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Work Opportunities for Foreign StudentsYou must come to Canada with enough money to live and pay your bills while you are studying, without needing to work. In certain situations, you may be able to work while you are studying. Working will help you earn extra money and gain Canadian work experience. Do not work without being authorized to do so. If you do, you may be asked to leave Canada. Learn more about work permits. You will need a Social Insurance Number to work in Canada. Learn more about how to apply for a Social Insurance Number. You can obtain information on the conditions and eligibility requirements for students who want to work in Canada and who are in the following situations or programs:
Application, guide and forms Working on campusYou may work on campus at the institution where you study without a work permit if:
Working off campusThe Off-Campus Work Permit Program allows foreign students at publicly-funded post-secondary educational institutions to work off campus while completing their studies. Publicly-funded post-secondary educational institutions are:
Off-campus work is available for students studying at such institutions in provinces or territories that have signed agreements with CIC. Check the list of participating institutions. Participating institutions are eligible institutions that have signed an agreement for the Off-Campus Work Permit Program with their provincial or territorial government. How do I participate? To work off-campus, you have to apply for a work permit. Do not begin to work off campus until you have received your work permit. The work permit authorizes you to work up to 20 hours per week during regular academic sessions, and full time during scheduled breaks (e.g., winter or summer holidays and spring break). To be eligible for an off-campus work permit, you will have to:
You are not eligible to apply for an off-campus work permit if you are:
For more information about the program and the application process, contact your institution’s international student advisor. Remember, a work permit authorizing you to work off campus does not guarantee that you will find a job. It is your responsibility to find a job. Even if you work off campus, your studies must remain your primary purpose for being in Canada. If you have recently filed an off-campus work permit application under the terms of the pilot project, you should see your Designated Institutional Representative about the status of your application. For more information, see the Frequently Asked Questions. Working under the co-op and internship programsFor some academic programs, work experience is part of the curriculum. Foreign students who wish to participate in a co-op or internship program must apply for a work permit (there is no fee for this application). To be eligible for a work permit, the following conditions must be met:
You do not need to pay for an application processing fee for this work permit. Working under the post-graduation work programThe post-graduation work program is designed to provide graduating students with Canadian work experience in their field of study. Since May 16, 2005, this program has allowed certain students to work for up to two years after their graduation. Previously, students were only allowed to work for one year. Length of study matters. The work permit cannot be valid longer than the length of time the student studied. For example, students graduating from a four-year degree program might be eligible for a one-year work permit or, if they meet the criteria, a two-year work permit. Students graduating from an eight-month certificate program would only be eligible for a work permit of eight months. How do I participate? To obtain a post-graduation work permit that is valid for one year or less, you must meet the following requirements:
You cannot have previously been issued a post-graduation work permit following any other program of study. You are not eligible for the post-graduation work permit program if you have graduated from a distance learning program whether it is a degree, diploma or a certificate. In order to apply for a work permit of up to two years after your graduation, you must meet all of the requirements above. You must also have
Note: If you complete your studies at a campus located inside the CMM, the GTA or the GVRD, but at an institution whose headquarters for that campus are located outside those areas, you cannot obtain a two-year work permit under this program. If you currently hold a one-year post-graduation work permit and you meet the eligibility requirements for a two-year permit, you can apply for a one-year extension of your work permit. You are not eligible for the post-graduation work permit program if you are:
Send your work permit application to the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville, Alberta. Be sure to include a written confirmation (e.g., transcript, letter, etc.) from your institution indicating that you have met the requirements of your program, a job offer from an employer for a job that is related to your field of studies, and an official receipt which shows you have paid the appropriate processing fee. Note: If you have a valid off-campus work permit (these are usually issued for the same period as your study permit: i.e., period of study plus 90 days), you will be able to start the job for which you have received an offer while awaiting the work permit you applied for under the Post-Graduation Employment Program. When you apply for a post-graduation work permit, you do not have to get a labour market opinion from Service Canada. If you want to extend your work permit beyond the one-or two-year limit, then you will have to obtain a Service Canada opinion. Work for students at private institutionsStudents and graduates of private institutions* may apply for a work permit to work in Canada. The following conditions apply:
* Private institutions that do not operate under the same regulations and evaluations as public institutions or that do not receive at least 50 percent of their financing for their overall operations from government grants, or that are not authorized to grant degrees. Work for your spouse or common-law partnerYour spouse or common-law partner may apply for a work permit if:
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Last Updated: 2006-11-22 | ![]() |
Important Notices |