WORKING WHILE STUDYING

The Off-Campus Work Permit Program allows certain foreign students to work off-campus while completing their studies. To qualify, you must be a full-time student enrolled at a participating publicly funded post-secondary educational institution or in an approved program at an eligible privately funded institution.

Please note that not all programs offered by private post-secondary educational institutions qualify. For more information on qualifying programs, contact the eligible institution directly. For a list of participating institutions in the Off-Campus Work Permit Program, see the Related Links section at the bottom of this page. To work off-campus, you must apply for a work permit. Do not begin to work off-campus until you have received your work permit. The work permit authorizes you to work up to 20 hours per week during regular academic sessions, and full time during scheduled breaks (for example, winter and summer holidays, and spring break).

A work permit does not guarantee that you will find a job. It is your responsibility to look for work. Even if you work off-campus, your studies must be the main reason you are in Canada. If you are no longer a full-time student or do not maintain satisfactory academic results, you must return your work permit to a local Citizenship and Immigration Canada office. For more information about the program and the application process, contact the international student adviser at your educational institution.

WORKING AFTER THE COURSE HAS ENDED

If you want to work in Canada after you graduate from your studies, you must apply for a work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program.

POST-GRADUATION WORK PERMIT PROGRAM

Post-Graduation Work Permit Program The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program allows students who have graduated from a participating Canadian post-secondary institution to gain valuable Canadian work experience.

A work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program cannot be valid for longer than the student’s study program. For example, if you graduate from a four-year degree program, you could be eligible for a three-year program.