In a move to address labor shortages and support international students amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Immigration Minister of Canada Marc Miller has announced a significant policy change regarding off-campus work privileges.
Starting in September, international students in Canada will be permitted to work off-campus for up to 24 hours per week, an increase from the previous limit of 20 hours, VisaGuide.World reports.
The decision to temporarily waive the 20-hour cap on work hours for international students during the pandemic underscores the Canadian government’s commitment to mitigating the economic impacts of the health crisis.
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.
Over 80% of International Students Working 20+ Hours Weekly in Canada
Immigration Minister Marc Miller further pointed out that over 80 percent of international students in Canada are working over 20 hours a week right now. Starting in September, the limit will go back to 20 hours per week until the government makes a permanent change to allow 24 hours.
During breaks like summer, international students can work as many hours as they want, even if they’re not taking classes.
New studies in the US and Canada show that students who work more than 28 hours a week might see lower grades, and those working over 24 hours could be more likely to drop out.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, many countries, including Australia and the United States, have rules about how much international students can work. Australia recently changed its rule to let students work up to 48 hours every two weeks. In the US, students need to meet certain conditions before they can work off-campus.
Canada Increased Cost-of-Living Limit for Student Financial Stability
In December 2023, Canada made it a bit tougher for students to get study permits. They raised the cost-of-living limit to help students manage expenses without relying too much on work.
Starting May 15, 2024, international students in specific college programs won’t be able to get work permits after they graduate. However, if they started the program before that date, they can still apply for a work permit if they meet all the other rules.
These changes aim to help international students succeed academically while managing their finances in Canada. At the same time, the new process for verifying Letter of Acceptance (LOA) has been working well. From December 1, 2023, to April 1, 2024:
- About 162,000 LOAs were sent to be checked.
- Nearly 142,000 LOAs were confirmed as valid by the schools themselves.
- Almost 9,000 LOAs were found to be either not issued by any school or had been cancelled by the school before the student applied for a study permit.