International students can now work off-campus full time in Canada

International students in Canadian educational institutes will no longer have a 20-hour limit on their off-campus jobs, says the Liberal government.

Last month, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) announced that beginning November 15, the 20-hour-per-week limit will be temporarily lifted for eligible post-secondary students, even when class is in session.

The new rules will end in just over a year on December 31, 2023.

International Students: we are temporarily lifting the 20-hour-per-week cap on the number of hours that students in Canada are allowed to work off-campus while class is in session: https://t.co/GW6giiJTaR

(thread⬇️) pic.twitter.com/XmE2YPZAIk

— IRCC (@CitImmCanada) October 7, 2022

To be eligible for this, you must have an active study permit or have submitted an application for one before October 7. If you weren’t in Canada yet, you should still have been able to apply.

The IRCC says this move will not only help boost Canada’s economy and address the labour shortage, but also let international students have Canadian work experience and open doors in the workforce for the future.

“Study permit holders are still expected to balance their study and work commitments, as those who stop studying or reduce course loads to only study part-time are not eligible to work off-campus,” the feds announced.

Currently, there are more than half a million international students in the country.

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The IRCC is also launching a pilot program to automate the process of student permit extensions this month in order to reduce application processing time and improve client services.

Aside from lifting the limit of off-campus work hours, the Government of Canada has been taking several steps to benefit international students and fresh grads. This includes allowing students with an expired or expiring post-grad work permit to get an 18-month extension with an additional open work permit.

Back in August, the government announced that certain international students studying off-shore will be able to complete 100% of their program online without affecting their eligibility for a post-graduation work permit. This includes students who submitted a study permit application before August 31, 2022.

Study time completely abroad after September 1 next year will be deducted from the length of their post-grad work permit, regardless of where the studies began.

“With the economy growing at a faster rate than employers can hire new workers, Canada needs to look at every option so that we have the skills and workforce needed to fuel our growth,” said Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Immigration Sean Fraser.

“Immigration will be crucial to addressing our labour shortage.”

To find out more about off-campus work eligibility, check out IRCC’s guide and FAQs here.