OFF-CAMPUS WORK PERMIT POLICY UPDATE: 2024

Submitted by Jaya Kiran on Fri, 11/15/2024 - 20:40

As of November 8, 2024, students are allowed to work off campus up to 24 hours per week without a work permit. Int’l Student must ensure to meet the other requirements for working while they study.

 

IRCC has confirmed that new regulations impacting the International Student Program have now taken effect, including the change to the number of hours international students may work off campus that was proposed earlier this year. 

 

With this change, eligible students can now work up to 24 hours per week off campus while their classes are in session.

 

Moving forward, international students must apply and be approved for a new study permit before changing learning institutions. This change is in line with the important work IRCC is doing to strengthen the integrity of the International Student Program.

 

Designated learning institutions (DLIs) play an important role in protecting the student program against misuse. Since 2015, IRCC has been working with DLIs to strengthen student compliance reporting. 

 

These improvements will provide greater oversight while supporting international students and safeguarding their academic experiences in Canada.

 

FACTS:

 

To work off campus without a work permit, international students must be studying full-time in a post-secondary academic, vocational or professional training program, or a vocational training program at the secondary level offered in Quebec, that lasts at least six months and leads to a degree, diploma or certificate. 

 

International students who are eligible to work off campus may work full-time during breaks in their academic calendar, such as the summer break between school years or the winter break between semesters. 

 

The new letter of acceptance (LOA) verification process has been a success. Since its launch on December 1, 2023, through October 6, 2024, 

 

IRCC has 

  • received almost 529,000 LOAs for verification
  • confirmed nearly 492,000 LOAs as valid directly with designated learning institutions (DLIs)
  • identified more than 17,000 LOAs that either didn’t match any LOA issued by a DLI or that the DLI had already cancelled before the individual applied for a study permit

 

 

Source: Canada.CA/IRCC + Newsroom