More often than not, many students have wondered if there are opportunities to work and study in Canada for International Students. The good news is ‘YES’, foreign full-time students can work part-time up to a maximum of 20 hours per week while studying in Canada. International students can work and go to school as long as they have a valid study permit and meet other requirements.
But there’s a catch: international students can only start working when they start their studies. This means that you have to be enrolled in your university or college when you look for a job. You can’t work before the start of your program. You can also work for up to twenty hours per week during school sessions and full-time during scheduled breaks like summer vacation.
Most students do not need a work permit to work on or off campus while they are in school. Instead, your study permit will say if you are allowed to work away from campus.
If your study program includes work experience, you may be able to work and study in Canada more than twenty hours during the semester. This will be indicated in your acceptance letter. If the government agrees to this condition, you will be given both a work permit and a study permit. With this permit, you can only work on campus.
As a student from outside the U.S., you must meet these general requirements:
Working on-campus as an international student
If you have a valid study permit, you will be able to work on campus without a work permit while you are in school.
• Have a Social Security Number (SSN).
• You are a full-time student at a Designated Learning Institution, a school in Quebec that follows the same rules as public schools and gets at least 50% of its funding from the government, or a private school in Canada that is approved to give degrees.
Opportunities for jobs outside of school in Canada
You won’t need a work permit to work off campus while studying in Canada if you:
• have a study permit;
• are a full-time student at a designated learning institution (or a post-secondary school in Quebec province);
• your study program is academic, professional, or vocational, lasts at least six months, and leads to a diploma or certificate degree.
• They can only work up to 20 hours a week while school is in session, but they can work full-time during breaks like in the winter or spring.
Some programs of study require work, like co-ops or internships. In such a scenario, a work permit is required in order for the international student to be able to complete the work.
Co-op students and interns need work permits to work.
While foreign students in Canada do not require a separate work permit in order to work while studying, there is an exception to this rule. Some study programs require an international student to do a Co-op or internship work placement in order to finish the program. In this situation, you need both a study permit and a Co-op work permit.
To get a Co-op work permit, you need a valid study permit and a letter from your school saying that all students in your program are required to do work placements in order to get their degree.
With your study permit, you may be able to get a Co-op work permit. If your acceptance letter says that you have to do a Co-op or internship as part of your program, your work permit may be processed at the same time as your study permit.
It is also possible to apply for a Co-op work permit after you have already obtained your study permit, and you can apply online or apply by paper. Your school should be able to help you with this, since the placement is part of your study program and they probably help many students apply for this permit every year.
What You Need to Do to Work and Study in Canada
Students from outside of Canada who are enrolled full-time in a DLI and have a study permit can work off campus without a work permit. This means you can work anywhere in Canada for any Canadian employer in any job. If you want to, you can also work on campus.
Working off-campus means working for any Canadian employer outside of school. Working on campus means working for any employer on the school’s campus, such as working for the university itself, for a faculty member (as a research assistant, for example), or for a private contractor providing services in the school, for example, a gym or restaurant.
It is important to note that even if you plan to work while studying in Canada, you will still need to demonstrate sufficient financial resources when you apply for a study permit.
This means you need to show you have enough funds to cater for yourself during your studies without working. When showing that you have enough money, you can’t use money you expect to get in the future. For example, if you plan to work while you study, that won’t meet the requirement to show that you have enough money before you arrive.
Your study permit will tell you if you can work in Canada and what kind of work you can do. This lets you apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) from Service Canada. Getting a SIN is one of the most important things you need to do before you can start working in Canada while you’re in school.
You can get your study permit fixed for free if it doesn’t have the statement you need to apply for a Social Insurance Number.
While this can be done after you arrive, it’s much better to do this immediately when you arrive and your study permit is first issued. If you aren’t sure about the information on your study permit, you can ask the immigration officer at the port of entry if you are allowed to work.
If your study program is less than six months in duration, you cannot work in Canada unless otherwise authorized to do so. Or if you are in a program to learn French or English as a second language (FSL or ESL).
Also, exchange or visiting students at a university or college in Canada are not allowed to work while they are there.
It’s important to remember that you can’t start working in Canada while you’re in school there until your program starts.
Work after going to school in Canada.
You might have to stop working in Canada as soon as you finish your studies. But there are other ways you can keep working even though things have changed.
If you wish to stay and work in Canada, you may be able to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), allowing you to work anywhere in Canada for any employer for up to three years after your graduation. If you are qualified and if you want to stay and work in Canada, you need to apply within ninety days of receiving written confirmation that you have completed your study program.
Work And Study In Canada From the Philippines
One of the fastest-growing source countries in terms of international students in Canada in the Philippines. In 2015, there were only 1,880 people from the Philippines who had a study permit to study in Canada. In just four years, this number had nearly quadrupled to 6,365.
Are you a Filipino? You want to study and work in Canada? You can do this if you get a Canadian study permit that lets you work and go to school at the same time. It’s important to know that you have to meet certain requirements to work and study in Canada.
You will need to obtain a letter of acceptance from a Designated Learning Institution and prove that you have sufficient funds to pay for your first-year tuition fee as well as other living expenses, return transportation, and meet other requirements expected of Filipinos.
As a Filipino student, you can also have your study permit applications fast-tracked through the Student Direct Stream, provided that you meet a series of qualifying criteria. If you want to look it up, we have an article about how to move to Canada from the Philippines.
How to Get Work and Go to School in Canada
Can I work and go to school in Canada at the same time?
If you get a study permit, you can work and go to school in Canada. However, normally, it should be stated on your study permit whether you can work on-campus or off-campus. Depending on the condition, you may also have to meet all the requirements.
Can I work and go to school at the same time in Canada?
You can work as much as 20 hours a week. Working more than twenty hours per week is a violation of your study permit conditions. If you do this, you could lose your student status and might not be able to get a work or study permit in the future. In some situations, you may also have to leave the country.
How many hours can a student work in Canada?
Most of the time, a student can work no more than forty-eight hours in a week. This can be changed in special cases, like when a permit is needed for emergency work or when the work schedule needs to be changed.
How much can Canadian students earn while they are in school?
The average hourly wage is about $10. If your only goal is to get work experience, for example by helping your professor with research, you don’t need a work permit. This kind of work has to be done on campus and pays less. In some cases, you can work more than the number of hours that are required.
Can I work and go to school in Canada for free in 2023?
Simply put, there are no universities in Canada where international students can go for free. Even if you live in Canada, you can’t go to college for free. But you can study without having to pay the tuition fee if you get a scholarship that pays for everything.
