Visa Information, Visa Requirements, Visa Application Guidelines, Immigration Rules and Inquiry

Work while you study in Canada

It is possible to work in Canada while you are here as a student. In some cases, you will need to apply for a student work permit.

Work on campus

You may work on campus at the institution where you study without a work permit if:

  • you are a full-time student at:
    • a public post-secondary institution, such as a college or university, or a collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) in Quebec or
    • a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as a public institution, and receives at least 50 per cent of its financing for its overall operations from government grants (currently only private college-level educational institutions in Quebec qualify) or
    • a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees and
  • you have a valid study permit.
You must stop working on-campus on the day you no longer meet the above eligibility requirements (e.g., if you are no longer a full-time student.)

Social Insurance Number

You need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) from Service Canada to work in Canada or to receive benefits and services from government programs.

You must have one of the following conditions or remarks printed on your study permit in order to apply for a SIN for on-campus work:
  • May accept employment on the campus of the institution at which registered in full-time studies
  • May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f), (v) or (w). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria
If your study permit does not have one of the above conditions or remarks, you must submit a request for an amendment to your study permit before you can apply for a SIN. There is no fee for this request.

How to apply for a Social Insurance Number

To apply for your Social Insurance Number (SIN), to obtain a confirmation of your SIN, or to amend your SIN record, simply gather all the required original proof of identity documents and take them to the nearest Service Canada point of service.

If everything is in order, you will get your SIN during your visit.

Note:

  • There is no fee to apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN).
  • On March 31, 2014, Service Canada began issuing SINs in paper format (confirmation of SIN letter). Production of the plastic SIN cards has stopped.
  • Original proof of identity documents are required to apply for a SIN; photocopies are not accepted.

Work off campus

Study permit holders in Canada may gain work experience by working off campus while completing their studies.

As of June 1, 2014, you may qualify to work off campus without a work permit. If you qualify, your study permit will allow you to:
  • work up to 20 hours per week during regular academic sessions and
  • work full-time during scheduled breaks, such as the winter and summer holidays or spring break.
To qualify, you must:
  • have a valid study permit,
  • be a full-time student,
  • be enrolled at a designated learning institution at the post-secondary level or, in Quebec, a vocational program at the secondary level, and
  • be studying in an academic, vocational or professional training program that leads to a degree, diploma or certificate that is at least six months in duration.
You must stop working on the day you no longer meet the above eligibility requirements (e.g., if you are no longer a full-time student during an academic session.)

Use the self-assessment tool to see if you are eligible to work off campus without a work permit.

Social Insurance Number

You need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) from Service Canada to work in Canada or to receive benefits and services from government programs.

You must have one of the following conditions or remarks printed on your study permit in order to apply for a SIN for off-campus work:
  • May work 20 hrs per week off-campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in section 186(v) of IRPR
  • May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f), (v) or (w). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria
If your study permit does not have one of the above conditions or remarks, you must submit a request for an amendment to your study permit before you can apply for a SIN. There is no fee for this request.

If your study permit has: This permit does not permit the holder to engage in off campus employment in Canada, printed on it and you have changed your program of study, you must apply to change the conditions of your study permit and pay the applicable fee.

Confirmation to work off campus

As of February 2, 2015, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is no longer issuing confirmation to work off campus documents. If you were previously issued a confirmation to work off campus document by CIC, you may continue to present it to Service Canada in order to apply for a SIN.


Work as a co–op student or intern

For some academic programs, work experience is part of the curriculum. Foreign students who wish to participate in a co-op or internship program must apply for a work permit as well as a study permit.

Determine your eligibility

To be eligible for a work permit, you must meet the following requirements:
  • You must have a valid study permit.
  • Your intended employment must be an essential part of your program of study in Canada.
  • Your employment must be part of your academic, vocational or professional training program offered by a designated learning institution, certified by a letter from a responsible academic official of the institution.
  • Your co-op or internship employment cannot form more than 50% (percent) of the total program of study.
You will not be eligible to work during your studies if:
  • you study English or French as a second language (ESL/FSL), or
  • you participate in general interest or preparatory courses.

How to Apply

There are three steps to apply for a work permit:

1. Determine how you will apply

There are two ways you can apply:

Apply online

To apply online you must have access to a scanner or camera to create electronic copies of your documents for uploading and have a valid credit card for payment. Determine your eligibility and apply online.

Note: If you provide an email address on your application, please ensure you check it regularly for automated emails from CIC regarding your case. Some spam filters block these emails, and clients are requested to ensure emails from CIC are not blocked. If you are unsure whether emails from CIC are being sent, please check your myCIC account on a regular basis.

Apply on paper

Please follow steps 2 to 4 below.

2. Get application package

The package includes the application guide and all the forms you need to fill out. Download the application package.

Read the guide carefully before you complete the application form. Photocopy the blank forms and use one as a working copy. Keep the working copy for your records.

3. Complete application and attach necessary documents

The application form contains instructions. Read those instructions and be sure to provide the required documents. If information or documents are missing, your application may be delayed. The document checklist in the application kit will enumerate the documents that you need to include.

Answer all questions carefully, completely and truthfully. Answers can be typed or handwritten (print clearly in black ink). Incomplete applications will not be processed. They will be returned to you. This will delay the application process.

There is no processing fee for this work permit.

4. Submit application

The application kit contains the mailing address where you must send your application.


Stay in Canada after graduation

To work in Canada after you graduate, you must apply for a work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP). If you want to stay in Canada as a permanent resident after you graduate, there are a number of programs available, each with its own requirements.

Get a post-graduation work permit

The PGWPP allows students who have graduated from a participating Canadian post-secondary institution to gain valuable Canadian work experience. Skilled Canadian work experience gained through the PGWPP helps graduates qualify for permanent residence in Canada through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

A work permit under the PGWPP may be issued for the length of the study program, up to a maximum of three years. A post-graduation work permit cannot be valid for longer than the student’s study program, and the study program must be a minimum of eight months in length. For example, if you graduate from a four-year degree program, you could be eligible for a three-year work permit if you meet the criteria. If you graduate from an eight-month certificate program, you would be eligible for a work permit that is valid for no more than eight months.

Eligibility — Work after graduation

To obtain a work permit after your graduation, you must meet the following requirements:
  • You must have studied full time in Canada and you must have completed a program of study that lasted at least eight months.
  • In addition, you must have graduated from:
    • a public post-secondary institution, such as a college, trade/technical school, university or CEGEP (in Quebec), or
    • a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as public institutions, or
    • a private secondary or post-secondary institution (in Quebec) offering qualifying programs of 900 hours or longer leading to a diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) or an attestation de spécialisation professionnelle (ASP), or
    • a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees but only if you are enrolled in one of the programs of study leading to a degree as authorized by the province and not in all programs of study offered by the private institution.
  • You must apply for a work permit within 90 days of receiving written confirmation (for example, a transcript or an official letter) from your institution indicating that you have met the requirements for completing your academic program.
  • You must have completed and passed the program of study and received a notification that you are eligible to obtain your degree, diploma or certificate.
  • You must have a valid study permit when you apply for the work permit.
NOTE: If you have graduated from a vocational or professional training program at a public or private secondary institution in Quebec, regulated by the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS), you may be eligible to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit. In addition, applicants must:
  • Be 18 years of age or older at the time of application
  • Have a valid study permit when you apply for the work permit
  • Have completed a full time program that lasted 900 hours or more (normally eight months in length), leading to a Diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) or an Attestation de spécialisation professionnelle (ASP)
  • Apply for a work permit within 90 days of receiving written confirmation (for example, a transcript or an official letter) from your institution indicating that you have met the requirements for completing your academic program
  • Provide a supporting letter from your institution outlining the duration of studies and the program code
Impact of length of program of study in Canada and the length of the work permit
A Post-Graduation Work Permit cannot be valid longer than the official length of your program of study in Canada. For example, students graduating from a four-year degree program might be eligible for a three-year year work permit. Students graduating from an eight-month certificate program would only be eligible for a work permit of eight months.

If the official length of your program of study is:
  • less than eight months
    • you are not eligible for this program
  • less than two years but more than eight months
    • you may get a work permit for a period no longer than the length of your program of study (for example, if you studied for nine months, a work permit may be issued for a period of nine months)
  • two years or more
    • a work permit may be issued for three years
You are not eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program if you:
  • study in a program that is less than eight months long
  • participate in a Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD)
  • participate in a Government of Canada Awards Program funded by DFATD
  • receive funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
  • participate in the Equal Opportunity Scholarship, Canada-Chile
  • participate in the Canada-China Scholars Exchanges Program
  • participate in the Organization of American States Fellowships Program
  • participate in a distance learning program either from abroad or from within Canada or
  • have previously been issued a Post-Graduation Work Permit following any other program of study.


Immigrate to Canada

Canadian Experience Class

If you are a foreign student who recently graduated in Canada, you likely have the qualities to make a successful transition from temporary to permanent residence. You are familiar with Canadian society and can contribute to the Canadian economy. You should have knowledge of English or French and qualifying work experience.

You may be eligible to apply to stay in Canada permanently under the CEC.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...