure why Spain has not been announced yet, but I’m sure it will be soon 🙂
Jane
Hey Sara, Spain was updated this week! Check it out!!
am a NIGERIAN in nigeria.if i apply , any chance of getting an invitation?
Hi Amanda,
Unfortunately since Nigeria is not listed under the working holiday program, it may be harder for you to get a visa. I would recommend that you get in contact with one of the organisations listed here for help in obtaining a visa: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/iec/ros.asp
All the best!
Jane
Hello,
I’m from Poland and I submitted some weeks ago my application to the Working Holiday Pool.
It was quite a spontaneous decision, on the other hand, a willingness to go to Canada has been growing steadily over the years.
Then I left for long holidays from which I just came back and I wonder now if there is still a point in looking for an employer and trying (if I’m very lucky with finding one) to submit the application to the Young Professionals Pool?
It seems difficult to understand the deadline issue.
Thank you very much for your help,
Hey Kamila,
Thanks for your question!
The Working Holiday Visa is a much easier visa to get, because you will not have to secure a job before hand. I think it is difficult to find an employer before moving to Canada, however if you can do this – go you! Mostly we would encourage participants to apply for the WHV, also because we don’t really have too much experience with the Young Professional. The deadlines are very similar however, if that is your worry.
Poland has not yet released any invitations, however, it’s likely that you will easily receive an invitation this way. I would suggest to sit tight & wait for this visa 🙂
Best of luck,
Jane
And what about Ukraine? Do you have some updates? Or no?
Hey!
Unfortunately we don’t know what’s happening with Ukraine yet, but keep checking back each week and we will we updating the information as we get it 🙂
Cheers
Jane
Hi! do you roughly know the date for the final round of invitations for the UK? also my 18th birthday is in july, how likely do you think it is that i’d get an IEC before the end of the season? thank you, Max
Hey Max,
I would assume the end of October will be the last round of invitations, unless there is a huge demand and they go faster. This is likely for the UK!
It’s hard to say if you will get your POE before your birthday, but there’s always a chance 🙂
Cheers!
Jane
Hi there,
I’m from Malaysia and in my final year of studies. I’m planning ahead, possible apply for 2018. Malaysia is not in the list though, is it possible for me to get a work travel visa?
Please advise
Thanks
Hey David,
Yeah it’s always possible. However you’ll have to go down another route to apply for your visa and it’s likely that you’ll require help from professional organisations to do this. You should check out the list of recommended organisations listed by the CIC! Here they are: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/iec/ros.asp
Cheers
Jane
Does anyone know about this? “The youth mobility agreement between Canada and Mexico is currently under review. As a result, the pools are not open.”Does anyone know what this means? Did they use to give work permits for Mexico or are they now thinking about it?
Hi there,
My partner and I were submitted into the pool last Sunday (22nd Jan) from the UK. At this time the chances of getting an invitation were very good (one website said excellent) and he then got invited to apply 4 days later (incredible luck).
However, the new figures from IEC website are now saying ‘very low’ chance – what a change in a week! I know the pool is completely at random, but do you think there is a good chance that they’ll send out the last round of invitations soon? Thus, not being able to receive an application to apply myself?
Thanks in advance!
Fiona
Hey Fiona,
Thanks for reaching out. I’ve heard from a few people in similar positions to you guys. It’s very strange to see the chances go up and down, I’ve noticed this for quite a few countries this year.
It’s tough to know when the invitations will end; if 2016 is anything to go by it will last until the end of July, and they will add extra spots. Last year they added 1000 extra spots for the UK in July.
There’s not much for you to do unfortunately but wait for the invitation, as you said it is completely at random. Last year some people withdrew their applications and reapplied and almost immediately received an invitation. However having said that, this won’t work for everyone. I’m not not sure if they were just lucky! It also was much later on in the year, towards the end of the whole process.
Let me know if you have any other questions, hopefully I’ve answered your question!
Jane
Hi, I’m from Singapore and am Singaporean. I’m wondering if I can apply for this working holiday program? Thanks!
Hi Kitty,
Thanks for getting in touch.
You should reach out to some recognised organisations, because Singapore is not listed as a having an agreement with Canada. You can find them here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/iec/selections.asp?country=none&cat=NA
Good luck!
Jane
Hi There,
I am from Australia. I applied for a work Holiday Visa on February 20th, but still haven’t gotten an invitation.
My partner is Canadian, and is currently living with me in Australia, but his Visa runs out this July. I am hoping i will get my working holiday visa to move to Canada with him in July, until we can figure out partner visas. I have been on the IEC facebook page, and saw some comments saying some people have been waiting since October last year for an invitation. Is this normal?
Hi Selena!
Thanks for getting in touch 🙂
It’s still possible for you to receive an Invitation to Apply or even your Port of Entry before July – however I’m not sure how likely this is, the invitation process is a little different this year and the IEC keep breaking up the dates when they decide to send out invitations. There’s nothing that can be done to speed it up other than keep your fingers crossed. However it may be possible to be sponsored by your partner from the beginning.
Best of luck!
Jane
Hi there
I am from Australia and I submitted my profile on the 26th of February and haven’t heard anything back yet, and it says the chance are very low for all countries. I am going to Europe May 12 and will be going to Canada from there if I get this visa. Do you have any information about this?
Hey Christian,
It’s really hard for us to know what your chances are to receive an invitation, in past years unlimited visas for Aussies meant that everyone who applied received one. It’s unlikely that you will have a PoE for Canada by May 12, just because of the processing times. But it’s possible to enter Canada as a tourist and apply for your visa from there! Hope this helps!
Jane
Hi there,
I am from the UK and turning 30 at the start of June this year. I am about to start the process to apply for my working holiday visa but I can see the chances of receiving an invitation are very low. How does it work if I do not receive an invitation this time around and me close to turning 30? Have I still got till the last days of being 30 to get accepted or does it end for me once I actually turn 30?
Thanks in advance,
Scott
Hey Scott!
Luckily for you, the program says “be between the ages of 18 and 30 (inclusive)”, meaning you can be 30 and still get the visa! 🙂
Best regards,
Jane
Hi, I’m Mexican. Is there a deadline to know if the the youth mobility agreement between Canada and Mexico will be open? I mean when will we know is there’s still an opportunity for Mexicans to apply for a working holiday in 2017?
Hi Julio!
Unfortunately there has been no indication as to when this will open. There are other ways for Mexicans to come to Canada, but I think it’s more along the lines of a sponsored visa by an employer or a student visa. Sorry to say we don’t know too much about this 🙁
Best of luck!
Jane
Hi there,
I was wondering if Bangladeshis have any chance of getting this visa…
Hey Humaira,
Unfortunately I have not seen anything for Bangladeshis, but I am sure there are other ways. However, there are some recognised organisations that may be able to help you to get a visa for Canada, so it might be worth reaching out to them! http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/iec/ros.asp
Cheers,
Jane
Hi,
I’m from the UK and was planning to come late this year (November/ December), can I still apply for a visa is there any chance? if not when’s the earliest you can come in 2018 and when can you start applying for this?
Hey Clemmie,
It looks like spots for UK citizens are a little shy at the moment (15 left), but there’s still a chance that if you apply now you’ll receive an invitation.
If you don’t receive one in this round, it’s likely that they will open up again in October/November, but with that timing, the earliest you may be able to come to Canada is in April/May 2018!
Best of luck!
Jane
Hi, is there still an opportunity for Ecuadorians to apply for a working holiday in 2017? Please, let me know!!
Hey Gemma!
There’s no direct method of applying as an Ecuadorian for the Canadian Working Holiday Visa. However, you may be able to go via a recognised organisation – like the ones on this list! There’s still some spots available for this year, so good luck 😉
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/iec/selections.asp?country=none&cat=NA
Cheers,
Jane
Hello,
I am from Norway and have been instructed by my employer to apply for an IEC Working Holiday work permit. However, I have just entered the pool, I am waiting to receive an invitation, and I am well aware that the processing time upon submission of the application is up to 8 weeks. I am supposed to start work in early August, however, and I am not confident the work permit will be approved in time.
I have raised this particular issue with my employer only to be rebuked. I am considering exploring other options as my position would be a “unique work situation” as an intern at an international organization – this application currently has a processing time of 4 weeks.
Do you have any thoughts on this? Can I submit a work permit application for one category while waiting on the invitation from the IEC pool? If I get the IEC invitation, can I have two work permit applications live? There’s not an awful lot of information about this on their websites.
Thank you for your help!
Hi Veez,
Are you currently in Canada? The IEC will definitely be wrapping up in August/ Sept/ October, and the current chances of getting a WHV as a Norwegian citizen is excellent, so I would assume that you will get this no problem.
Current Stats:
Spots available: 29
Candidates in the pool: 4
So if you are one of the 4 people waiting in the pool, I think you will receive an invitation soon 🙂
As far as we know, it’s not possible to have 2 permits active at the same time, and we don’t know enough about the internship visa to give you any advice.
Hope this helps! Let us know if you get the invitation 🙂
Jane
Any idea why the pools
For Mexico are closed? There’s been no news since last year when all the other countries pools
Opened.
Hey Liz,
At the moment there’s no real explanation other than “The youth mobility agreement between Canada and Mexico is currently under review. As a result, the pools are not open.” However I believe there are other ways to come to Canada as a Mexican citizen, just not with the Working Holiday Visa.
Best,
Jane