Canada Lifted Off-Campus Work Hour Limit for International Students

All international students in Canada with an off-campus work authorization are now eligible to work beyond the 20-hour-per-week rule with effect from 15th November 2022 until 31st December 2023.

Last month, Canada's Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Hon. Sean Fraser announced about temporarily lifting the work hour limit cap for eligible post-secondary students. The eligible ones are now allowed to work off-campus in Canada while their ongoing session.

Also, those foreign students who have submitted their study permit application, as of October 7, 2022 will get a benefit from this temporary change once their applications are approved by the IRCC.

Temporary Changes to Positively Impact International Students 

With this temporary measure, a lot of international students will get a chance to gain relevant Canadian work experience, and improve the overall availability rate of skilled workers in Canada for country's quick post-pandemic economic growth. 

With more than 500,000 international students studying in Canada, additional working hours will play an major role in addressing labour market shortages across different sectors and industries. 

Eligibility Criteria to Work Off-Campus in Canada

You can work off campus in Canada without a work permit, only if:

• you are a full-time student at a Canadian designated learning institution (DLI)
• you are enrolled in
  
  • post-secondary vocational, academic or professional training program 
    
  • a secondary-level vocational training program (only in Quebec)
    

• your study program
  • is a minimum of 6 months long 
    
  • leads to a degree, diploma or certificate
    

• you have started your start program
• you have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)