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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

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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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As of April 1, 2026, international students enrolled in post-secondary programs that include an internship, practicum, co-op, clinical placement, or other work-integrated learning component are no longer required to obtain a separate co-op/work permit from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). If you meet the eligibility requirements, you may complete your required work placement using your study permit.

To participate in an internship or work placement as an international student, you must:

  • Be enrolled as a full-time student in a post-secondary academic, vocational, or professional training program;
  • Be studying in a program that is at least six months in length and leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate;
  • Have a letter from Bishop’s University confirming that the internship, practicum, co-op, or work placement is a mandatory component of your program of study;
  • Complete a work placement that represents 50% or less of your overall program of study;
  • Hold a valid study permit or have maintained status while awaiting a decision on an extension application; and
  • Have study permit conditions that authorize you to work on campus.

This applies to various programs that include a mandatory internship component for all students (e.g., Bachelor of Arts in Administration, Bachelor of Education, B.A. Major in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems), programs where students may choose to participate in an internship during their studies (e.g., Bishop’s Business Co-op and Computer Science Co-op bachelor’s degree programs), and other programs that incorporate an academic internship component (e.g., where a student adds a minor or opts into an honours track that includes an internship).

There is no limit on the number of hours you may work as part of a mandatory internship or work placement that meets the above requirements.

Students participating in a paid internship or work placement must also obtain a Social Insurance Number (SIN) before beginning work.

If your study permit does not include conditions authorizing on-campus work, or if you are unsure whether you meet the eligibility requirements, please consult an Immigration Advisor before beginning your placement.

For more information, please visit the Government of Canada webpage on internships and work placements for international students.

Students should retain copies of all relevant immigration documents and any required program confirmation letters for their records.

Please see an Immigration Advisor at Bishop’s International for more information.

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.