International students are now eligible to work more hours off campus

Last Friday, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the government would temporarily remove the 20-hour cap on the number of hours international students can work off-campus to address labour shortages.

From November 15, 2022, until December 31, 2023, international students enrolled in full-time studies in Canada and who have off-campus work authorization on their study permit will not be restricted by the 20-hour-per-week rule.

This measure will provide many international students with a greater opportunity to gain valuable work experience in Canada, and will increase the availability of workers to sustain Canada’s post-pandemic growth. With more than 500,000 international students already in Canada available to potentially work additional hours, this temporary change reflects the important role international students can play in addressing our labour shortage, while continuing to pursue their studies. 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.