Working in Canada
Working in Canada During Your Studies
As an international student, if you plan to work while you study, you do not need to apply for a work permit to work in Canada.
However, it is crucial to inform the immigration officer at Canada's border of your intent to work while you study so that they can mark your study permit with "May accept employment" or "May work."
International students may work in Canada while studying, depending on their registration status and employment location. International students cannot work before their studies begin.
If you are eligible to work during your studies, Canada's immigration regulations permit three types of employment for international students:
There is no maximum number of hours you can work when it comes to on-campus work, but the hours must follow provincial labour standards .
Important!
If your student status changes to part-time, or you take a leave from studies, you must stop working immediately. If you have a part-time registration status during your final term of study, you continue to be eligible to work.
Please note: If you work as a teaching or research assistant, and your work is strictly related to a research grant, you can work on or off-campus at a library, hospital, or research facility associated with the University of Alberta.
ESL, Exchange and visiting students may work on campus if they hold a valid study permit and are registered full-time. They must apply for study permits outside of Canada and have the required work conditions on their study permit.
After you arrive on campus, find out how to apply for your Social Insurance Number (SIN).
You do not need a work permit to work off-campus. You must have a valid study permit with the remarks "May accept employment" or "May work" and be enrolled full-time in an academic, vocational or professional training program that leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate (ESL/ELP programs are not eligible).
If you take a leave from studies or your student status changes to "part-time," you must stop working immediately. If you have a part-time registration status during your final term of study, you continue to be eligible to work.
Exchange and visiting students may work off-campus if you hold a valid study permit with the remarks "May accept employment" or "May work" and are registered full-time. You must apply for study permits from outside Canada and have the required work conditions in your study permit.
You need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) to work on or off campus. Find out how to apply for a Social Insurance Number.
You can:
- Work off-campus up to 20 hours per week during regular terms (fall and winter) and full-time during regularly scheduled breaks (including spring, summer, winter break, and reading weeks)
- Work full-time if you completed your program of study and applied for a post-graduation work permit with a valid study permit within 90 days of finishing your program.
If you have completed your program of study and have not applied for a post-graduate work permit, you are not authorized to continue working off-campus beyond your program completion date.
ELP, Open Studies, and Special Students - you are not eligible to work off-campus because your program of study does not meet the eligibility requirements for working off-campus and will not lead to a degree.
You are eligible to work on campus, provided you are in full-time studies (9 credits or more) and have a valid study permit containing the remarks "May accept employment" or "May work."
Students studying in a program that requires a co-op, internship or practicum placement as part of their curriculum must apply for a Co-op Work Permit. Co-op Work Permits are for programs with mandatory work components such as co-op/internship programs or programs with practicums only. Visit the International Services Centre to speak with an International Student Advisor for information on how to apply.
More information on Co-op Work
Co-op Work Permit COVID-19 Program Delivery Updates
Updated January 19, 2021
The Government of Canada announced temporary measures that provide students with the opportunity to begin their co-op work placement before their co-op work permit is issued.
The measures differ depending on where the student will be when starting their co-op placement.
Students Who Will be Outside Canada:
If the student is outside of Canada at the start of their co-op placement, they can start their co-op placement if both their school and employer agree.
They can either:
- accept a Canadian work placement and begin working remotely from their home country
- work for a company in their home country
Students Who Will be Inside Canada:
Students who are already in Canada, and have applied for a co-op work permit, may start their co-op placement using their on and off-campus work authorization, provided they meet all the eligibility requirements.
On-Campus Co-op Placements:
Students may start working full-time if their co-op placement is on campus and they are full-time students as per [ R186(f) ].
Off-Campus Co-op Placements:
Students may start working a total of 20 hours per week during Fall and Winter terms as per [R186(v)]. While working a total of 20 hours/week during the co-op placement, the student should not have any other off-campus employment.
Students may start working full-time if their co-op placement takes place during scheduled breaks.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Students with refused co-op applications must stop their co-op work immediately.
All University of Alberta graduate students on a Study Permit can work an unlimited number of hours per week on campus and up to 20 hours a week off-campus.
Thesis-based graduate students are permitted to work 20 hours per week off-campus year-round.
Course-based graduate students can work 20 hours a week off-campus during academic sessions and full-time during regularly scheduled breaks.
Part-time registration periods or periods of authorized leaves that exceed 150 days may harm future post-graduation work-permit applications and could be interpreted as not "studying continuously." Students must provide additional documentation to explain these periods when applying for a post-graduation work permit.
Visit the International Services Centre for more information on working on or off-campus.
Working in Canada After Graduation
The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) allows international students who have graduated from eligible Canadian designated learning institutions (DLIs) to obtain an open work permit that allows them to gain valuable Canadian work experience.
Undergraduate Students
If you are eligible to work during your final semester, you can continue to work 20 hours/week off campus until your Program Completion Letter gets issued. Once your program letter is issued, you must stop working.
Important note: Your completion letter will not be automatically issued. You should request your completion letter once all your final grades get posted to your Beartracks account.
Graduate Students
You must stop working once you receive an email from the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS - previously known as FGSR) that confirms completion of your graduate program. Important note: your completion letter will not be automatically issued. You will need to request it by emailing grad.mail@ualberta.ca.
Note for both Undergraduate and Graduate PGWP applicants:
Students who meet the requirements for IRCC temporary policy may be eligible to work more than 20 hours/week off campus until confirmation of their program completion becomes available.
Working While Waiting for the PGWP to be Processed:
Once you submit your PGWP application to IRCC, you can immediately start working full-time while the application is under process - as long as you meet the following requirements:
- Your study permit is valid at the time you submit your PGWP application.
- You apply within 90 days of the issued date of the completion letter.
- Your study permit authorizes you to work off-campus (your study permit must have a condition listed on it that authorizes you to work off campus).
- You did not work more than the allowable hours of work (20 hours per week off campus during regular academic terms) except for the time period during which the temporary policy was in effect
NOTE: A Study Permit becomes invalid in one of the following ways (whichever comes first):
- The expiry date listed on the permit, OR
- 90 days after program completion date
If you submit your PGWP application on the same day your Program Completion Letter becomes available, you may continue to work without any gaps in your employment. If you are unable to submit your PGWP application on the same day your Completion Letter becomes available, you must not engage in any employment activity until you submit your PGWP application and if you meet all the eligibility requirements listed above, you may start full-time work after you submit your PGWP application to IRCC.