Int'l Students in Canada Will Soon Be Allowed to Work 24 Hours Weekly

A new rule set to come into force this month will limit international students to work 24 hours a week off-campus, a change that was first announced in April this year by Immigration Minister Marc Miller.

According to Miller, this limit aims to ensure international students can focus on their degrees while they also have the opportunity to work, Erudera.com reports.

While international students in Canada have usually been allowed to work up to 20 hours weekly during regular school semesters, the government permitted these students to work more than 20 hours per week, or up to 40 hours amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the time, the regulation was introduced as temporary, mainly to tackle labor shortages in crucial sectors and help students work and study in Canada. at the same time. The policy ended on April 30, 2024, with no extension.

“This fall, we intend to change the number of hours students may work off campus per week to 24 hours. Students who come to Canada must be here to study. As such, allowing students to work up to 24 hours per week will ensure they focus primarily on their studies, while having the option to work, if necessary,” a statement from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reads.

The date when the government will implement the permanent change to 24 hours weekly hasn’t been announced yet. However, according to some reports, it is expected to happen later this month.

Until the implementation, international students can only work off campus 20 hours per week during the academic term and unlimited hours for on-campus work. At the same time, after the change takes effect, students can work off campus 24 hours per week while classes are in session and unlimited during school breaks.

To be able to work off campus, international students should have a valid study permit and be studying at a designated learning institution, which is a school with approval from the government to welcome international students. Additionally, a Social Insurance Number (SIN) is required.

“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,” Miller said on April 29.

Last year, international student numbers increased 10 percent more than expected. Data from Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees Canada (IRCC) showed that in 2023, the number of international students in Canada increased to 1,040,985, which is 29 percent higher than in 2022.

As in many countries, India and China are Canada’s top two sources of international students, with 427,085 and 101,150, respectively.

Data revealed a notable growth in students from the Philippines by 50.6 percent and Nigerians by 113 percent. Nepalese students nearly tripled in one year, from 7,680 to 20,465, up 166.5 percent.

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