Canada to allow international students to work full time but uncertainty remains

Frederico De Arruda Rocha | Andreza Pinto

Andreza Pinto said she was jumping up and down upon the news that the federal government will allow international students like her to work more than 20 hours a week until the spring.

International students had been anxiously awaiting a decision from the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, hoping it would not crack down on their full-time earnings.

The government introduced the pilot program last fall to temporarily lift the 20-hour-per-week cap on the number of hours eligible post-secondary students can work off campus while class is in session. This was expected to end on December 31, 2023. However, Marc Miller, minister of immigration, refugees, and citizenship, announced the 20-hour workweek cap would be waived until April 30, 2024.

“The best news”

Pinto, who moved to Canada last fall from Brazil for school, has benefitted from the temporary policy for most of the time she’s studied here.

While the 32-year-old was concerned about the policy ending, the new deadline worked out in her favour since she expects to graduate in mid-April.

“I would consider myself a lucky person,” she said, exclaiming it was “the best news.”

For Pinto, working more than 20 hours a week has meant she’s been able to feel more comfortable financially, especially amid the high cost of living in the Toronto area.

Without it, she said she’d been worried about paying her day-to-day expenses and tuition.

However, some students may not be as lucky as Pinto is.

“I can save for that without being hungry”

After Frederico De Arruda Rocha could work full-time off campus, he said, “It was a huge change for the better.”

“I stopped surviving and started actually living,” he said.

While the deadline was extended to allow international students to work more than 20 hours off campus, it’s unclear if the policy will permanently stay or be terminated, which would, once again, leave students like De Arruda Rocha in uncertainty.

Despite these students still being able to work on campus, De Arruda Rocha explains that there are just not enough jobs to go around.

An on-campus job at his school, the University of Manitoba, was the first job De Arruda Rocha had when he arrived in Canada. However, despite his employer giving him as many hours as they could, he said it was just enough to make ends meet.

“There’s just not enough jobs there for us.”

Since working full time, De Arruda Rocha said he’s not only been able to pay for his living expenses but also saved enough money to cover six months’ worth.

“I’m also able to actually have dreams. For instance, I would love to have a car in the near future. I can save for that without being hungry at the end of the month,” he said.

Having the ability to save enough for an emergency is necessary for international students but won’t be in reach for many should the cap return, De Arruda Rocha said.

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Minister notes 40-hour workweek for students is “untenable”

In his announcement Thursday, Minister Miller noted that the government will continue to examine the options for the policy in the future to possibly expand off-campus work hours to 30 hours per week while class is in session.

“The main purpose for an international student to be in Canada is to study. However, since most students are currently halfway through the school year and some are working full-time to meet their needs, we will extend the temporary policy that has allowed eligible international students to work more than 20 hours per week until April 30, 2024, the end of the academic year,” Miller said.

He noted that a 40-hour workweek for students is “untenable” and is not “reflective of a student experience.”

Pinto agreed students need to balance their hours between their work and studies. However, De Arruda Rocha added that international students are more than capable of working 40 hours and managing schoolwork.

“Most know they’ll have to work to achieve great things,” he said.

“We’re not afraid to work, and we’re not afraid to move things around to find time to study and work because at the end of the day, we’re all adults, and we all have responsibilities.”

“In order to come to a new country, you need to be brave, and you need to be reliant. You need to be able to afford changes to your lifestyle,” he added.

So, imposing a limit to the number of hours international students can work off campus, De Arruda Rocha said, “makes us worried about things that we shouldn’t actually be putting so much energy into.”

Students will be left asking themselves, “Am I going to be able to eat today? Or should I skip a meal? Should I should skip my lunch to just have dinner?” the international student added.

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