As a student on a study permit, you are eligible to work up to 20 hours per week off-campus. To do this without a work permit, there are certain conditions that must first be met.
Working On-Campus
On-Campus work means working within the boundaries of your campus and is only allowed by students on a full-time status. What if your school has more than one campus? You may be able to work at different locations as long as they are within the same municipality. If the campus is in different cities, then you must work in the city where you are registered as a full-time student.
Students may work on campus as teaching or research assistants and may be located at a library, hospital, or research facility affiliated with the institution, but located outside the physical boundaries of the institution’s campus. This is only allowed provided that the work is strictly related to the student’s research grant.
Note: Students need a social insurance number (SIN) to work in Canada. To apply for a SIN for on-campus employment, they must have a valid study permit. Students can apply for a SIN before or within the first three days of employment.
Working Off-Campus
Students can work off-campus without a work permit provided they meet all of the requirements below:
- You’re a full-time student at a designated learning institution (DLI)
- You’re enrolled in
- a post-secondary academic, vocational, or professional training program or
- a secondary-level vocational training program (Quebec only)
- Your study program
- is at least 6 months long and
- leads to a degree, diploma or certificate
- Your study permit says, in the user remarks or conditions sections, that you can work off campus
- You’ve started studying
- You have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)
If you’re a part-time student, you can work off-campus only if:
- You meet all of the requirements above and
- You’re only a part-time student because:
- You’re in the last semester of your study program and you don’t need a full course load to complete your program, and
- You were a full-time student in your program up until this last semester
You can work up to 20 hours per week during regular school terms/semesters. You can work full-time if you’re on a scheduled break, such as Winter or Summer holidays and reading week.
If you have any further questions, email us at contact@canadianbayimmigration.com or send us a message here