Why is Canada's Working Holiday closed now, and when does it usually reopen?
The short answer
Canada's Working Holiday is part of International Experience Canada (IEC). IEC runs in yearly seasons. The 2026 season is now closed. IRCC's rounds page says the pools for 2026 are closed, and every country's final round of invitations was the week of 19 October 2026.
IRCC's page describes this as the normal end of the 2026 season: rounds run until spots run out or the season closes.
What "closed" means for you
According to IRCC's rounds page (updated 26 October 2026):
- If you received an invitation to apply (ITA): you can still finish and submit your work permit application.
- If you did not receive an ITA: your profile will be removed from the 2026 pool. You can create a new profile when the pools open for the 2027 season.
- Your IRCC account and GCKey stay valid. You do not need new ones.
Why it closes: quotas
Each country or territory in IEC has a quota, the number of places for its citizens in one season. IRCC sends invitations in rounds until the places are used or the season ends.
IRCC's 2026 data shows:
| Category | Total quota | Invitations sent |
|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday | 54,525 | 83,782 |
| Young Professionals | 4,114 | 8,165 |
| International Co-op (internship) | 2,945 | 4,199 |
In each category, total invitations were higher than the total quota, though not in every country. IRCC's rounds page does not explain why. One likely reason is that not every invited person goes on to apply.
As of 26 October 2026, every category in every country showed 0 spots available.
Largest Working Holiday quotas in 2026
| Country | Quota | Invitations sent |
|---|---|---|
| Korea, Republic of | 10,239 | 14,555 |
| United Kingdom | 9,346 | 14,719 |
| Japan | 6,433 | 8,424 |
| France | 5,861 | 8,176 |
| Australia | 5,820 | 9,154 |
| Germany | 3,030 | 4,926 |
| Ireland | 2,882 | 4,919 |
Only citizens of the countries and territories on IRCC's list can use the Working Holiday category. Thirty-five have a Working Holiday quota in 2026. Some people from other countries can take part through a Recognized Organization.
When does it usually reopen?
IRCC has not announced dates for the 2027 season yet. Its own rounds data shows similar timing in the last two seasons:
| Season | What IRCC's page showed in mid-December | First round of invitations (most countries) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20 December 2024: first-round dates announced for most countries (66 of 91 entries) | Week of 13 January 2025 |
| 2026 | 18 December 2025: dates still "To be announced" | Week of 19 January 2026 |
For the last two seasons, the first invitations came in mid-January. Some countries started later, in February or early March 2026. We compared copies of IRCC's rounds data saved by the Internet Archive at different dates. These are past patterns, not a promise for 2027.
What you can do now
- Check that your passport will still be valid for the whole stay you plan.
- Look at the age limit and requirements for your country on the IEC page. They are different for each country.
- Gather documents that often take time, such as police certificates. IRCC tells you exactly what to submit after you get an invitation.
- Watch the official rounds page. We will update this article when IRCC announces the 2027 season.
About this article
This article was written by SK for Newcomer Board with the help of AI tools. The quotas, invitations and dates come from IRCC's IEC rounds data, checked on 30 October 2026, and from copies of the same IRCC page saved earlier by the Internet Archive. This is general information, not legal advice.