Working in Canada
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Working while you studyWorking on campus
Working off campus
Working after you complete your study
Working while you study
As an international student, if you plan to work while you study, you do not need to apply for a work permit to work in Canada.
However, it is crucial to inform the immigration officer at Canada's border of your intent to work while you study so that they can mark your study permit with "May accept employment" or "May work."
International students may work in Canada while studying, depending on their registration status and employment location. International students cannot work before their studies begin.
You need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) to work on or off campus. Learn more
If you have a part-time registration status during your final term of study, you continue to be eligible to work.
Working On-Campus
“On-campus” refers to employment facilities within the boundaries of campus. Students can work on campus as teachers or research assistants, and students can be located off-campus at a library, hospital, or research facility affiliated with the institution, permitted if work is strictly related to the student’s research grant.
Employers can be:
- The institution
- Faculty
- Student organization
- Students themselves (self-employment taking place on campus)
- Private business
- A private contractor providing services to the institution on campus
International students with valid study permits containing the remarks "May accept employment" or "May work," who are enrolled full-time, are permitted to work, without a work permit, at any employment facility located within the boundary of the University of Alberta's North campus, and at other Edmonton U of A campuses, including Enterprise Square, Campus Saint-Jean, and South Campus.
There is no maximum number of hours you can work when it comes to on-campus work, but the hours must follow provincial labour standards.
You can work on the University campus without a work permit if you:
- Are a full-time post-secondary student at:
- A public post-secondary school, such as a college or university, or CEGEP in Quebec
- A private college-level school in Quebec operates under the same rules as public schools, and is at least 50% funded by government grants,
- A Canadian private school that can legally award degrees under provincial law
- Have a valid study permit and
- Have a Social Insurance Number (SIN).
You must stop working on campus the day you are no longer studying full-time, or when your study permit expires.
Working off Campus
You do not need a work permit to work off-campus. You must have a valid study permit with the remarks "May accept employment" or "May work" and be enrolled full-time in an academic, vocational or professional training program that leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate (ESL/ELP programs are not eligible).
You can:
- Work off-campus up to 24 hours per week during regular terms (fall and winter) and full-time during regularly scheduled breaks (including spring, summer, winter break, and reading weeks)
- Work full-time if you completed your program of study and applied for a post-graduation work permit with a valid study permit within 90 days of finishing your program.
If you have completed your program of study and have not applied for a post-graduate work permit, you are not authorized to continue working off-campus beyond your program completion date.
Specific Guidelines for Different Student Groups
ESL, Exchange, and visiting students may work on campus if they hold a valid study permit and are registered full-time. They must apply for study permits outside of Canada and have the required work conditions on their study permit.
Exchange and visiting students may work off-campus if they hold a valid study permit with the remarks "May accept employment" or "May work" and are registered full-time. You must apply for study permits from outside Canada and have the required work conditions in your study permit.
You are not eligible to work off-campus because your program of study does not meet the eligibility requirements for working off-campus and will not lead to a degree.
You are eligible to work on campus, provided you are in full-time studies (9 credits or more) and have a valid study permit containing the remarks "May accept employment" or "May work."
University of Alberta graduate students who meet all the eligibility requirements can work an unlimited number of hours per week on campus and up to 24 hours a week off campus during regular academic sessions.
- Thesis-based graduate students are permitted to work 24 hours per week off-campus year-round and full-time during regularly scheduled breaks (reading breaks and winter break).
- Course-based graduate students are permitted to work 24 hours a week off-campus during academic sessions and full-time during regularly scheduled breaks (reading breaks, winter break, and Spring and Summer may also be considered scheduled breaks for some course-based students - students to check with their program for confirmation).
Part-time registration periods or periods of authorized leaves that exceed 150 days may harm future post-graduation work permit applications and could be interpreted as not "studying continuously." Students must provide additional documentation to explain these periods when applying for a post-graduation work permit.
Working after you complete your study
The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) allows international students who have graduated from eligible Canadian designated learning institutions (DLIs) to obtain an open work permit that allows them to gain valuable Canadian work experience.
If you are eligible to work during your final semester, you can continue to work 24 hours/week off campus until your Program Completion Letter gets issued. Once your program letter is issued, you must stop working.
Your completion letter will not be automatically issued. You should request your completion letter once all your final grades get posted to your Beartracks account.
If you are eligible to work during your final semester, you can continue to work 24 hours/week off campus until you receive an email from the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS) that confirms the completion of your graduate program.
Your completion letter will not be automatically issued. You will need to submit the Completion Letter Request Form
Once you submit your PGWP application to IRCC, you can immediately start working full-time while the application is under process - as long as you meet the following requirements:
- Your study permit is valid at the time you submit your PGWP application.
- You apply within 90 days of the issued date of the completion letter.
- Your study permit authorizes you to work off-campus (your study permit must have a condition listed on it that authorizes you to work off-campus).
- You did not work more than the allowable hours of work during regular academic terms) except for the time during which the temporary policy was in effect.
If you submit your PGWP application on the same day your Program Completion Letter becomes available, you may continue to work without any gaps in your employment.
If you are unable to submit your PGWP application on the same day your Completion Letter becomes available, you must not engage in any employment activity until you submit your PGWP application and if you meet all the eligibility requirements listed above, you may start full-time work after you submit your PGWP application to IRCC.
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- Additional Resources
- Develop your skills through a summer job on campus if you are a full-time undergraduate international student paying the U of A differential fee.
International Student Summer Employment Program - Other U of A Work Experience Programs