Have Work Hours Increased For International Students?

Key Takeaways:

• Most international students in Canada can work on their study permit without applying for a separate work permit. The number of hours they can work on their study permit depends on where they are working. 
• In April 2024, IRCC confirmed an intent to increase the number of hours an international student can work off-campus. 
• As of September 3, 2024, IRCC has not increased the off-campus work hours. Students working off-campus must continue to adhere to the 20-hour-per-week limit until further notice.

How Many Hours Can International Students Work?

The number of hours an international student can work without the need to apply for a work permit depends on where they are working. This is broken up into 2 categories:

1. Work on Campus
2. Work off Campus

International students who are required to work to complete their study program in Canada must apply for a co-op work permit rather than working on their study permit. 

Work On Campus

“On-campus” covers work at all the buildings on a school campus. On-campus employers include:

• the school
• a faculty member
• a student organization
• the student if: they run a business that is physically located on-campus (for example: a coffee shop that is located on campus)
• a private business
• a private contractor that provides on-campus services to the school

International students working on-campus can work as many hours as they want, in addition to working off-campus, so long as they meet the eligibility requirements for working on campus.

Work Off Campus

International students working for an employer not covered by the “on-campus” definition must follow the rules regarding off-campus work. International students working off-campus must work a reduced number of hours during school terms versus scheduled breaks. 

During school terms, international students working for an off-campus employer can work up to 20 hours per week, until further notice.

During scheduled breaks, international students can work an unlimited number of hours. No maximum number of hours per week is set; however, provincial laws when it comes to work conditions (overtime pay and shift timing etc) must be respected.  

International students who have completed their study program and applied for a work permit before the expiry of their study permits are also permitted to work full-time.

International students who have become accustomed to working full-time over the summer break may need to reign in their spending to adjust to these reduced hours. Be sure to check out our page budgeting as an international student. 

It is expected that IRCC will soon announce an increase to allow international students to work up to 24 hours per week during term time.

When Will Off-Campus Work Hours Increase?

In April 2024, Immigration Minister Marc Miller confirmed an intent to increase the authorised working hours for off-campus workers from 20 to 24 in the fall of 2024. Considering the fall semester has already started for some, there is some confusion over when these increased working hours will start. 

Based on the announcement in April, and a tweet from IRCC,  we can expect to hear more from IRCC on this update in the coming weeks. 

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