Canada’s off-campus work hours policy will extend until April 2024 per IRCC’s latest announcement. This policy took effect as a temporary measure to enable specific international students to work above 20 hours in a single week. The 20-hour limitation was for off-campus work for international students apart from the academic sessions.
Canada’s off-campus work hours policy will extend until April 2024
This temporary policy came into action in 2022 when Canada was struggling with labor shortages. This is why IRCC decided to enable international students to work forty hours in one week. Prior to this announcement, the temporary policy for international students would have expired on December 31, 2023. However, the policy began on November 15, 2022. Also, until the implementation of this policy, students could work off-campus for a maximum of twenty hours every week amidst the school session.
In addition, during fixed academic breaks, such as a reading week or winter vacation, international students had permission to plan full-time work per IRCC’s policy.
Furthermore, the latest announcement implies that international students and those with submitted applications can now work more than 20 hours per week. This is with effect from December 7, 2023.
Work hours policy for international students across Canada
Even while the IRCC’s decision does not make the policy permanent as many international students had hoped, many will still benefit from it across Canada.
This is due to the fact that being able to work longer hours relieves foreign students of the financial load. Working full-time enables them to get more money and not have that financial burden or stress so much about money.
IRCC’s work policy and its eligibility
Only a specific category of overseas students can work longer than the typical off-campus employment cap. For an overseas student to work more than 20 hours a week, they need to:
be enrolled in classes in person at their Canadian post-secondary institution (rather than virtually from overseas)*
possess a study permit with off-campus job authorization included.
*Students who applied for a study visa by October 7 of last year, when the IRCC first announced this temporary policy in 2022, have also benefited from lifting the prohibition on working off-campus hours.
What about additional initiatives by IRCC?
The Immigration Department is going review possibilities for this policy in the future,” according to a statement by IRCC yesterday. The crucial announcement yesterday indicates IRCC’s possibility of expanding off-campus work hours for international students to 30 hours per week while class is in session. However, the organization hasn’t taken any concrete action so far.
This would be an additional departure from the standard restrictions placed on off-campus jobs for international students. Currently, foreign nationals studying in Canada can only work off-campus for up to 20 hours a week while enrolled in classes.
Do you have any general queries or concerns regarding Canadian immigration? Let our expert guides at Make Home Canada help you get all the answers. We are just a call away; stay connected at 1-800-979-0509 or simply email your concerns to [email protected].
