Part-time work for international students in Canada is a great way to manage their budgets while pursuing Canadian studies.
Canada has always maintained its reputation as an education hub for international students, with the best educational universities. The country also provides unparalleled life exposure to students from diverse backgrounds.
Canadian education dominates most other pathways for international students and is an appropriate solution for those seeking Canadian Permanent Residency.
Canadian international students prioritize their personal finances
Apart from Tuition, international students in Canada must also acknowledge several other factors, including transportation, housing, textbooks, and groceries.
Interestingly, Canadian international students have the right to work in the country if enrolled in a study program at a Designated Learning Institution at the post-secondary level.
Moreover, they’ll not be requiring any individual work permit, and the program must be more than six months and provide them with a professional certification.
Onwards November 15, 2022, international students have the authority to work in Canada for endless hours while the ongoing semesters until 2023.
Additionally, they have permission to work for up to twenty hours during their academic school session. Meanwhile, they can also work full-time during their academic breaks. These could be the reading weeks or the summer vacation; the only condition would be that they would eventually resume their full-time studies.
Also, international students have permission to work for more than one job while they are pursuing their studies in Canada.
Part-time work for international students in Canada
After the international student completes their study program in Canada, they can gain eligibility for a full-time position in the country. However, they must ensure to get a Post-Graduation Work Permit.
The PGWP enables international students to obtain valuable work experience in Canada, which will support individuals in moving toward Permanent Residence. A majority of Canadian PR pathways acknowledge candidates with considerable Canadian work experience. This is why PGWP permits international students to gain the required experiences while they tread the path to success within communities. This way, they also become more capable of contributing to the Canadian economy.
The validity of PGWPs is up to three years, while the program’s study length will determine the exact validity.
Students who fail to acquire a work permit before the expiry of their study permits will lack the eligibility to stay and work in Canada after completing their study program.
Job hunting process- how to begin?
International students in Canada will need to follow specific steps to gain complete authority to work in Canada even after meeting the requirements of the study program’s length and certification. They’re as follows:
- The foremost step will be to acquire a Social Insurance Number if they seek to work in Canada. This is a distinct nine-digit numerical figure provided by Service Canada. Moreover, it enables the Canadian government to get updates on an individual’s work history. Besides this, it also ensures that they obtain an accurate income tax level and track the number of working hours. All people in Canada, whether permanent residence holders, citizens, or temporary residence holders, will need a SIN to work in Canada legally.
- International students will also need to wait for their study program to begin before they can actually start working in Canada. For instance, if they come during summer time, before the beginning of the program, they will not be able to start working until they attend their first class in September. However, while they wait patiently for their program to start, they must search for a rental apartment, update their CVs, and consider the amount of time they will need to devote to work and studies.
Writing a CV
Writing a resume for international graduates in Canada implies that they will need to emphasize their skills, potential, and experiences, whether paid or unpaid. They must not leave behind their experiences of volunteer work or any participation in extracurricular activities. Also, they can showcase unpaid work they’ve done for a family business.
However, they won’t need to provide any personal details, including age, status of visa, nationality, SIN, photograph, and marital status.
Part-time work for international students in Canada- where do such jobs exist?
Fortunately, a majority of international students in Canada are able to find part-time work near the campus where they prefer to stay. Hence, searching for jobs near the campus would be feasible for them.
On-Campus work opportunities occur through advertisements in the form of school boards, the educational institution’s career center, career fairs, or even student union buildings.
Conversely, off-campus work opportunities are primarily available online. International students can access the best off-campus part-time jobs through Canada’s Job Bank. Meanwhile, these job searchers can also access numerous jobs through Canadian job websites, such as LinkedIn and Indeed. Apart from these two prominent sites, there are others:
- Glassdoor
- CareerBuilder
- Eluta
- SimplyHired
- Monster.ca
- Upwork
- Talent Egg
What is the pay range for international graduates in Canada?
International graduates in Canada must keep in mind the minimum wage rate associated with each Canadian province. They must ask for the minimum wage per hour. However, it will depend upon the Canadian employer if they wish to pay beyond the minimum wage rate.
| Province/Territory | Rate | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | $15.65 | As of 06-01-2022 |
| Alberta | $15.00 | As of 06-26-2019 |
| Saskatchewan | $13.00 | As of 10-01-2022. Set to rise to $14.00 on 10-01-2023, then to $15.00 on 10-01-2024. |
| Manitoba | $13.50 | As of 10-01-2022. Set to increase to $14.15 on 04-01-2023, then to $15.30 on 10-01-2023. |
| Ontario | $15.50 | As of 10-01-2022 |
| Quebec | $14.25 | As of 05-01-2022 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $13.70 | As of 10-01-2022. Set to increase to $14.50 on 04-01-2023, then to $15.00 on 10-01-2023. |
| New Brunswick | $13.75 | As of 10-01-2022. Set to increase to $14.75 on 04-01-2023. |
| Prince Edward Island | $14.50 | As of 01-01-2023. Set to increase to $15.00 on 10-01-2023. |
| Nova Scotia | $13.60 | As of 10-01-2022. Set to increase to $14.50 on 04-01-2023, then to $15.00 on 10-01-2023. |
| Northwest Territories | $15.20 | As of 09-01-2021 |
| Nunavut | $16.00 | As of 04-01-2020 |
| Yukon | $15.70 | As of 04-01-2022. Set to increase to $16.77 on 04-01-2023. |
Canada’s servers and bartenders usually tend to receive reduced wages compared to the province’s minimum wage rates. However, Canada considers it mandatory for patrons to tip the servers and bartenders; the tip is between 10 to 20 percent of the price of the food or drink. In several instances, working in a restaurant provides a higher income than those who settle for minimum-wage jobs.
