CAN INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WORK WHILE STUDYING IN CANADA?

Many international students arriving in Canada for the pursuit of a post-secondary level education will often engage in employment at some point during the course of their studies.  Some will do so to offset their living expenses, others to gain valuable Canadian work experience.

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) currently allows foreign nationals studying in Canada with a valid study permit to engage in employment without a work permit provided that the study permit issued to them discloses a condition permitting the international student to work on or off campus. 

Generally speaking, to be eligible for employment, international students must be enrolled as a full-time or in some cases a part-time student, at a designated learning institution (DLI) for a program of at least 6 months or longer and for which a degree, diploma or certificate is issued.  International students are not permitted to work until their studies have commenced and may only engage in employment during their period of study.  Moreover, they must cease working if they take an authorized leave from the DLI or have completed their studies.  Once again, the conditions of employment are typically specified on the study permit issued and this would be required in order to apply to Service Canada for a Social Insurance Number as required by all persons seeking work within Canada. 

For those looking to engage in on-campus employment, there is no limit to the number of hours an eligible study permit holder can work during their period of study.  However, for international students that engage in off-campus employment, they are currently capped at 20 hours per week.  While IRCC did introduce temporary policy regulations during the COVID-era that allowed for international students to work off campus for more than the previously allowed 20 hour limit, this measure came to an end in April of 2024. 

Despite the waiving of this temporary measure by IRCC, research studies have shown that 8 out of 10 international students in Canada seek off-campus employment and often do so working more than the set limit of 20 hours per week.  This has raised concerns that most internationals students are utilizing their study permit as an unofficial work visa, detracting them from their studies and ultimately undermining the primary intent of the international student program.  In response to these concerns, and to ensure that students are protected from financial vulnerability, IRCC is looking to implement a new temporary policy that will allow international students to work up to 24 hours per week beginning this fall.

Notwithstanding, international students must know and be aware that working beyond the allowed set hours would be construed as a violation of their study permit conditions.  In these instances, perpetrators would likely face the loss of their study permit and more seriously, face possible removal orders from Canada.  The intent of the study permit is clearly that – to study.

Author:

Alex Chang

Immigration Consultant | Licensed Paralegal

e: achang@realtycarelaw.com