Canada has once again changed up the rules for international students. As per the latest announcement by Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller, international students can only work off-campus for a maximum of 24 hours per week. This rule was brought into effect from Tuesday - May 1 onwards and will remain until stated otherwise.
In 2023, Canada has revised the work hour limits for international students and allowed them to work for over 20 hours per week. This temporary policy, however, ended on April 30, 2024.
By fixing the off-campus work hours for students, the Canadian Government aims to allow students to completely focus on their studies.
"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," stated Marc Miller, the Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
“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 program," Miller added further.
The 20-hour cap on working hours for international students was lifted in order to combat Canada's labour shortage crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As per recent studies, international students working more than 28 hours per week in the US and Canada have shown a decline in their academic performance. With this decline, the risk of students dropping out also increases.
Along with setting a cap on the working limits for international students, the Canadian government has also stated that students who enroll in a college programme through a public-private curriculum arrangement on or after May 15, 2024, will not be eligible for a post-graduate work permit in the country.
The students who have enrolled and started this programme before May 15 will be eligible for a work permit, only if they meet all required criteria listed by the government.
