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International Students Living in Canada Can Work Off-Campus for At Least 20 Hours A Week

Post by : Admin on Oct 12,2022

According to Statistics Canada, the unemployment rate in Canada dropped from 5.4% in August to 5.2% in September. That means Canada needs to do whatever is necessary to fix its labour shortages and unemployment issues. Thus, the Immigration Minister, Sean Fraser, announced that international students could work over 20 hours per week off-campus from 15th November 2022 to 31st December 2023.

Currently, international students can work off-campus for up to 20 hours every week. They are, however, exempted from the limit during scheduled breaks. Canada had to ease the limit for the time being to manage almost a million job vacancies.

How Does This Temporary Measure Help International Students?

According to the current norms, international students living in Canada can work up to 20 hours a week. This policy helps them support themselves financially and get their studies done simultaneously. It is, however, going to change temporarily from 15th November 2022 to 31st December 2023.

The new policy would allow the students to work over 20 hours per week. This temporary measure will allow the students to work more hours. It could be their opportunity to integrate into the Canadian labour market quickly and contribute to the economy as well. They can also boost their Canadian work experience and land better prospects in the future.

What are the Eligibility Requirements for International Students to Work Off-Campus?

The international students must live in Canada. They should have an off-campus work authorization on their study permits in Edmonton, Alberta or any other province.

The new policy also applies to foreign nationals who have recently submitted their study permit. You can work for over 20 hours once the IRCC approves your applications.

Canada Welcomes International Students From All Over The World

Despite the labour shortages and unemployment issues, Canada is still one of the most sought-after study destinations for international students. And why wouldn't it be?

The high-quality education system, work opportunities, multiculturalism and the affordability of the Canadian dollar make this country quite desirable among students.

The temporary measure to let international students work more than 20 hours a week shows Canada wants to welcome more students from all parts of the world. Also, the country welcomed over 620 000 international students in 2021 and issued almost 450 000 study permits.

Sean Fraser also pointed out that Canada has already processed at least 452,000 study permits between January and August 2022. In the last year, however, the country processed 367,000 applications only for the same period. According to the CBIE, most international students are interested in acquiring PR status after completing their studies. So, that brings us to the next section.

International Students are Key Sources of Permanent Residents in Canada

International students in Canada play a great role in strengthening its economy. Thus, Canada wants more international students to acquire permanent residences here. In 2021, for instance, Canada relied on international students to achieve over 405,000 new immigrants through the Canadian Experience Class.  

IRCC also disclosed a TR2PR program in 2021, allowing almost 90,000 temporary residents to apply for PR. Fraser already created a five-pillar strategy for the Government to help temporary residents acquire PR status. Express Entry is one of the most convenient ways for temporary foreign workers and international students to acquire permanent residency here. We can expect to understand the strategy better once the Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025 is out by 1st November.

What’s All The Hype About Post-Graduation Work Permits?

Before you learn about PGWP, let’s understand an open work permit. The open work permit lets foreign nationals work for any preferred employer in Canada. So, the PGWP allows eligible international students to acquire an open work permit. The validity period (three years) corresponds with the length of their educational program in Canada.

Once you have the PGWP, you can also be eligible for economic class immigration programs through Canadian work experience. The majority of PGWP holders opt for the Canadian Experience Class program to acquire permanent residence here.

You can also get the PR through Quebec and PNP streams. This is expected to encourage students to stay in that province and continue contributing to the labour market.

Achieve your Canadian Immigration Goals With Onkar Immigration

Are you an international student planning to acquire a work permit in Canada? Do you need  a study permit to fulfill your study goals in this country? Are you struggling to get hold of the PGWP? Leave all your immigration concerns at Onkar Immigration. Our immigration consultants in Edmonton and Alberta guide you through all the application processes and help you get the permit you need.