New rules around off-campus work hours for international students

Credit to Author: Canadian Immigrant| Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2024 16:36:26 +0000

Canada’s temporary public policy allowing some international students to work-off campus more than 20 hours per week officially ends on April 30, 2024.

The policy was initially introduced back in November 2022, at a time when employers across the country were facing significant labour shortages in the post-pandemic economy. The goal was to fill these labour market needs by allowing students to work more hours off-campus during the school year.

Starting September, Canada intends to change the number of hours students may work off campus per week to 24 hours. This will ensure they focus primarily on their studies, while having the option to work, if necessary.

In developing this change, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has looked at the needs of students, policies in other countries, as well as research that has shown that academic outcomes suffer the more a student works while studying. It also strikes the appropriate balance so students have the option to work without compromising academic outcomes.

According to Immigration Minister Marc Miller, “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.”

Students who have a scheduled academic break can continue working unlimited hours, says the news release from IRCC.

The post New rules around off-campus work hours for international students first appeared on Canadian Immigrant.
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