Working in Canada
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.
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.
If your student status changes to part-time, or you take a leave from studies, you must stop working immediately. If you have a part-time registration status during your final term of study, you continue to be eligible to work.
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).
If you take a leave from studies or your student status changes to "part-time," you must stop working immediately. If you have a part-time registration status during your final term of study, you continue to be eligible to work.
You need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) to work on or off campus. Find out how to apply for a Social Insurance Number.
You can:
- Work off-campus up to 20 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.
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."
Co-op Students
Students studying in a program that requires a co-op, internship or practicum placement as part of their curriculum must apply for a Co-op Work Permit. Co-op Work Permits are for programs with mandatory work components such as co-op/internship programs or programs with practicums only.
The Government of Canada announced measures that allow students to begin their co-op work placement before their co-op work permit is issued. The measures differ depending on whether your co-op, internship or practicum placement will be on-campus or off-campus.
If the student is outside of Canada at the start of their co-op placement, they can start their co-op placement if both their school and employer agree. They can either:
- accept a Canadian work placement and begin working remotely from their home country
- work for a company in their home country
Students who are already in Canada, and have applied for a co-op work permit, may start their co-op placement using their on or off-campus work authorization, provided they meet all the eligibility requirements.
On-Campus Co-op Placement
You may start working full-time if your co-op placement is on the University Campus at which you are registered as a full-time student under paragraph 186(f) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR). There is no limit on work hours for on-campus placement.
Off-Campus Co-op Placement
You may start working a total of 20 hours per week during an academic term or semester as per paragraph R186(v). While working 20 hours per week in your co-op placement, you should not have any other off-campus employment.
You may start working full-time if your co-op placement is during regularly scheduled breaks.
If your co-op application gets refused you must stop working immediately and consult with an international student specialist.
How to apply for co-op work permit
Learn more to work as a co-op student
Work Requirements for Graduate Students
All University of Alberta graduate students on a Study Permit can work an unlimited number of hours per week on campus and up to 20 hours a week off campus.
Thesis-based graduate students are permitted to work 20 hours per week off-campus year-round.
Course-based graduate students can work 20 hours a week off-campus during academic sessions and full-time during regularly scheduled breaks.
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.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Part-time international students, or students on academic leave, or authorized leave of absence, cannot work on or off-campus in Canada.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.
Undergraduate Students
If you are eligible to work during your final semester, you can continue to work 20 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.
Graduate Students
You must stop working once you receive an email from the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS) that confirms completion of your graduate program.
Your completion letter will not be automatically issued. You will need to request it through the Student Service Catalogue.
Note for both Undergraduate and Graduate PGWP applicants:
Students who meet the requirements for IRCC temporary policy may be eligible to work more than 20 hours/week off campus until confirmation of their program completion becomes available.