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Working in Canada

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International students in Canada may be eligible to work if they meet the specific criteria associated with the different types of employment.  Please read below to learn about authorizations for working on-campus and off-campus, working as part of a mandatory internship embedded in your program, and working post-graduation. It is possible to combine work in the different programs as long as the student meets the criteria of each program.

As an international student, you may be eligible to work on campus while studying thanks to authorizations granted by your study permit if you meet certain criteria.

To be eligible to work on campus, you must be registered as a full-time student, have a valid study permit that indicates that you are authorized to work, and have a social insurance number (SIN). If you are registered part-time in your final semester of studies, you maintain the authorization to work as long as you were registered as a full-time student during the duration of your program.

It is important to note that you can only start working in Canada once you have actually started your program of study, that is, as of the first day of the semester.

IRCC does not specify a limit on the number of hours that can be worked on campus but leaves this responsibility to the educational institutions. It is important to find out what the Bishop’s Human Resources limit is for on-campus work during academic terms, as well as scheduled breaks.

For detailed information as well as the definition of what IRCC considers as on-campus work, please visit their website. Work on campus – Canada.ca

Please explore our opportunities on campus!

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International students meeting the following criteria are authorized to work off-campus during their studies:

  • Be registered full-time in a program of study longer than 6 months in duration that leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate;
  • Have a valid study permit that indicates that you are authorized to work off campus. One of the following two conditions must appear on your permit: 1) May work 20 hours per week off campus, or full time during regular breaks, if meeting criteria outlined in section 186(v) of IRPR; or 2) May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f), (v) or (w). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria.
  • Have a social insurance number (SIN)

Students who are on a two-semester exchange at Bishop’s could be eligible to work off campus if they have the appropriate conditions indicated on their study permit. As mentioned above, students must be registered full-time to be authorized to work during their studies. Not sure if you meet the eligibility requirements? Use the tool on the IRCC website. Find out if you can work off campus as an international student (canada.ca).

You must respect the limit to the number of hours of off-campus work authorized by IRCC.

  • As of November 8, 2024, during regular academic sessions, eligible international students can work a maximum of 24 hours per week off-campus. This change in policy was announced by IRCC on November 15, 2024. Work off campus as an international student – Canada.ca
  • Prior to November 8, 2024, during regular academic sessions, students who met the criteria to work off-campus were authorized to work part-time for a maximum of 20 hours per week.
  • Off-campus work hours are not transferable from one week to the next. That is, under the new rules, if you only worked 10 hours one week, you are not allowed to work 38 in the following week. Working more than 24 hours per week is a violation of your Study Permit conditions with potentially serious consequences. Take care to respect these guidelines.

During regularly scheduled breaks between academic sessions (ex: summer break), IRCC authorizes full-time work. However, the student must be registered full time before the break AND after the break. Two-semester exchange students who are authorized to work must stop working as soon as they complete their exchange.

If you meet the eligibility requirements to work off campus but your Study Permit does not allow you to do so, you will have to apply to change the conditions of your Study Permit.

Students registered part-time are not allowed to work off campus, unless it’s their final term of study and they have maintained full-time status for the duration of the program of study.

It is important to note that you can only start working in Canada once you have actually started your program of study, that is, as of the first day of the semester. Additionally, at the end of your studies, you must stop working thanks to the authorizations granted by your study permit once you receive the attestation of completed studies from the Registrar’s Office. Please read about the transition to a post graduation work permit at the end of your program of study.

For detailed information on regularly scheduled breaks, part-time course registration in the final semester and other criteria, please visit the IRCC website.

Study permits: Off-campus work – Canada.ca

*The limit on off-campus work hours was lifted temporarily through April 30, 2024, for some students. This policy came to an end as of April 30, 2024, and students were again limited to a maximum of 20 hours per week of off-campus work during regular semesters until November 8, 2024.

  • If your application for a study permit (including an extension) was received by IRCC on or before October 7, 2022: From November 15, 2022, until April 30, 2024, certain international students who were in Canada and who had an off-campus work authorization on their study permit and may have been eligible to work off-campus without a restriction on the number of hours worked per week.
  • If your application for a study permit (including an extension) was received by IRCC between October 8, 2022 and December 7, 2023: eligible students were authorized to work off campus for more than 20 hours per week during a regular academic session from January 1, 2024 to April 30, 2024.
  • For more information on this measure and the eligibility requirements based on the date by which IRCC received your study permit application, please visit the Canada.ca website: Work off campus as an international student – Canada.ca

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Some study programs in Canada include work experience as part of their curriculum. International students whose program includes a mandatory internship or work experience for all students must obtain a free intern/co-op work permit issued by IRCC. It is important to note that internship in this specific context refers to an activity supervised by a professor and for which the student will receive marks.

At Bishop’s, several programs include mandatory internship components for all students from the time of admission. International students studying in these programs must obtain an intern work permit from IRCC:

  • Bachelor in Arts Administration
  • Bachelor in Education
  • B.A. Major in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems

We encourage SAFS, Arts Administration and Bachelor in Education students to apply for their co-op work permit at the same time as their initial study permit application, as the table in their offer of admission includes the specification that an intern work permit is required. In this case, students should receive both their study permit and their work permit upon arrival in Canada. We expect students in these programs to be able to provide their intern work permit to the Registrar’s Office at the same time as their passport, CAQ and study permit.

Students in Bishop’s Business Co-op and Computer Science Co-op bachelor’s degree programs will decide whether to participate in an internship during the course of their studies. In the event that they choose to complete an internship, they must obtain a co-op work permit from IRCC prior to being able to start their internship.

Students who are enrolled in other programs at Bishop’s who have an Academic Internship embedded in their program, (ex: in the course of your studies, you add a minor or opt in to an honours track), may also require an intern work permit. Co-operative Education Program – Bishop’s University

The application for an intern work permit is free of charge. As part of the application, students must include proof from the university that the internship is an essential component of their program and that it does not represent more than 50% of the program. Students who require an intern work permit in the course of their studies can obtain the support letter necessary for the work permit application by communicating with the chair of their department.  For guidance in applying for the permit, students should contact the Immigration Advisors at Bishop’s International.

Important: Students must upload their valid intern work permit – or the receipt from IRCC confirming the date on which they applied for the work permit – to their file at the Registrar’s Office  before the add/drop deadline of the semester in which they will be completing an internship.

According to the regulations on the IRCC website ,“students who are already in Canada and have applied for a co-op work permit may begin their co-op placement using their off-campus work authorizations, provided they meet all eligibility requirements.”  Since November 8, 2024, study permit holders who meet eligibility conditions are authorized to work off-campus for a maximum of 24 hours per week. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they are respecting these limits.

In the case of a co-op work permit application processed online from within Canada, the permit will be mailed to the student. Processing times can be long, so we encourage you to plan ahead.

Work as a Co-Op Student or Intern

Please see the After your studies web page for information on Post-Graduation Work Permit.

The Social Insurance Number (SIN) is a 9-digit number that the Government of Canada issues to persons authorized to work in Canada and may enable you to receive government benefits and services. The application must be made after your arrival in Canada through Service Canada.

Service Canada recommends that you apply online for your SIN. To learn more about the documents you need to apply for your SIN, and how to apply, see the following document:

Social Insurance Number – Information for Newcomers

To apply for a SIN, you must have one of these conditions printed on your valid Study Permit:

  • May accept employment on the campus of the institution at which registered in full-time studies.
  • May work 20 hours off-campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in section 186(v) of IRPR. **
  • May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f), (v) or (w).

If you’re eligible to work on or off-campus, but your Study Permit doesn’t include either of these conditions, you can request to have your permit amended free of charge. You will need to request an amendment to your study permit before you will be able to apply for a SIN from Service Canada.

Please consult the following pages for more information:

In Quebec and in Canada, the income tax declaration is due prior to April 30th for the preceding calendar year. Once you are working in Canada you will need to start filing tax returns. However, even if you did not work in Canada during the previous year, it could be to your benefit to file a tax declaration as you may be eligible for certain credits.

Each winter, Bishop’s International invites agents from both Revenu Quebec and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to give a presentation to Bishop’s students regarding filing your taxes. Check our website, our social media accounts and your emails to not miss this essential workshop!

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has launched an online learning tool to help students learn about taxes and empower them to do their taxes on their own. This tool provides lessons that explain what taxes are, why we pay them, how to read paycheques and income tax slips, and finally, how to do taxes for the first time.

Learn About Filing your Taxes in Canada

The following websites from the CRA may be useful to you:

Revenu Quebec

The following websites from Revenu Quebec may be useful to you:

Important
All the information on this website is taken from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website (IRCC, https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada.html) as well as the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration du Québec (MIFI, https://www.quebec.ca/en/education/study-quebec); in case of discrepancies, the IRCC and MIFI websites prevail. The information contained on this website does not constitute a legal opinion and is not binding on Bishop’s University.