Starting Nov 15, international students can work off-campus for over 20 hours a week.
There is a cap of 20 hours for weekly off-campus work for international students in Canada. The short-term change of removing the cap on weekly off-campus work hours comes into effect on Nov 15 and stays in force until December 31, 2023.
The temporary lifting of the 20 hours limit will address Canada’s labor shortage. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced in Oct 2022 the one-time measure to address labor shortages in various sectors such as hospitality, retail, and food services. The IRCC does not restrict the type of employment a student chooses for their off-campus work.
International students in Canada to benefit from the new measure
The decision to allow over 20 hours of off-campus work per week will aid over 500,000 international students pursuing education in Canada presently. International students can work off-campus to support their necessities. International students should fulfill the following criteria to become eligible for off-campus work:
- Having a Social Insurance Number
- Pursuing a full-time study program in a Designated Learning Institution
- The duration of the study program is six months or more
- The study program must lead to a certificate, diploma, or a degree
International students willing to work off-campus need no work permit for working off-campus, subject to working less than or equal to 20 hours a week. There is a relaxation in the limit on work hours during summer break or winter holidays. The new decision by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada lifts the cap of 20 hours starting from Nov 15, 2022, until December 31, 2023.
