Canada to Reset Part-time Work Rights at 24 hours per Week

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has confirmed an end to Covid-era unlimited work rights and confirmed that international students will be able to work off campus for 24 hours per week from September.

In a statement yesterday, Minister Marc Miller confirmed that the temporary policy introduced during the pandemic that allowed international students to work beyond regular restrictions will end as planned today (April 30th, 2024).

The Minister said that from the coming fall semester, eligible post-secondary international students will be able to work up to 24 hours per week off campus – an increase over the pre-Covid limit of 20 hours.

“Students who come to Canada must be here to study. As such, allowing students to work up to 24 hours per week will ensure they focus primarily on their studies, while having the option to work, if necessary,” IRCC said.

Part-time work rights will be reset at 24 hours per week from the next academic year.

The government said that in developing the change, it examined the needs of students, policies in rival destinations, and research on the impact of work on academic outcomes – which it said can decline considerably when students work more than 28 hours per week.

Minister Miller said, “Working off campus helps international students gain work experience and offset some of their expenses. As international students arrive in Canada, we want them to be prepared for life here and have the support they need to succeed. However, first and foremost, people coming to Canada as students must be here to study, not work. We will continue working to protect the integrity of our student program.”

In December last year, IRCC doubled the amount of savings that international students need to prove when applying for a study permit.