Work on campus

Foreign nationals coming to Canada as students are allowed to work on or on campus without a work permit if:

  • you are a full-time student at:
    • a public post-secondary institution, such as a college or university, or a collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) in Quebec or
    • a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as a public institution, and receives at least 50 per cent of its financing for its overall operations from government grants (currently only private college-level educational institutions in Quebec qualify) or
    • a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees and
  • you have a valid study permit.

NOTE: You must stop working on-campus on the day you no longer meet the above eligibility requirements (e.g., if you are no longer a full-time student.)

Work off campus

Study permit holders in Canada may gain work experience by working off campus while completing their studies with an open work permit. As of June 1, 2014, you may qualify to work off campus without a work permit. This allows students to:

  • work up to 20 hours per week during regular academic sessions and
  • work full-time during scheduled breaks, such as the winter and summer holidays or spring break.

To qualify, you must:

  • have a valid study permit,
  • be a full-time student,
  • be enrolled at a designated learning institution at the post-secondary level or, in Quebec, a vocational program at the secondary level, and
  • be studying in an academic, vocational or professional training program that leads to a degree, diploma or certificate that is at least six months in duration.

NOTE: You must stop working on the day you no longer meet any of the above eligibility requirements session.