What You Need to Know About Working in Canada as an International Student

Working as a student is a great way to get Canadian experience for your resumé.

Studying as an international student in Canada is full of wonderful opportunities!

Among these is that Canada has an extremely generous range of work privileges for international students. These include opportunities to work on and off campus, and to get a work permit of up to three years after graduation, with a post-graduation work permit.

It is important at all times to carefully follow Canadian laws including the laws especially for international students. So when it comes to work opportunities, there are two main types of opportunities to be familiar with.

General guidelines

Here are some of the most common questions we hear from international students interested in working in Canada.

What work is permitted or not permitted?

As a general guideline, most study permits include a work permit at the point of issue. If your study permit includes this work permit you are eligible to work on the institution campus, or off-campus (including co-op work programs).

You must have a Social Insurance Number (SIN) which you can apply for immediately upon arrival. The SIN is used to track all employment income and to file personal taxes in Canada.

Click here to learn more about getting a SIN.

When can I start working in Canada?

You can only start working in Canada when you start your study program. You can't work before your studies begin.

You can work until one of the following occurs:

• on the day you stop studying full-time, OR
• when your study permit expires, OR
• if you're on an authorized leave from your studies, OR
• if you're switching schools and aren't currently studying

If you are eligible to work on-campus or off-campus but this was not included in your study permit, there is a process to apply for this after arrival. Most institutions have an office that will help an international student apply for this. There's no extra fee and it's a fairly simple process.

See this webpage for more details about temporary residence documents.

However, if a work permit is important to you, it's critical that you verify with the institution you plan to attend that the program is eligible for a work permit.

Some reasons that a program may not be eligible include:

• the institution is not a Designated Learning Institute (DLI) for which Immigration and Citizenship Canada will issue a work permit, OR
• the institution is eligible, but the specific program is not eligible for a work permit, OR
• the program is too short (less than 6 months in length).

Visit this webpage for more information on Designated Learning Institutes (DLI).

How many hours a week can I work?

Generally, you should only take on part-time employment, not full-time. Try not to exceed these guidelines, or you might negatively impact your studies.

Working on-campus

You can work as many hours as you want, in addition to working off campus, as long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirements for working on campus.

Working off-campus

Rules differ depending on if you're working during the school year, or during a scheduled break.

During regular school terms / semesters

The official Canadian government website states: "You can work up to 20 hours per week while studying full-time. You can work more than 1 job to make up these hours as long as you continue to meet the conditions of your study permit."

"Working more than 20 hours per week during regular school terms or semesters is not permitted. If you violate this limit you may lose student status or even need to leave Canada."

During scheduled breaks in the school year (for example, summer break)

The official Canadian government website states: "You can work full-time if you're on a scheduled break, such as winter and summer holidays, or a fall or spring reading week. You're free to work overtime or work 2 part-time jobs that add up to a higher than usual number of hours."

"You must be a full-time student both before and after the break to work full-time. You can't work during a break that comes before you start your very first school semester."

What if I want to make money doing my own job?

The official Canadian government website states: "If you're a self-employed person, you're also responsible for keeping track of the hours you work off campus and proving that you're complying with the conditions of your study permit. So the same rules apply as if you were employed in other jobs. Unless it is during a scheduled break in the school year, there is a 20 hour weekly limit."

It's important to consult the Canadian government website for the latest information as the rules are subject to change.

See all the rules on the Canadian government website.

Daniel Zaretsky is Director of the Canadian University Application Centre, Canada's oldest international student recruitment organization. For more information about the CUAC, please consult www.cuac.ca, or email studyincanada@cuac.ca.