International Students Temporarily Allowed to Work Unlimited Hours in Canada

International students in Canada will be temporarily allowed to work an unlimited number of hours off-campus starting November 15. The 20-hour-a-week limit has been lifted till December next year for now. 

The new policy only applies to students studying full-time in the country and intends to address Canada’s severe labor shortage. The move will also help reduce the financial burden on international students while securing them from exploitation at the hands of “unscrupulous employers”. The 20-hour cap often led to international students working extended hours without protection. 

The relaxation was announced by Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister, Sean Fraser, on Friday. “There are more job opportunities than there are workers in almost every community in Canada… (The policy) will actually create a better opportunity for students to not fall victim to an individual employer they may be beholden to,” he said. 

Additionally, Canada has also asked Indian students not to start working before the start of their program. 

“Please note that while some study permits allow you to work in Canada, you can only start working when your study program has started, not before,” the High Commission of Canada in India stated in a tweet. 

An advisory has also been issued informing students arriving for the Fall/Winter intake that border services officers will check if their DLIs (Designated Learning Institutes) have permitted them to arrive late or approved their deferral. 

As of August 2022, over 230,000 students from India were enrolled in post-secondary institutions in Canada.