Work in Canada | Off-campus Work | Post-Graduation Work Permit

Want to work while you are in Canada? Here is how!

Canada, over the past few years, has seen an abundance of international students from around the world and has provided various work opportunities to both, students and working professionals. Many post-secondary institutions offer a co-op (Co-operative Education) option to their academic programs, which allow students to work in Canada with salary in order to increase their competitiveness in the local job market.

How to work while studying in Canada?

Working part-time while studying can be a great way ease your finances and also gain some valuable work experience in your field of study. As an international student in Canada, you can work along with your studies, provided you:

have a verified study permit and are a full-time student
are studying for either a degree, diploma or certificate course
have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Given these, you are allowed 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. For more details please visit Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

On-Campus Employment

On-campus means being a working resource on your college/university campus itself. As long as you meet the requirements of on-campus employment, you do not need to apply for a work visa. For this you can consider:

Research Assistant or Teaching staff (depends on research grants)
In student organisations to uplift segments like sports, entertainment, etc.
In library or a hospital
Be self-employed or start a private business, including taking up a contract to provide on-campus services

Off-Campus Employment

Off-campus implies an area outside of your campus premises. As long as you meet the requirments of off-campus employment, you do not need to apply for a work visa.For this you can consider:

Paid work: Opportunities include working in cafés, bars, restaurants and hotels, farming or fruit picking, or sales and administration roles.
Tutoring: If you have existing qualifications or professional work experience, you might be able to get casual or part-time work in your field.
Internships: Paid or unpaid internships can be a great way to get exposure to professional, financial and creative industries.
Volunteering: There are many charities and non-government organisations (NGOs) in Canada and they always need volunteers to help out. It can be a great way to meet friends, get some hands-on work experience and give back to the community.

Work after Graduation

To be able to work in Canada once you’ve completed your studies, you can apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PWPP).PWPP work permits are valid for the same length of time of your initial study program (up to a maximum of three years) and let you work in any occupation, province, as well as change employers at any time.

Requirements and application of PWPP:

Graduate from a Designated Learning Institute (DLI) in Canada
Apply within 180 days of receiving written confirmation of the completion of the academic programme