Explainer: Which int’l students in Canada can apply for off-campus work permit

Canada has extended this temporary measure to foreign nationals who have already submitted a study permit application as recently as on Friday. International students will also be able to benefit from this policy if Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada approve their application.

Eligibility of off-campus work permit for international students:

As reported by CIC News, having a valid study permit is a must for international students.

They must be studying full time at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) .

The students must be part of an academic, vocational or professional training programme which is of 6 months duration. 

Apart from this, they must also remain in satisfactory academic standing.

The student must also have a social insurance number (SIN)

As per the report, if a student’s situation changes during their time working and they no longer meet any eligibility criteria, they must stop working off-campus.

Also Read: Canada immigration: Authorities to make three major changes this month

The report also noted that if any student is no longer studying full time in an institute, they may be able to continue working off-campus on certain conditions.

List of students who are not eligible for off campus work:

As per CWS report, students who are enrolled in English or French as their as a Second Language (ESL or FSL) are not eligible for the off campus work permit.

Apart from this, students who are pursuing a general interest course or program are also ineligible. 

Visiting or exchange students at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI), it stated.

The report further states that the students who are taking authorised leave from their studies, switching schools and are not currently studying are all not eligible for off campus work permit.

Canada is currently dealing with labour shortages and an unemployment rate that is low by historical standards. 

Statistics Canada has reported that the country’s unemployment rate fell to 5.2 per cent in September, down from 5.4 per cent in August.

At present, the rule is that international students who apply to study in a Canadian educational program may get authorized to work off-campus during their studies for up to 20 hours per week.

However, this limit is lifted during scheduled breaks such as the summer and winter holidays, allowing international students to support themselves financially.

With nearly a million job vacancies, this has resulted in the Canadian government easing this rule for the time being.

According to research by the Canadian Bureau for International Education, the majority of international students are interested in remaining in Canada as permanent residents upon completing their studies.

Canada is among the leading destinations for international students. In 2021 alone, it hosted over 620,000 international students.

Canada has already processed more than 452,000 study permit applications between January and August of 2022, a 23 per cent increase compared to the 367,000 processed over the same period in 2021.