On April 29, 2024, The Honourable, Mr. Marc Miller, Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that the temporary policy which allowed students to work more than 20 hours per week off campus would come to an end on April 30, 2024. This policy was initially introduced to address labour market needs.
Beginning in the fall of 2024, there will be changes to the number of hours students in Canada may work off campus. This will be up to 24 hours per week. This change is being made to ensure that students focus primarily on their studies while having the option to work, if necessary.
International students may be eligible to work off-campus without a work permit if they meet all the following requirements:
- Be enrolled full-time at a designated learning institute (DLI)
- Be enrolled in either:
- A post-secondary academic, vocational or professional training program or
- A secondary-level vocational training program (Quebec only)
Besides the above, their study program must be:
- At least 6 months long and
- Must lead to a degree, diploma or certificate
In addition, all students must have started their studies and must have a social insurance number (SIN)
If a student is part-time at a designated learning institution, they can work off campus only if:
- They meet all the requirements above, except the requirement to be a full-time student, and
- They were a full-time student in their program in Canada, up until their last semester
