Off-Campus Work Permits

Foreign/International students may work off-campus by applying to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for an Off-Campus Work Permit.

In order to be eligible for an Off-Campus Work Permit, students must:

Hold a valid Study Permit;

Be studying at an institution that participates in this program. (Note one exception: Students registered in English or French as a Second Language Programs at participating institutions are not eligible for Off-Campus Work Permits.) A list of participating institutions can be found at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/institutions/participants.asp;

Remain in satisfactory academic standing as determined by their institution;

Have been studying full time for at least six months out of the year preceding their application for an Off-Campus Work Permit;

Sign a form authorizing their academic institution and the province in which they are studying to release information to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, for the purposes of confirming their eligibility for an Off-Campus Work Permit.

The following international students are not eligible for an Off-Campus Work Permit:

Visiting or exchange students;

Students receiving Awards or Scholarships from Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade;

Students being funded by the Canadian International Development Agency;

Students participating in the Canada-China Scholars Exchanges Program, Organization of American States Fellowships Program, or the Equal Opportunity Scholarship Program, Canada-Chile.

An Off-Campus Work Permit is usually valid for the same duration as that of the Study Permit, which is the duration of study, plus an additional 90 days. Students may work off-campus for a maximum of 20 hours a week, but they may work full-time during scheduled breaks, such as summer holidays and spring or winter breaks.

If a student fails to maintain the above eligibility requirements, their Off-Campus Work Permits are no longer valid and they must immediately surrender the permit to CIC.