How many hours can international students work in Canada?
Have you been an international student in Canada and wondered if new work regulations changed the timetable for this fall? Off-campus work regulation is capped at 20 hours during the week at the moment; however, there is still a new change in the pipeline. In what way will this adjustment influence the way that you will handle the work and study balance? Starting this fall, this limit will change to 24 hours a week. This new rule, which came as an announcement by Immigration Minister Marc Miller in April, must be in a way to meet the students’ flexibility while their academic performance will not suffer.
New work hour limit for international students in Canada
From this fall, international students will be permitted to work up to twenty-four hours off-campus employment per week—a change from the previously permitted twenty hours. This change, which Immigration Minister Marc Miller pronounced, is an attempt to open the best of work and academic results. Although the date when this change will take effect has not been established, it is expected to happen later this month. For now, though, 20 hours is still the rule. While there are addresses on the length of working hours during a break, off-campus work entails self-employment or gig work. Hence, understanding these regulations helps in avoiding challenges such as loss of student status or complications with future permits.
Current and upcoming work limits
- On-Campus: Unlimited
- Off-Campus (While Classes are in Session, Current Limit): Our nursing staff sits for 20 hours per month in front of a computer analyzing wounds.
- Off-Campus (While Classes are in Session, Starting This Fall): At the end of the day; 24-hours
- Off-Campus (During School Breaks): Infinite-Remote Work for an Employer Outside Canada: No boundaries to achievements have been set in the current competitive market structures.
Find out if you are eligible to get in Canada →
Who is allowed to work as an international student in Canada?
Foreign students can work both within the campus and outside the campus, provided they have been allowed to work while on their study permit. To work off-campus without needing a separate work permit, students must meet these eligibility criteria:
- Valid Study Permit: The study permit being used has to be as up-to-date as is legally possible and must not have expired.
- Full-Time Enrollment: The participants have to be full-time students in a designated learning institution (DLI) as defined above.
- Academic Standing: Of them, they must have already begun their studies at a DLI and be in good academic standing.
- Program Requirements: It has to be an academic, vocational, or professional program, should be of a duration of not less than six months, and is to result in a degree, diploma, or certificate.
- Social Insurance Number (SIN): The SIN is obligatory, and it has to be a valid one.
Additional Conditions
- Work During Breaks: Particularly, to work full time during the scheduled breaks, the students must be full-time learners both before and after the break. They can only start working the moment they enter their first semester in college.
- Part-Time Students: Permitted employment: off-campus and part-time employment is allowed to students in their last semester, have curtailed course load for graduation, and were full-time students in previous semesters.
Who is not eligible?
Certain international students are not eligible for off-campus work and include:
- ESL students; students taking this survey who were in English or French in this second language program only.
- Students that opted to take general interest courses only.
- Bachelor Students who enroll simply to get credit towards a full-time program.
- Off-campus employment exemptions, which apply to students who do not qualify for such activities.
Students in these categories will require a work permit to take up employment while studying in Canada.
International students on Canadian campuses and on-campus employment
Students from other countries studying in Canada have the legal right to work part-time on their campus of study, and this is a very good chance for them to get working experience equal to part of their bills. Off-campus jobs are limited by the number of hours that a student can work, while on-campus jobs are not limited at all.
What constitutes on-campus work?
Work-study positions may be any position on campus in the school’s buildings or even areas of the campus during their working hours. This encompasses roles with the environment or context in which the learning is taking place, that is, the educational institution itself.
- Faculty members
- student organizations
- Companies that indulge in business activities on campus
- Self-employment in case the place where the business is situated is on campus.
Working across multiple campuses
If a student attends a school with different branches, he or she only attends the branch where he or she has enrolled to do his or her work. Nevertheless, there are some exemptions, like a position as a research or teaching assistant or any work connected with the grants received. Further, students may be employed at related libraries or research laboratories that are in other areas of the campus.
Remote work for international employers
Employers based outside Canada can also offer students opportunities to work as many hours as they want via remote mode. This remote course does not have any off-campus work hours limitation and must follow the guidelines stated in the study permit.
How international students can make money in Canada
The minimum wage for international students in case they wish to work while studying also depends on the province. Here’s a snapshot of current and upcoming minimum wages across Canada:
| Province | Minimum Wage | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | $15.00 | June 26, 2019 |
| British Columbia | $17.40 | June 1, 2024 |
| Manitoba | $15.30 | October 1, 2023 |
| New Brunswick | $15.30 | April 1, 2024 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $15.60 | April 1, 2024 |
| Northwest Territories | $16.05 | September 1, 2023 |
| Nova Scotia | $15.20 | April 1, 2024 |
| Nunavut | $19.00 | January 1, 2024 |
| Ontario | $16.55 | October 1, 2023 |
| Ontario | $17.20 | October 1, 2024 |
| Prince Edward Island | $15.40 | April 1, 2024 |
| Prince Edward Island | $16.00 | October 1, 2024 |
| Quebec | $15.75 | May 1, 2024 |
| Saskatchewan | $14.00 | October 1, 2023 |
| Saskatchewan | $15.00 | October 1, 2024 |
| Yukon | $17.59 | April 1, 2024 |
In the quest for better pay, the students could consider other employment opportunities across various sectors such as administration, teaching, or translation.
Before that, one should ensure that there are no certain restrictions on the type of job allowed to the holders of study permits since there are many occupations and employers who are prohibited for the holders of such a visa.
Also, as inhabitants of Canada for tax purposes, the students will be required to remit income taxes for any income they have earned during the year.
Recent alterations to the restrictions on the hours of work for international students
Previously, their rights were to work up to 20 hours a week during term time for international students in Canada. However, due to COVID-19, the government came up with a policy intervention during the academic year that enabled students to do a maximum of 40 hours per week. This adjustment was made to help cope with the shortage of workers in the country and also give the students the chance to earn more.
This is a stop-gap solution and was effective up to April 30, 2024. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has chosen not to extend it to preserve system integrity and protect student clients from potential fraud or financial concerns.
Now, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said these changes are intended to keep students on track academically. “Our top priority is to make sure that students in Canada are here for study purposes and not to work; we shall maintain the credibility of student programs.”
The working rights sanctioned for international students comprise up to 24 hours of off-campus work during term times and with no limitations regarding on-campus employment. The previous temporary allowance for up to 40 hours per week subsisted on 30 April 2024. For the operation to be legal, all students must be full-time ~ and in possession of a valid study permit. Balancing these opportunities effectively assists the students in meeting both academic and financial requirements in Canada.
