Working in Canada as an International Student
As an international student in Canada, you may be eligible to work for up to 20 hours per week on- or off-campus. In fact, a recent law allows international students who are already in Canada to work for more than 20 hours per week through the end of 2023 to address the country’s labor shortage.
Taking on a part-time job as a student can help you afford your living expenses and reduce the amount you have to borrow in student loans. Read on for a closer look at the eligibility requirements for working in Canada as an international student.
Working in Canada as an international student: Eligibility requirements
If you’re pursuing your degree in Canada, you may be able to work a part-time job at the same time. As long as you have a valid study permit, you won’t need a special work permit for an on-campus or off-campus job. However, you will need to meet the following requirements:
Full-time enrollment
You must be enrolled in your program full-time to qualify to work in Canada. The only exception is if you’re in your last semester of your study program and don’t need a full-time course load to complete it. You also must have been studying full-time up until this final part-time semester.
Attend a Designated Learning Institution
You’ll need to be attending a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in order to work part-time in Canada. In fact, you’ll need to enroll in a DLI to get your study permit in the first place. You can find out if your school is on the list of DLIs on Canada’s official government website here.
You also must have already started studying in your post-secondary academic, vocational or professional training program. Secondary-level vocational training programs count too, as long as they’re located in Quebec.
Your study program must be at least six months long and lead to a degree, diploma, or certificate.
Have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)
You’ll also need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) to work in Canada. You can apply for your SIN from Service Canada after receiving your study permit, which will state whether or not you’re permitted to work in Canada. If your study permit is missing this permission, you may be able to get it amended at no cost.
How many hours can you work?
On April 30, 2024, the temporary policy allowing students to work more than 20 hours per week off campus ended. The new limit for international students is 24 hours per week.
- Students are in Canada primarily to study, so the 24-hour limit helps them focus on academics while still allowing some work.
- During the summer session, students with academic breaks can work unlimited hours.
- This change considers students’ needs and global policies, aiming to balance work and academic success.
Special requirements for internships and co-ops
While you don’t need a special work permit for a part-time job in Canada, you may need to apply for a co-op permit if you want to work an internship or co-op placement as a student. To be eligible for this permit, you’ll need to:
- Have a valid study permit
- Be required to work the internship or co-op to complete your study program
- Have a letter from your school confirming that the work placement is required
- Work a co-op placement or internship that totals 50% or less of your study program
Note that this co-op permit requirement has been temporarily waived for students who already applied for their study permit prior to Oct. 7, 2022. If that’s you — and your co-op placement will end by Dec. 31, 2023 — you won’t need to worry about obtaining your co-op work permit.
How to work in Canada after you graduate
If you want to keep working in Canada after you graduate, you may be able to with the post-graduation work permit (PGWP). The length of your PGWP will vary depending on the length of your study program.
If your program was between eight months and two years long, for instance, the length of your PGWP will match the length of your program. If your program exceeded two years, you might qualify for a three-year work permit.
Students who attended a program that was less than eight months aren’t eligible for a PGWP. This permit can take anywhere from 80 to 180 days to process, but you can keep working in Canada while you wait, as long as you applied for your job before your student permit expired.
This Post Graduation Work Program can provide a path for international students to gain permanent residence in Canada. If you’ve been living and working in Canada after you graduated with your degree, you may be eligible to apply for permanent resident status through Canada’s Express Entry immigration system.
Sign up for a Canadian bank account
If you want to work in Canada during or after graduation, you’ll need to set up a Canadian bank account. With so many banks operating in Canada, it can be hard to choose the right one for you. You’ll want to look for low or no international transaction fees, available branch locations and low to no monthly fees.
A great option is TD Bank*, which offers an International Student Package that includes a student checking account with no monthly fee, unlimited transactions, no transfer fees and 1,000+ branches throughout Canada. Plus, their advisors collectively speak more than 80 languages, and they offer thousands of ATM locations across the country – making it easy to withdraw or deposit money.
*TD is a partner of MPOWER Financing
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