Studying in Canada: Work permits for students

It is possible to work in Canada while you are here as a student, and there are opportunities for jobs on and off campus. You will need to apply.

 Working on campus

You may work on campus at the institution where you study 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
  • a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as a public institution, and receives at least 50 percent 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.

Working off campus
 

The Off-Campus Work Permit Program allows certain foreign students to work off campus while completing their studies. To qualify, you must be a full-time student enrolled at a participating publicly funded post-secondary educational institution or in an approved program at an eligible privately funded institution.

Participating publicly funded post-secondary educational institutions:

• are public post-secondary institutions, such as a college or university or a collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) in Quebec or
• are private post-secondary institutions that operate under the same rules and regulations as public institutions, and receive at least 50 percent of their financing for their overall operations from government grants (currently only private college-level educational institutions in Quebec qualify) and
• have signed an off-campus work agreement with their provincial or territorial government.

Eligible privately funded post-secondary institutions:

• are located in a province or territory that has signed a memorandum of understanding with CIC
• have signed an off-campus work agreement with their provincial or territorial government and
• have approval from their provincial or territorial government to grant specific degrees.
•  

Co-op and internship programs

For some academic programs, work experience is part of the curriculum. Foreign students who wish to participate in a co-op or internship program must apply for a work permit as well as a study permit.

Who can apply

To be eligible for a work permit, you must meet the following conditions:

• You must have a valid study permit.
• Your intended employment must be an essential part of your program of study in Canada.
• Your employment must be part of your academic program, certified by a letter from a responsible academic official of the institution.
• Your co-op or internship employment cannot form more than 50 percent of the total program of study.

How to apply

There are four steps to apply for a work permit:

1. Obtain an application package.
2. Read the guide.
3. Complete the application form and attach the necessary documents.
4. Mail the application form and documents.

Working after graduation
 

If you want to work in Canada after you graduate from your studies, you must apply for a work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program.

Post-Graduation Work Permit Program

The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program allows students who have graduated from a participating Canadian post-secondary institution to gain valuable Canadian work experience.

A work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program may be issued for the length of the study program, up to a maximum of three years. A Post-Graduation work permit cannot be valid for longer than the student’s study program, and the study program must be a minimum of eight months in length. For example, if you graduate from a four-year degree program, you could be eligible for a three-year work permit if you meet the criteria. If you graduate from an eight-month certificate program, you would be eligible for a work permit that is valid for no more than eight months. 

Work available to your spouse or common-law partner

Eligibility

Your spouse or common-law partner may apply for a work permit if:

• you are a full-time student at:
  • a public post-secondary institution, such as a college or university or collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) in Quebec
  • a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as a public institution, and receives at least 50 percent 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
• you have a valid study permit

Validity

Work permits for your spouse or common-law partner are valid for the same period of time as your study permit.

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Studying in Canada: Study permits

To study in Canada, you may need a study permit, and/or a temporary resident visa, though not everyone must have these documents.

Before you apply
 

Before you can apply for a study permit, you must have been accepted at a recognized school, university or college in Canada.You can find information on how to choose a school, college or university in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.

  Who can apply

In most cases, you must obtain a study permit if you want to study in Canada.

To be eligible to study in Canada

• You must have been accepted by a school, college, university or other educational institution in Canada.
• You must prove that you have enough money to pay for your:
  • tuition fees
  • living expenses for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada and
  • return transportation for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada.
• You must be a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record and not be a risk to the security of Canada. You may have to provide a police certificate.
• You must be in good health and willing to complete a medical examination, if necessary.
• You must satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your authorized stay.

Arriving

When you arrive in Canada, you will be met by an officer from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) at a point of entry, such as an airport. The CBSA is responsible for border and point of entry activities in Canada.

• The documents you need to enter Canada
• Citizens or residents of the United States, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon and Greenland
• Disclosure of funds
• Understanding the terms and conditions of your study permit
• Leaving and coming back to Canada
• Health insurance

Extending your stay

If you want to extend your stay in Canada as a student, you must complete the Application to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada. Check the expiry date on your study permit, and make sure you apply before that date. You should apply for renewal at least 30 days before your current permit expires.

Note: Children who are less than 17 years of age and studying in Canada without a parent or legal guardian must complete and include the Custodianship declaration  with their study permit application. 

If you apply for a renewal of your study permit, and the permit expires before you receive an answer, you can continue to study in Canada under the same conditions until you receive a decision.

You should apply to renew your study permit if you intend to travel outside Canada and your permit will expire while you are travelling.

You cannot extend your study permit beyond the expiry date on your passport.

If your study permit has expired, and you have not applied for an extension, you must leave Canada.

Dual Intent

To clarify communication and operations in the study permit process with respect to the concept of “dual intent” by:

• Defining “dual intent’;
• Reaffirming that a study permit will not be refused based on “dual intent’; and
• Clarifying what steps a student must take in the application process.

For more information please visit our site Future Concern or FaceBook

Studying in Canada

More than 90,000 students come to study in Canada every year and even more come to Canada to learn English or French. Foreign students bring a rich culture to our classrooms. Your knowledge and skills are welcome in our schools.

In Canada, the provinces and territories have jurisdiction over education. For more detailed information on living and studying in a specific province or territory, contact the school where you wish to study. visit FaceBook

Studying in Canada: Information for educational institutions

You will find here information of specific use to educational institutions and organizations.

Partnering in the International Student Program

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) recognizes that the key to an effective and dynamic international student program is in strong partnerships with provincial educational authorities, institutions and organizations. For this reason CIC created the Advisory Committee on International Students and Immigration to bring together essential stakeholders in international education. In addition, CIC also works closely with other government departments, such as the Canada Border Services Agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) to develop coordinated strategies and promote international marketing efforts led by DFAIT.

The Partner Portal is available to educational institutions, provinces and territories that are participating in the Off-Campus Work Permit Program. From the Partner Portal, users will be able to access the Electronic Notification System (ENS).

The Quick Start Guide provides step-by-step instructions for designated institutional representatives on how to obtain a personal identification number in order to access ENS.

Keeping up to date on program changes

The content below is offered in PDF format. For more information or to download the appropriate viewer, check the Help page.

Find out the most recent changes to CIC policy and procedures by consulting the published operational bulletins, which are updated regularly.

CIC operational manuals are available online and are updated periodically. They detail how CIC processes all types of applications, including study permits (Overseas Processing (OP) Manual 12 (PDF, 350 KB)).

Information is also available about the concept of dual intent and how it is dealt with in the study permit process.

Working and immigration opportunities for students

International students and their spouses may be eligible to work in Canada during and after their studies through a number of work permit programs. Working in Canada can provide a source of income while they study, give them valuable work experience, help them make business contacts for the future, and even allow them to immigrate after their graduation.

If international students have work experience in Canada through work permit options available to graduates of Canadian post-secondary institutions, they could qualify for permanent resident status in Canada through the Canadian Experience Class. This video explains how it works.

International students wishing to do volunteer work may require a work permit and an HRSDC confirmation. Read about what constitutes work and volunteer work. For guidelines regarding co-ops and internships, refer to section 5.10 of OP12 (PDF, 350 KB) and section 5.38 of FW 1 (PDF, 1,46 MB).

Applying for a study permit and online services

Most clients can now apply online for some CIC services. CIC’s e-suite of services allows clients in Canada to apply on-line for study permits, work permits, including the post-graduation work permit, and extensions to visitor visas.

This guide describes the Off-Campus Work Permit Program, its requirements and conditions, and the responsibilities of both students and designated institutional representatives. It also explains how to access and use ENS.

Find out what letters of acceptance (PDF, 678 KB) from institutions should include to avoid delays in processing. The letter of acceptance is the best tool to communicate concise and relevant information to the immigration officer about your program. Both originals and copies of letters of acceptance are accepted by immigration offices in Canada and abroad. If the letter of acceptance does not provide sufficient detail regarding the special nature of the program, include additional documents that do so. This may include a program description, the selection criteria, financial arrangements, scholarship and employment opportunities, etc. This will help the immigration officer to better understand the program the student has applied for.

Education agents

Educational institutions are invited to share with their agents the following best practices in order to protect students, to ensure the highest possible success rate and to avoid delays in the processing of applications:

• Apply early and be aware of processing times in Canada and at visa offices.
• Refrain from sending case status requests until after the processing times have been reached.
• Share all communications from institutions and CIC with clients.
• Ensure your students understand the “Use of representative (PDF, 36 KB)” form (IMM 5476) and the responsibilities and obligations required of third-party representatives.
• Be clear about additional service fees.
• Always act in the best interest of the student.
• Where a group of students will enter the same program in Canada, submit the applications together in a group submission. It can significantly reduce the amount of clerical work required in our office. Program description details (see above) need only be included once as part of a covering package.

Education agents should be aware that Bill C-35: An Act to Amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act impacts student recruitment activities. Education agents who, for example, provide advice exclusively related to educational matters or services, such as directing someone to the CIC website for information on immigration programs or to access immigration application forms, will continue to be able to do so. However, people who previously provided paid advice on immigration matters related to student recruitment—such as applying for a study permit, a re-entry visa or a status extension—without being recognized as an authorized immigration representative will need to either seek authorization or refer relevant cases to an authorized representative who is:

• A member in good standing of the law society of a province or territory, including paralegals and students-at-law, if they act under the supervision of a lawyer or a notary in Quebec; or
• A member in good standing of the Chambre des notaires du Québec; or
• A member in good standing of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council.

A limited number of organizations that have an agreement with the Government of Canada—such as visa application centres—can provide services to assist people with an application under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. However, they are only authorized to provide the services specified in their agreement or arrangement.

Minor students

Use these guidelines to determine the immigration documents which minors who are foreign students should have when applying to your school.

CIC’s Teachers and Youth Web Corner provides teachers across the country with educational tools regarding citizenship, Canadian identity, multiculturalism and immigration while giving youth a fun path to learning.visit our site Future Concern or Face Book