Canada to limit off-campus work hours to 24 weekly from September

'Students who come to Canada must be here to study,' says country in new policy

Starting from the fall semester in September, Canada plans to limit off-campus work hours for international students to 24 per week.

Marc Miller, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, said in Ottawa on Monday that the temporary policy allowing international students to work more than 20 hours per week would end on April 30, according to a report in the Hindustan Times (HT).

“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,” said the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in a press release.

However, during scheduled summer breaks, students can work for unlimited hours, HT reported. A policy implemented during Covid-19 pandemic permitted international students to work up to 40 hours per week.

The IRCC also announced that international students commencing a college programme at a private institution under a licensing agreement with a public counterpart will not qualify for a post-graduate work permit upon graduation. This regulation will affect those admitted on or after May 15 this year.

The HT report quoted Miller as saying, “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 programmes."

The policy, as stated by the IRCC, aims to achieve the "appropriate balance" by offering students the opportunity to work while ensuring their academic pursuits are not compromised. It emphasised that students arriving in Canada should primarily be focused on their studies.

Indians form the largest group of international students in Canada. In 2023, out of the total 684,385 study permits issued, 278,860 were granted to students from India, the HT report said.