Working While Studying in Canada

As of November 8, 2024, eligible students can generally work up to 24 hours per week off campus while classes are in session (raised from the earlier 20-hour limit). The 24-hour weekly limit applies to all off-campus jobs combined, not per employer, so if you hold two part-time jobs you must add the hours together.

To work off campus without a separate permit, students generally must:

• Be enrolled full-time at a DLI at the post-secondary level (or, in Quebec, in a vocational program at the secondary level)
• Have a study permit with a condition printed on it that allows off-campus work
• Be enrolled in a program of at least 6 months that leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate
• Have a Social Insurance Number (SIN) before you start working

You generally cannot start working until your study program has actually begun, even if your permit already allows off-campus work. If you are only studying part-time, are in an English- or French-as-a-second-language program, or are taking general-interest courses, you are usually not eligible to work off campus.

Working more than the permitted hours breaches your study permit conditions and can cost you your student status. Confirm the current limit on canada.ca.

If your program includes a mandatory co-op or internship placement, the rules changed in 2026. As of April 1, 2026, post-secondary international students no longer need a co-op work permit for student work placements. Eligible post-secondary students can generally rely on the work authorization on their study permit to complete a required placement, rather than applying for a separate permit.

For the placement to be covered:

• The co-op or work placement must be required to complete your program for all students (not an optional add-on)
• The placement generally cannot make up more than 50% of the total program of study to be covered by the work authorization on your study permit
• You generally need a letter from your school confirming the placement is a mandatory part of the program
• Secondary students still need a co-op work permit, so check the current requirements on canada.ca for your situation

There is no weekly hour limit for a student work placement, and you can work for any employer your school’s work placement program accepts, even if it is off campus.

In some cases, the spouse or common-law partner of an international student may be eligible for an open work permit (OWP) that lets them work for almost any employer in Canada. As of January 21, 2025, this stream is generally limited to spouses of students enrolled in a master’s program that is 16 months or longer, a doctoral (PhD) program, certain professional degree programs at a university, or other eligible programs IRCC lists.

Open work permits approved under the earlier, broader rules generally stay valid until they expire, and in some cases family members already in Canada can apply to renew. A spouse or partner who is not eligible for this stream may still qualify for a work permit through another program.