Canada Lifts Limits on Off-Campus Work Opportunities for International Students

By Milan Korcok

Canada’s critical labour shortage has opened major new opportunities for international students seeking off-campus jobs during their tenure in the country.

According to a recent announcement by Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, from November 15, 2022 until December 31, 2023, international students who are in Canada and have permits allowing them to work off campus, will be allowed to do so for more than 20 hours per week while their classes are in session. At present (prior to the announcement) eligible students were not allowed to exceed 20 hours of off- campus work per week.

In making the announcement, Fraser explained that the expansions of student work privileges was aimed at alleviating Canada’s critical labour shortage which is currently hovering at nearly one million job vacancies. He added that the temporary measure will also extend to foreign nationals who have already submitted study permit applications, and that lifting the 20-hour limit will allow more than 500,00 eligible international students already in Canada to potentially work more hours. The lifting of the limit applies to scheduled breaks such as summer and winter holidays.

This expansion of work privileges is expected to further stimulate the robust flow of international students to Canada, now one of the world’s top choices (along with the United States, United Kingdon and Australia) for post-secondary education.  In 2021 Canada hosted over 620,000 international students. And according to the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) the majority of international students intend to remain in Canada as permanent residents on completion of their studies.

Fraser pointed out that IRCC had processed more than 452,000 study permit applications between January and August 2022—a 23 percent increase over the same period in 2021.

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Milan Korcok is a national award wining medical writer who has been covering international medical and travel health issues for leading professionals journal in the United States, Canada, and the UK for many years. He works and resides in Florida.