Canada has begun the 2026 International Experience Canada (IEC) season by issuing more than 10,000 invitations under the Working Holiday Visa category in the first round of the year.
According to Immigration News Canada (INC), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 10,689 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) as of January 23rd, 2026. The total Working Holiday quota for 2026 is 42,127, leaving 35,283 spots available after the initial draw. At the same time, 34,539 candidates remain in the Working Holiday pools.
Largest shares of early invitations
The United Kingdom received the highest number of invitations in the first round, with 3,129 ITAs issued. The Republic of Korea followed with 1,995, while Australia received 1,275 and Ireland received 1,074 invitations. Italy received 650, and France received 645 Working Holiday invitations during the opening draw.
Other countries receiving invitations include Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and the Czech Republic. Several countries, including Japan, Germany, and New Zealand, show invitation figures as “not announced,” indicating that invitation rounds have not yet started or remain pending.
Remaining quota and pool sizes
After the first draw, the United Kingdom has 7,198 spots remaining, the Republic of Korea has 8,960, and Australia has 4,789 available places. Ireland has 2,021 remaining spots, while Italy has 1,419.
France shows one of the largest pools, with 13,470 candidates competing for 5,549 remaining spots. Chile lists 5,687 candidates in the pool for a quota of 700, with invitations yet to be announced. Costa Rica shows 1,342 candidates competing for 68 available spots after the first round.
Young Professionals and International Co-op activity
IRCC has also begun issuing invitations in other IEC categories. As of January 23rd, 1,012 invitations were issued under the Young Professionals category, which has a total quota of 3,288. France received 434 invitations, followed by the United Kingdom with 210.
The International Co-op (Internships) category saw 992 invitations issued out of a 2,989 quota. France accounted for 954 invitations, with 1,801 spots still available in that category.
Early direction for the 2026 season
The first round of invitations indicates that the 2026 IEC season has started early, with significant activity in the Working Holiday category. Countries with large remaining quotas may continue to see regular invitation rounds, while pools with high candidate numbers may experience longer waiting periods as the season progresses.
IRCC is expected to continue issuing invitations across all IEC categories throughout 2026.
What To Know:
Nigerian citizens are not currently eligible to apply for the Canada Working Holiday Visa under the International Experience Canada (IEC) program, as Nigeria is not listed among the participating countries. IEC participation is limited to countries that have a bilateral youth mobility agreement with Canada, and eligibility depends on nationality, age limits, and category-specific rules.
Nigerians who wish to work in Canada must instead consider other immigration pathways, such as employer-specific work permits, which usually require a valid job offer and, in many cases, a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), or alternative temporary or permanent immigration programs administered by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Eligibility requirements and application details are published on the official Government of Canada immigration website.
Read also: Canada updates immigration processing times as some backlogs ease
