Who can work on-campus?
Not until you begin your study course program, you are not allowed to work as a student. You can’t work before your studies begin. You are only eligible for paid work in Canada the moment your study program begins.
Your study permit would include it as a condition that says you’re allowed to work on- or off-campus as a foreign student.
Exception to work on your school campus, without a work permit, can happen if you:
1. are a full-time secondary school graduate student at a:
- public college or university, or CEGEP in Quebec
- private college-level school in Quebec that uses the same policy as public schools, and has a minimum 50% government funding by grants, or
- Canadian private school that is approved to award degrees under provincial law
2. have a valid study permit, and
3. have a Social Insurance Number (SIN).
Ineligibility to work on campus
You must stop working on-campus:
- On completion of your full-time study program
- Duration of your study permit time elapses
- Once you are on break or approved absence from your studies
- if you’re switching schools and aren’t currently studying
Only once you’re back to studying and you qualify to work on-campus can you return to work not before.
Where you can work
“On-campus” means you can apply for work anywhere so long as it is on your school campus. In a case where your school has more than one campus, you are only allowed to work at the campus where you’re studying in most cases.
You can work at other locations if
- your place of work is teaching or research assistant and
- your place of work is directly linked to a research grant
In such scenario, you may work at a library, medical center or research facility linked to your school, even if they’re outside the campus.
Who you can work for
An “on-campus” employer can be:
- the college/university
- a faculty member
- a student organization
- yourself, if: your enterprise is physically located on-campus (for example: you own a coffee shop that is located on campus)
- a private business
- a private contractor that is an on-campus service provider to the school
Get a Social Insurance Number to work in Canada
The Government of Canada issues you a 9 digit number when you apply for it. This is your Social Insurance Number (SIN). This number, permits you to work in Canada and get government benefits and services.
You must have at least 1 of these conditions printed on your study permit before you can apply for a SIN to work on campus:
- Eligible for employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f), (v) or (w). Must stop work when you no longer meet these guidelines
- This permit does not permit the holder to take part in off campus employment in Canada. On campus employment however may be accepted if he meets eligibility criteria as per R186(f). Must stop work when you no longer meet these guidelines
If you qualify for employment on campus, but either of these conditions was not included on your study permit, you can request to have them added. There’s no expense to add these conditions to your permit.
An adjustment on your study permit must be requested before you can apply for a SIN from Service Canada.
Who can work off campus
You and your corporation should ensure you may work off campus with out a work permit before you begin operating. If you start operating off campus however don’t meet the necessities, you may need to depart Canada.
You can only start operating in Canada when your program for studies has started out. You can’t be employed before you start your program of study.
Eligibility requirements
You can be employed outside campus with out a work permit if you meet all of those requirements:
- you’re a complete-time student at a chosen mastering organization (DLI)
- you’re enrolled in a submit-secondary academic, vocational or professional training application or a secondary-degree vocational education application (Quebec most effective)
- your application is at least 6 months lengthy and leads to a degree, degree or certificate
- you’ve began studying
- you've got a Social Insurance Number (SIN)
If you’re a part-time student
You can work off campus if:
- you meet all the requirements above and
- you’re simplest studying component-time, in place of full-time, because: you’re in the closing semester of your application and also you don’t need a full direction load to complete your program study and
- you had been a complete-time student to your application in Canada, up till your closing semester
If you’re on a certified leave
If you’re on an approved absence from your study, or you’re switching colleges and you’re now not analyzing, you can’t work off campus. You can only go back to work once you’re back to school.
How many hours you could work off campus?
During regular college phrases/semesters:
You can work up to twenty hours in line with week.
During scheduled breaks within the school 12 months
You can work complete-time in case you’re on a scheduled vacation, consisting of winter and summer vacations, or a fall or spring reading week. You’re allowed to work additional time or work 2 part-time jobs that upload up to a higher than traditional range of hours.
You can’t work for the duration of a break that comes prior to your very first faculty semester.