International students’ off-campus employment hours will no longer be subject to interim controls, according to Immigration Minister Marc Miller.
As of October 2022, overseas students with study permits that authorize off-campus work are permitted to work up to 20 hours per week during class hours; this is a temporary change from the prior policy, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Rather, foreign students in Canada will be allowed to work up to 24 hours a week while classes are in session beginning with the autumn semester of this year. The IRCC stated in December of last year that it will “continue to examine options for this policy in the future, such as expanding off-campus work hours for international students to 30 hours per week while class is in session,” thus this comes as a surprise.
The Minister stated today that pupils’ academic performance would unavoidably suffer if they worked thirty hours a week throughout the school year.
He added that restricting the amount of time a student can work off campus will help discourage foreign students who would apply for a study permit primarily with the intention of working in Canada.
Additionally, he stated that given the new cost of living requirements for overseas students that were announced in December of last year, 24 hours would probably be enough.
In addition to the tuition, a single study visa applicant who wants to enroll as an international student in Canada must be able to demonstrate that they have $20,635 saved up.
During their academic break, international students in Canada are allowed to work an unrestricted number of hours. The 20 hours per week requirement is now mandatory for those enrolled in summer classes.
Additional modifications for overseas pupils
This is the most recent in a line of adjustments to Canada’s policy for foreign students. According to the IRCC, these modifications are meant to strengthen the system’s integrity.
For instance, the agency made acquiring a study permission require an additional step. A Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from the province housing their designated learning institution (DLI) is now required of students. This falls under a total cap on the quantity of study permits the IRCC will handle by the year 2024.
The department is also in the process of putting the Trusted Institutions Framework for DLIs in Canada into practice. These institutions have a track record of providing satisfactory assistance to overseas students.
Are you able to work as an international student in Canada?
If an international student wants to work off campus throughout their academic year, they need to fulfill a number of prerequisites, such as:
- Possessing a current study permit
- Attending a DLI full-time
- already have started studying at their DLI and remain in satisfactory academic standing
- studying in an academic, vocational, or professional training program that is at least six months in duration and leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate; and
- having a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN)
As long as they are registered to return to full-time studies in the next semester, students are free to work as many hours as they choose while their studies are on break.