STUDY PERMITS - OFF-CAMPUS WORK IRCC UPDATE

IRCC HAS MODIFIED BELOW DEFINITIONS AS OF MARCH 12, 2018

Regularly scheduled break: To be considered a regularly scheduled break, the break must be part of the DLI’s academic calendar (for instance, winter and summer holidays, Reading Week). Each regularly scheduled break should not be longer than 150 days. The maximum cumulative duration of scheduled breaks is 180 days per calendar year.

Students who are enrolled in a program of study that meets the definition of an academic, professional or vocational training program and who are undertaking the ESL/FSL component simultaneously may be eligible to work off campus pursuant to paragraph R186(v) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR).

Students must stop working off campus as soon as their full-time status becomes part-time during a regular academic session (for instance, a student may begin a regular academic session on a full-time basis and become part-time during the same session as they drop courses).

If the DLI considers a co-op student with a co-op work permit to have full-time status during the “work experience” portion of their program, and if the student continues to comply with the eligibility requirements under the co-op work permit program, the student may be eligible to work off campus, pursuant to paragraph R186(v), on top of their co-op work hours.

Full-time students with a part-time course load in their final academic session

Students who have maintained full-time status for the duration of their program of study, and who only require a part-time course load in their final academic session in order to complete their program of study, may work off campus up to 20 hours per week during their final academic session.

Working on campus in addition to working off campus

There are no restrictions on the number of hours students can work on campus [as per R186(f)] in addition to working off campus, provided they continue to meet the applicable eligibility requirements.

Maximum duration of a regularly scheduled break

If an institution allows for back-to-back scheduled breaks, thus creating a break period longer than 150 consecutive days, students are only eligible to work off campus during the first 150 consecutive days. They cannot work for the entire break if it is longer than 150 consecutive days.

Taking into account all regularly scheduled breaks, students may only work off campus on a full-time basis for a total of 180 days during each calendar year.

Students who have not applied for a subsequent study or work permit or a program of study

They may work until the first date they receive written confirmation of program completion from their educational institution (for instance, an email, a letter, a transcript or a diploma), provided their study permit remains valid during this period. If the study permit becomes invalid [as per R222] before the student receives the notification of program completion from their institution, the student must cease working the day the study permit becomes invalid.

Students who have completed a program of study and will be starting a new program of study within 150 days of receiving a written confirmation of program completion from their current institution

Students may work off campus on a full-time basis until the start of their new program**Subject to meeting certain conditions

When students transfer from one DLI to another, they must update their DLI number in their My Account immediately. When students transfer from one program of study to another at the same DLI, they are not required to notify Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.