IEC Canada Visa FAQ 2026/2027: 24 Working Holiday Questions Answered

Before we arrived in Vancouver on our IEC working holiday visas, we had loads of questions: how to apply, what to bring to the border, where to stay and how to find a job.

Because everyone goes through the same process, we have gathered the questions we get asked most and answered them with the current rules from the Government of Canada, plus what actually happened to us.

Jump to:

• 1. Is the IEC season open, and when does the 2027 season open?
• 2. How much does the IEC Canada visa cost?
• 3. Do I need to give biometrics?
• 4. Am I entitled to a one or two-year IEC Canada visa?
• 5. I just received my POE letter. What now?
• 6. What documents do I need at the border?
• 7. I got a new passport after submitting my IEC application. What do I do?
• 8. Can I move around and work in different provinces?
• 9. Do I need a medical exam?
• 10. Can I leave and re-enter Canada after my permit is activated?
• 11. What if I don’t have a return flight from Canada?
• 12. What do I show as proof of funds at the border?
• 13. I can’t get a bank statement before I travel. What do I do?
• 14. I have a connecting flight. Where do I activate my IEC permit?
• 15. Can I get my SIN at the airport?
• 16. Can I buy 4 to 6 months of insurance and extend it later?
• 17. What if I’m entering Canada by land?
• 18. My IEC application was approved but I don’t want to work yet. Can I enter Canada as a
• 19. Can I flagpole to activate my visa if I’m already in Canada?
• 20. Do I need an eTA to enter Canada?
• 21. What if I get a shorter work permit than I am eligible for?
• 22. Will they ask me where I will stay in Canada?
• 23. Which bank is best for newcomers?
• 24. My work permit is about to expire. How can I stay in Canada?

1. Is the IEC season open, and when does the 2027 season open?

The 2026 season opened in December 2025 and the pools are still open as of October 2026.

By late summer 2026, Ireland, the UK and Australia had all gone well past their original quotas, and only a small number of Working Holiday spots were left for each. Check the latest numbers on the official IEC rounds of invitations page, which is normally updated on Fridays.

The 2027 season has not been announced yet. In recent years new seasons have opened in December, so keep an eye on the IEC page on canada.ca from late November.

Once you get an invitation, things move fast: you have 10 days to accept it and then 20 days to submit your work permit application.

2. How much does the IEC Canada visa cost?

For a Working Holiday permit, the government fees are:

• IEC participation fee: CAD $184.75
• Open work permit holder fee: CAD $100
• Biometrics fee: CAD $85

That is CAD $369.75 in total. Entering the pool and creating your profile is free; you only pay once you accept an invitation and apply.

On top of that, budget for health insurance for your whole stay, any police certificates you need, a medical exam if it applies to you, and the CAD $2,500 you must show at the border. Fees change, so check the official IRCC fee list before you pay.

3. Do I need to give biometrics?

Yes, in most cases. After you submit your application, IRCC sends a biometric instruction letter to your account.

You then have up to 30 days to give your fingerprints and photo in person at a visa application centre or other official collection point. Book an appointment as soon as the letter arrives, because slots can fill up.

Your application also needs police certificates for any country where you have spent six months or more in a row since the age of 18. If one is delayed, IRCC accepts proof that you have applied for it.

4. Am I entitled to a one or two-year IEC Canada visa?

It depends on your citizenship, because each country has its own agreement with Canada.

Irish, UK and Australian citizens can apply for a Working Holiday permit if they are aged 18 to 35, and the permit can last up to 24 months. Some countries only let you take part once; others let you take part twice in different categories.

Use the country selector on the IEC “who can apply” page to see your exact age limit and permit length.

5. I just received my POE letter. What now?

Remember that a POE (port of entry) Letter of Introduction is not a guarantee of entry into Canada, and it is not your work permit.

The letter shows that you are eligible to receive a work permit under International Experience Canada when you arrive.

Bring it with you and show it to the Canada Border Services officer at your port of entry (an airport or land border).

The POE letter is generally valid for one year, and the exact expiry date is printed on it. You must arrive and activate your permit on or before that date.

6. What documents do I need at the border?

Here is what you need to activate your IEC Canada visa:

• your passport
• your POE Letter of Introduction
• proof of funds of at least CAD $2,500
• proof of health insurance for your whole stay, covering medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation (bring the certificate and the document that explains what the policy covers)
• a ticket out of Canada, or enough money to buy one
• copies of the documents you provided in your work permit application

If you are carrying CAD $10,000 or more in cash or similar (cheques, bank drafts), you must declare it to the border officer.

7. I got a new passport after submitting my IEC application. What do I do?

It’s all good, we’ve been there.

When you arrive at the border, tell the officer that your passport has been replaced, and make sure the work permit they issue matches your new passport.

Bring a photocopy of your old passport along with your current one.

You will also need a new eTA linked to the new passport (see question 20).

8. Can I move around and work in different provinces?

Yes. The Working Holiday permit is an open work permit, so you can work for almost any employer, anywhere in Canada.

Before you leave the border desk, check that the permit says “open” for the employer and that your name and expiry date are correct.

9. Do I need a medical exam?

Only in certain cases. You need an immigration medical exam if:

• you lived in or travelled to certain countries or territories for six months or more in a row in the year before you come to Canada, or
• you will work in a job where protecting public health matters, such as health care, child care, schools or caring for elderly people.

The exam must be done by an IRCC-approved doctor. Check the full rules and country list on the canada.ca medical exam page.

If you had a medical, your POE letter is valid for 12 months or until your medical results expire, whichever comes first.

10. Can I leave and re-enter Canada after my permit is activated?

Yes. During our first year in Vancouver we crossed the border six times.

Make sure your travel insurance still covers you when you leave Canada and come back, and check whether it allows trips home.

Always carry your work permit with your passport. It is THE most important document you have in Canada.

Bring the same documents you would need if you were crossing the border for the first time.

11. What if I don’t have a return flight from Canada?

Many people buy one-way tickets to Canada, and that is fine.

The government wants to know you can support yourself at the start and have an exit plan if things don’t work out. So you need either a departure ticket or enough money to buy one, on top of your CAD $2,500. This applies whatever passport you hold.

12. What do I show as proof of funds at the border?

A bank statement issued no more than one week before you leave for Canada.

It must show the equivalent of at least CAD $2,500. This is to show you can support yourself for your first three months.

13. I can’t get a bank statement before I travel. What do I do?

IRCC accepts a letter from your bank instead, as long as it:

• is on the bank’s official letterhead,
• was issued no more than one week before you leave for Canada, and
• clearly shows your account balance.

14. I have a connecting flight. Where do I activate my IEC permit?

At your first point of entry into Canada.

So if you are flying to Vancouver but changing planes in Toronto, you will activate your permit in Toronto.

15. Can I get my SIN at the airport?

Sometimes. Service Canada runs SIN desks (called SIN@Landing) at several major airports, including Toronto Pearson and Vancouver, but they are not open around the clock.

If the desk is closed, apply online (usually the fastest option, about five business days) or at any Service Canada office. Everything you need is on the SIN page for temporary residents.

Good to know: you can start working as soon as you have applied for your SIN. Your SIN will start with a 9 and expires on the same date as your work permit.

For everything else to sort out in your first week, read our guide to the essential things to do on day 1.

16. Can I buy 4 to 6 months of insurance and extend it later?

We don’t recommend it.

Your insurance must cover medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation, and it should be valid for your whole intended stay.

If your policy is shorter than your POE letter allows, you will be given a work permit that expires on the same day as your insurance. IRCC warns that you won’t be able to extend the permit later, even if you buy more insurance.

If you don’t have insurance and you are asked for it, you may not be allowed into Canada.

We use True Traveller wherever we go, and moving to Canada was no different. Australian residents can also look at Fast Cover, and anyone can compare IEC policies on BestQuote.

Whatever you choose, read the policy wording and check it meets the IEC rules for your full stay. Our IEC travel insurance guide explains what to look for.

17. What if I’m entering Canada by land?

The same rules apply at a land border as at an airport, and you need the same documents.

The one exception: if you are already in Canada, you cannot activate your permit by driving down to the US and coming back in (see questions 18 and 19).

18. My IEC application was approved but I don’t want to work yet. Can I enter Canada as a visitor?

Yes, as long as you satisfy the border officer that you are coming in as a visitor and will not work.

But think carefully before you do this. To activate your permit later, you must leave Canada and come back in from a country or territory other than the US or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, and you must do it before your POE letter expires.

In practice that usually means a flight to another country and back, so it can get expensive. For most people it is simpler to activate the permit when you first land.

19. Can I flagpole to activate my visa if I’m already in Canada?

No, not any more.

Years ago we did exactly this: we left Vancouver for Seattle for the weekend and activated our IEC permits on the way back in. That option is gone. Canada ended flagpoling for work and study permits on 23 December 2024, and IRCC says IEC permits can’t be activated on re-entry from the US.

There is one exception. If you are already in Canada on a valid IEC work permit when you submit a new IEC application, you hold a valid POE letter for it, and you still have legal status in Canada, you can ask IRCC to mail you the new permit using its web form. Full details are on the IRCC IEC next steps page.

20. Do I need an eTA to enter Canada?

If you fly to Canada on an Irish, UK or Australian passport, yes. The good news is that an eTA is normally issued automatically when your work permit is approved.

The eTA is linked to your passport. If you renew your passport after your POE letter is issued, apply for a new eTA (CAD $7) on the official eTA page before you fly. Only use the government website; other sites charge extra.

21. What if I get a shorter work permit than I am eligible for?

We were always told to double-check every detail on the work permit before leaving the border desk.

If the dates are wrong, ask the officer to fix it there and then. If you only notice later, go back to the port of entry with all your documents, including your POE letter, as soon as you can.

Remember that a permit cut short because your insurance ran out is not a mistake (see question 16).

22. Will they ask me where I will stay in Canada?

Probably. Have the address of your first accommodation ready, whether it’s a hotel, hostel or rental.

We stayed in an Airbnb for our first month in Vancouver and found it the best way to settle into a new place. Be aware that British Columbia now limits most short-term rentals to the host’s own home, so short stays in Vancouver are harder to find than when we arrived.

For the first few nights, Booking.com has hotels and hostels.

23. Which bank is best for newcomers?

There are lots of options for IEC visa holders. After changing banks a few times when we lived in Vancouver, CIBC suited us best, but newcomer offers change all the time.

In 2026, most big banks offer a year or more with no monthly fee for newcomers, and several will give you an unsecured credit card with no Canadian credit history. Offers have end dates, so compare them before you sign up. We compare them in our best bank in Canada guide.

To open an account you will need your passport and work permit, and the bank may ask for a Canadian address and phone number.

To move your savings over, Wise is easy for everyday amounts and also offers a CAD account and card in Canada. For larger sums, TorFX charges no transfer fees; their margin is built into the exchange rate. Read our guide to sending money to Canada for a full comparison.

24. My work permit is about to expire. How can I stay in Canada?

There are a few routes to stay longer, from another IEC category (if your country allows a second participation) to employer-backed work permits and permanent residence programmes such as Express Entry.

Start with the official permanent residence page, which has a short questionnaire to see which programmes might fit you, and read our guide on how to stay in Canada after IEC.

Before you head to Canada, double-check the requirements on the Government of Canada IEC page. The rules vary by country and can change between seasons, so contact IRCC directly if anything is unclear.

We would love to hear about your own IEC experience, so feel free to leave a comment.

Steve and Sabina

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