top of page
Writer's pictureAdmin

As an international student, are You permitted to work in Canada?


During their education, international students and their spouses or partners may be allowed to work.


As long as their study visa specifies that they may work on or off campus, international students studying in Canada may be permitted to work while they are there. Once they begin their studies, the student can begin working, but only after they have fulfilled all other qualifying requirements.


Rules for working off-campus


A registered student may be permitted to work for an employer that is not situated on the campus of the academic institution. If a student is qualified, they are only allowed to work up to 20 hours per week during the regular academic semesters and full-time during the winter, spring, and summer breaks.


A foreign student who wants to work off campus must meet the following requirements:


1. possess a current study permit

2. attend a Designated Learning Institution full-time.

3. have enrolled in classes and continue to maintain a sufficient GPA as judged by their institution

4. be enrolled in an educational program that lasts at least six months and leads to the awarding of a certificate, diploma, or degree, whether it be academic, vocational, or professional.

5. have a social insurance number (SIN)


A student must discontinue working off campus if their circumstances change while they are employed and they are no longer eligible under any of the aforementioned conditions.


If a student is no longer enrolled in classes full-time, they might still be eligible to work off campus if they:


1. were enrolled full-time in a study program in Canada since the start of the semester,

2. are currently enrolled in part-time coursework because they are in the final semester of their degree program and are no longer obliged to maintain a full-time course load in order to graduate.


The following students are not permitted to work off campus:


1. students enrolled in programs teaching either French or English as a Second Language

2. students enrolled in common programs or courses

3. exchange or guest students at a specific educational institution

4. students who are simply taking the courses necessary to enter a full-time program

5. students who have been granted permission to discontinue their studies

6. moving schools and not presently enrolled in any courses


Rules for working on-campus


If a student satisfies specific eligibility requirements, they may be permitted to work on the campus where they are registered. They should:


1. possess a current study permit

2. possess a social security number

3. be registered as a full-time post-secondary student at a public post-secondary institution (such as a college or university), a private college-level institution in Quebec operating under public school regulations and receiving 50% of its funding from government grants, or a private institution in Canada authorized to confer degrees by provincial law.


Working for a company based on the grounds of the educational institution where the student is enrolled is referred to as an on-campus job. The job could be for:


1. the college,

2. one of the teachers,

3. a club for students,

4. a campus-based private company,

5. a third-party service provider to the school, or

6. independent work on campus.


A student may also work at a library, hospital, or research facility connected to the school even though the location is off campus if they are serving as a teaching or research assistant or if the work is directly tied to a research grant.


The following students are ineligible to work on campus:


1. Unless they are in their final semester and complete other prerequisites, full-time students who cease studying

2. students with expired study permits

3. students who have been granted permission to discontinue their studies

4. moving schools and not presently enrolled in any courses


Co-op rules


In addition to a valid study permit, a student who is enrolled in a DLI in Canada and is required to complete a required work placement or internship must apply for a co-op or intern work permit.


A separate, closed-work permit is required for co-op work. It can only be utilized for tasks that are crucial to the study plan. Work done for program credits and necessary for the student to graduate from their program of study is regarded to be work experience.


Students are permitted to have both the ordinary work authorization provided by their student permit and the co-op work authorization, allowing them to hold both a job unrelated to their studies and the required work placement at the same time.

Students might be qualified to submit an application for a co-op work visa if they:


1. possess a current study permit

2. are enrolled in a course of study that mandates a work placement in order to earn program credits

3. possess a letter from the educational institution verifying the necessity of the work placement for the study program and permitting the work placement.


How your spouse can work


An open work permit may be available to the spouse or common-law partner of an international student if the student:


1. possesses a current study permit

2. has a post-graduate work permit available to them

3. is enrolled full-time at one of the following sorts of institutions: a public post-secondary institution, a private college in Quebec, or a private institution in Canada authorized by provincial law to grant degrees.


How to get a job after graduation


The student might be able to get a Post-Graduation Work Permit once they graduate. The PGWP is an open work permit that can be used for up to three years and allows the holder to work for any employer they want.


The international student must fulfill the requirements listed below in order to be qualified for a PGWP:


1. completed studies in a minimum eight-month-long academic, vocational, or professional the training program at a DLI.

2. study plan must have resulted in a diploma, degree, or certificate.

3. throughout each academic semester of the program of study that was finished and submitted as part of the PGWP application, has full-time student status in Canada.

4. received documentation indicating the applicant has fulfilled the requirements to complete their program of study, including a transcript and an official letter from the qualified DLI.


Additionally, the student must have earned a degree from one of the following:


1. a post-secondary public institution,

2. a private post-secondary institution, a private secondary or post-secondary institution in Quebec that provides programs leading to the awarding of a diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) or an attestation de spécialization professionnelle (ASP), or

3. a private Canadian institution that is permitted by provincial legislation to provide degrees (such as an Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate degree), but only if the student is enrolled in a course of study that is approved by the province as leading to a degree.


International graduates can earn professional job experience in Canada through the PGWP, which is advantageous when they later seek Canadian immigration. In general, in order to qualify for a Canadian permanent residence program, a PGWP holder must accumulate one year of professional work experience in a NOC code of 0, A, or B.

1 view0 comments

Comments


bottom of page