After the pandemic, public and immigration policies have changed, making it very difficult to keep track of what you should and can do in Canada as an international student.
Let's look at the work permit categories for international students.
Off-campus work (Type 20)
You can work off-campus without a work permit if you meet all of these requirements:
– You are a full-time student at a designated learning institution (DLI)
– You are enrolled in the following: a post-secondary academic, vocational or professional training program or a secondary-level vocational training program (Quebec only)
– Your study program: has a minimum duration of 6 months and leads to a degree, diploma or certificate
– You have started studying
– You have a social security number (SIN)
During regular school terms or semesters: You can work up to 20 hours per week. You can work more than one job to make up these hours as long as you continue to comply with the conditions of your study permit.
During scheduled breaks in the school year: You can work an unlimited number of hours if you have a break scheduled by your DLI, such as winter and summer holidays, or a reading week.
If your program does not have scheduled breaks: You can work up to 20 hours per week.
Working more than 20 hours per week is a violation of the conditions of your study permit. You may lose your student status for doing this, and you may not be granted a study or work permit in the future.
Co-op Work (Type 59)
Some study programs include work experience as part of their curriculum. You can apply for a Co-op or Trainee Work Permit if you meet all of the following conditions:
– You have a valid study permit.
– You must work to complete your study program in Canada.
– He has a letter from his school confirming that all students in his program must complete work placements to obtain their degree.
– Your Co-op placement or internship totals 50% or less of your program of study.
Co-op work is not considered work but rather study. There is no maximum or minimum number of hours that students must work, but they must have the corresponding work permit. Co-op work hours do not affect off-campus work hours.
Post-graduation work permit – PGWP (Type 56)
You can apply for a PGWP from within Canada as long as you are eligible.
You have up to 180 days after graduation to apply for a PGWP. When you apply, you must confirm the following:
– That you attended and completed your program
– The name of your program
– The duration of your program
You can confirm them by sending any of the following:
– your title or diploma
– your academic record or
– an official letter from your school/college or university
To be eligible, your study permit must have been valid at some point during these 180 days.
Can I work while I wait to receive my PGWP?
You can work full-time while you wait for a decision on your PGWP application if, at the time you submitted your application, all of the following applied to your situation:
– You had a valid study permit.
– You had completed your program of studies.
– You were eligible to work off campus without a permit.
– He did not work off campus more than 20 hours a week during academic sessions.
Schedule an appointment with Oscar Chu right now!