Published on April 30, 2024.
The temporary policy allowing international students to work more than 20 hours per week off-campus will end on April 30, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced on April 29.
The Canadian government also said it intends to increase the number of hours students may work off-campus to 24 hours per week starting this fall.
However, international students can work full-time if they are on a scheduled break between terms, such as winter and summer holidays. Students are free to work overtime or work two part-time jobs that add up to a higher than usual number of hours provided they are a full-time student both before and after the break.
“Working off campus helps international students gain work experience and offset some of their expenses,” Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, said in a statement. “As international students arrive in Canada, we want them to be prepared for life here and have the support they need to succeed. However, first and foremost, people coming to Canada as students must be here to study, not work. We will continue working to protect the integrity of our student program.”
Miller noted the cap being set at 24 hours is “reasonable” as students will be able to work for three full eight-hour shifts a week.
For students not on a scheduled break, working more than 20 hours per week is a violation of study permit conditions. International students could lose their student status and may not be approved for a study or work permit in the future.
In 2022, the government temporarily waived the 20-hour cap on work hours for international students during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to address labour shortages.
For more information, see Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s web page.
