As a student in Canada, an international student could have many opportunities to work to support their education or to cover living expenses. You can work on the campus as well as off the campus if you fulfill all the requirements.
On-Campus Employment:
You can work on campus if you are a post-secondary student and studying full-time in a public or private educational institution or a Canadian private school that can give a degree legally.
You must have a valid study permit and Social Insurance Number (SIN) to be able to work on campus.
Off-Campus Employment:
If you are interested in working outside the college or university campus then you need to fulfill some eligibility criteria. You need to have a valid study permit and SIN number apart from being a full-time student at a college or university. Also, the duration of your course should not be less than 6 months. If you are on an approved leave or changing the university and currently not studying then you cannot avail of this facility.
Number of Working Hours Authorized (Off-campus)
It is awesome that a student could work off the campus since the time the classes start and could work up to 20 hours per week while the semester is running. Also, you can have full-time employment in summer or winter breaks too.
Employment Post Completion of the Program
There are numerous opportunities to work and gain relevant experience in Canada after you complete your course. An international student could get two types of work permits in Canada after completing the course; Openwork Permits and Employer Specific Work Permits. Let’s have a look at them one by one:
- Open Work Permits
This permit allows you to get employed by any employer who is eligible and is not on the list of employers who do not comply with the norms. Also, if the employer offers unethical services like erotic massages, dances, escorts, or striptease then you cannot work for him or her.
This permit is not specific to a job type; thus, the employer does not need the labour market impact assessment. Also, the evidence that he or she has offered employment through a valid employment portal and has paid the employer compliance fee is not mandatory in this scenario.
- Employer Specific Work Permits
This permit lets you work as per the conditions or restrictions of your work permit. It requires your employer to get a positive LIMA report before the submission of your application. Also, he or she needs to give you that report along with the job offer letter before submission of the application so that you can get a work permit.
These work permits allow you to work on specific conditions, for example, the duration of work, the name of the employer, or the location of work.
Eligibility for Employer-Specific Work Permit:
There are certain criteria to be able to have this work permit which are mentioned below: –
- The immigration officer should have confidence by looking at your track record and documents that you will go back to your country and this is not a permanent settlement for you.
- You must have enough funds to live comfortably and take care of all the monetary needs.
- There should be no criminal record and it must be clear that you are not a threat to the society or country.
- You are working for an employer who is eligible and is not involved in unethical activities like escort services, striptease etcetera.