Work off campus as an international student
As of November 8, 2024, students are allowed to work off campus up to 24 hours per week without a work permit. Make sure you meet the other requirements for working while you study.
Who can work 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.
If you’re eligible for off-campus work, you don’t need a work 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 either of the following
- 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 at a DLI
You can work off campus only if:
- you meet all of the requirements above, except the requirement to be a full-time student,
- 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.
