As of November 15, international students in Canada now have the opportunity to work up to 24 hours per week off-campus during their studies. This exciting update was confirmed by Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), bringing more flexibility and opportunity for students to gain valuable work experience while pursuing their education.
Before this change, international students in Canada could work 20 hours per week off-campus. In April 2024, Minister Marc Miller announced that the limit would increase to 24 hours in the fall, but the exact date was not given. Now, this change has officially taken effect, giving students more opportunities to work while studying.
Unlimited work hours for foreign nationals on study permits.
The work hour limits apply only to off-campus jobs while classes are in session. Students can still work unlimited hours:
- On campus
- Off-campus during academic breaks when classes are not in session
Reason behind the change
Miller stated that the 24-hour limit strikes “the right balance, allowing students the option to work without affecting their academic performance.”
New rule for study permits before changing schools.
In today’s announcement, it was revealed that international students can no longer switch schools without applying for a new study permit. Students must apply for, and in some cases get approval for, a new study permit before changing designated learning institutes (DLIs).
Previously, students could change schools under the same permit by simply updating their information in their IRCC online account.
According to IRCC, these changes are part of efforts to “strengthen the integrity of the International Student Program.”
Recent changes to the work hour limits for international students.
Normally, international students in Canada were allowed to work up to 20 hours per week during regular school terms. However, during the pandemic, the government introduced a temporary policy allowing students to work up to 40 hours per week to help address the country’s labour shortage and give students the opportunity to earn more.
This temporary policy ended on April 30, 2024.
