Please note, all of our information is taken directly from the Government of Canada webpage dedicated to student permits.
1. Study Permits
The study permit is a document that allows foreign nationals to study at designated learning institutions (DLI) in Canada. Most foreign nationals need a study permit to study in Canada. Please note that your study permit is not a visa. It doesn’t let you enter Canada. You may also need a visitor visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA). If your study permit is approved, an eTA will also be issued to you.
How long can you stay in Canada with a study permit?
A study permit is usually valid for the length of your study program, plus an extra 90 days. The 90 days let you prepare to leave Canada or apply to extend your stay.
1. If you’re taking prerequisite courses
If your school asks you to take courses before they accept you into the main program (you have conditional acceptance), your study permit will be valid for the length of those courses, plus 1 year. When you get accepted into the main program, you must then apply to extend your stay as a student.
2. If you’ll finish your studies after your study permit expires
If you don’t finish your courses before the date on your permit, you must apply to extend your stay as a student. If you don’t, you’ll need to stop studying and leave Canada.
3. If you finish your studies before your study permit expires
If you finish your studies early, your permit will stop being valid 90 days after you complete your studies, no matter what day is printed on the study permit.
You’ve completed your studies on the date your school first notifies you by completion letter, transcript, degree or diploma.
You must provide proof of the date your school notifies you, or the date you get your degree, diploma or certificate. If you don’t have proof, we’ll use the earliest issue date on the document. We may confirm this date with your school.
Can you go back home while studying?
Yes. If you leave Canada during your studies, you may need to show proof you’re enrolled in your school when you return to Canada. If you have a visitor visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA), it must still be valid when you return to Canada.
2. Working while studying
You can work on campus when you start your study program. You can’t work before your studies begin.
On-campus
You can work as an international student in Canada if your study permit lists a condition that says you’re allowed to work on- or off-campus. You can work on your school campus, without a work permit, if you:
- are a full-time post-secondary student at a:
- public post-secondary school, such as a college or university, or CEGEP in Quebec
- private college-level school in Quebec that operates under the same rules as public schools, and is at least 50% funded by government grants, or
- Canadian private school that can legally award degrees under provincial law
- have a valid study permit, and
- have a Social Insurance Number (SIN).
Off-campus
You and your employer must make sure you can work off campus without a work permit before you start working. If you start working off campus but don’t meet the requirements, you may have to leave Canada.
You can only start working in Canada when your study program has started. You can’t work before you start your studies.
If you’re able to work during your studies, it’ll say so in the conditions on your study permit.
Eligibility requirements
You can work off campus without a work permit if you meet all of these requirements:
- you’re a full-time student at a designated learning institution (DLI)
- you’re enrolled in
- a post-secondary academic, vocational or professional training program or
- a secondary-level vocational training program (Quebec only)
- your study program
- is at least 6 months long and
- leads to a degree, diploma or certificate
- you’ve started studying
- you have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)
If you’re a part-time student
You can work off campus only if:
- you meet all of the requirements above and
- you’re only studying part-time, instead of full-time, because:
- you’re in the last semester of your study program and you don’t need a full course load to complete your program and
- you were a full-time student in your program in Canada, up until your last semester
If you’re on an authorized leave
If you’re on an authorized leave from your studies, or you’re switching schools and you’re not studying, you can’t work off campus. You can only return to work once you’re back to studying.
Get a Social Insurance Number to work in Canada
A SIN is a 9 digit number that the Government of Canada gives you. You need one to work in Canada.
To apply for a SIN to work off campus, you must have 1 of these conditions printed on your study permit:
- May work 20 hours per week off campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in paragraph 186(v) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
- May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria, per paragraph R186(f), (v) or (w) and must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria.
If your study permit doesn’t have work conditions on it
You can ask to have these conditions added if you’re eligible to work off campus. There’s no fee to add these conditions to your permit.
You’ll need to request an amendment to your study permit before you can apply for a SIN from Service Canada.
How many hours you can work off campus
During regular school terms/semesters
You can work up to 20 hours per week.
During scheduled breaks in the school year
You can work full-time if you’re on a scheduled break, such as winter and summer holidays, or a fall or spring reading week. You’re free to work overtime or work 2 part-time jobs that add up to a higher than usual number of hours.
You must be a full-time student both before and after the break to work full-time.
You can’t work during a break that comes before you start your very first school semester.
How many hours count as full-time work
There is no set number of hours per week that counts as ‘full-time’ work. However, your employer(s) must follow all provincial laws on overtime pay and time between shifts.
If your program doesn’t have scheduled breaks
You can work up to 20 hours per week.
Working more than 20 hours per week is a violation of your study permit conditions. You can lose your student status for doing this, and may not be approved for a study or work permit in the future. You may also have to leave the country.
Who can’t work off campus
You can’t work off campus without a work permit if any of these situations apply to you:
- your study permit says you aren’t authorized to work off campus while you study
- you’re only enrolled in an English or French as a second language (ESL/FSL) program
- you’re only taking general interest courses
- you’re only taking courses required to be accepted into a full-time program
- your situation changes and you no longer meet all of the requirements to work off campus
If any of these situations apply to you, and you want to work while studying in Canada, you need to apply for a work permit.
3. Working after you complete your study program
After you complete your study program, there are 2 ways you may be able to work full-time:
- you already applied for a work permit before your study permit expired or
- you’re starting a new study program
You need to meet all the requirements listed below to work full-time. If we refuse your work or study permit application, you must stop working and leave Canada.
If you already applied for a work permit
You can work full-time if you meet all of these requirements:
- You were already able to work off campus during your studies
- You applied for a work permit or post-graduation work permit (PGWP) before your study permit expired
- You’re waiting for a decision on your work permit application
If you’re starting a new study program
You can work full-time if you meet all of these requirements:
- You were already able to work off campus during your previous studies
- You have a valid study permit or you applied to extend your study permit before it expired
- You received written confirmation from your current school that you completed your program
- You received a letter of acceptance to a new full-time study program at a DLI
- You’ll start your new program within 150 calendar days of receiving the confirmation that you completed your previous program