°Ä²Ê¿ª½±Íø

On and Off Campus Work

International students may be eligible to work on and off-campus while studying if their study permit includes the conditions or remarks permitting work and if they are compliant with their study permit conditions. Additionally, they must apply for a  to work in Canada or to receive benefits and services from government programs. 

Checking your Study Permit Conditions

On-Campus Work Eligibility

Off-Campus Work Eligibility

Number of Hours Eligible to Work Off-Campus

Working Outside Canada

Checking your Study Permit Conditions

To work on and off-campus while studying in Canada, you must have one of the following conditions/remarks printed on your study permit: 

• may work 20 hours per week off campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in  of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. 
• may accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria, per   and must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria. 

If your study permit doesn’t have one of these conditions/remarks or contains incorrect conditions, you may . This paper-based application is free of charge, and it is important to adhere to the conditions stated on your study permit until any necessary corrections are made. 

To support your application for an amendment, you can request a Confirmation of Enrolment letter from VCC, which verifies that you are enrolled at an eligible DLI.

Transferring from Secondary School

Students transferring to °Ä²Ê¿ª½±Íø (VCC) from a secondary school will be required to apply for a change of conditions on their study permit. This is because the study permit they currently hold does not include conditions authorizing work.

Pathway (ESL) Program Students

For pathway (ESL) program students or those taking prerequisite courses for acceptance into VCC’s full-time program, the following Remarks/Observations may apply: 

“Unless prerequisite course or program has been completed, may not accept off-campus employment.”  

This limitation is in place due to the ineligibility for off-campus work while taking prerequisite courses. However, upon completion of your pathway program/prerequisite courses and commencement of an eligible VCC program, you will be eligible to work on and off-campus in accordance with the conditions outlined in your study permit. 

Alternatively, instead of the remarks, you may see the following conditions: 

“This permit does not permit the holder to engage in off-campus employment in Canada” 

In this case, you must before you can work off-campus. There is a fee to make this change. 

Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Keep in mind that you need to be eligible to work before you can apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN). Therefore, if your study permit has no work conditions at all, make sure your study permit is amended before proceeding with your SIN application. 

On-Campus Work Eligibility

International students with a valid study permit ´Ç°ù , which includes the condition that they can undergo on- and off-campus work, may be eligible to work on-campus. You do not need a separate work permit to work on-campus.  There is no limit to how many hours of work you can do as long as you meet  

Eligibility Requirements

All of the following requirements must be met.

• Enrolled at an eligible  
• Enrolled as a full-time student, with the exception of the final academic term. Full-time status is defined differently at each institution. Refer to VCC Full-Time Academic Status for Immigration Purpose for details. 
• Have a valid  

You are only eligible to work on-campus after you begin your program of study.  You cannot work before you start your program. 

‘On-campus’ refers to all the buildings on your school campus. However, you may only work at the campus where you have most of your classes. At VCC, that means you can only work at one campus location: Downtown or Broadway campus. A few examples of on-campus work include the bookstore, food services areas, and café. 

International students may work as many hours as they want on campus, in additi´Ç²Ô to working off campus, as long as they continue to meet the . 

For more information about working on-campus, please visit . 

Off-Campus Work Eligibility

International students with a valid study permit, which includes the condition that they can undergo off-campus work, may be eligible to work off-campus without a work permit as long as they meet the following . 

Eligibility Requirements

All of the following requirements must be met.

• Enrolled at an eligible  
• Enrolled as a full-time student, with the exception of the final academic term. Full-time status is defined differently at each institution. Refer to VCC Full-Time Academic Status for Immigration Purpose for details. 
• Enrolled in a post-secondary , , ´Ç°ù  
• Enrolled in a program of study that is a minimum of 6 months in length, which leads to a degree, diploma or certificate 
• Have a valid  

Typically, you are only eligible to work off-campus after you begin your program of study.  You cannot work before you start your program. 

VCC programs are structured to ensure that international students maintain full-time academic status throughout their program. Most programs at VCC follow a cohort model, wherein students are enrolled in courses by VCC and expected to adhere to a fixed schedule according to the program curriculum. In essence, students are anticipated to commence, progress, and graduate with their cohort. 

Working Between Programs 

You can work full-time while you are waiting for the new program 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, ´Ç°ù you applied to extend your study permit before it expired. 
• You received written confirmation from your DLI that you completed your program. 
• You received a letter of acceptance to a new full-time study program at a  
• You’ll start your new program within 150 calendar days of receiving the confirmation that you completed your previous program. 

During Authorized Leave from Studies 

You are not eligible to work if you are ´Ç²Ô . 

Final Academic Term 

If, due to extenuating circumstances, you become a part-time student in your final term, you are still eligible to work off-campus as long as it is confirmed to be your final semester and you have maintained full-time academic status throughout your program, provided you meet all eligibility criteria. 

Number of Hours Eligible to Work Off-Campus

Under standard circumstances, international students are permitted to work up to 20 hours a week () while enrolled in full-time studies. Adhering to these limitations is crucial, as exceeding 20 hours a week constitutes a violation of your study permit conditions. This breach can have severe consequences, potentially resulting in the loss of status, denial of future study or work permits, and even expulsion from the country.  

However, during scheduled breaks, international students can work full-time, provided they maintain full-time academic status before and after the break. There are no restrictions on the number of hours worked during these breaks as long as the employer complies with provincial labour laws. For more information, you can refer to . 

Working Outside Canada

International students can  as long as they meet the conditions of their study permit. This type of work doesn’t count towards their off-campus work limit. 

The content on this page reflects the information available at the time of its publication. It is important to acknowledge that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and other government departments regularly revise their policies. For the latest information, please visit  (IRCC) website. 

Latest Updated: May 26, 2024