Working Off Campus in Canada on a Study Permit
Working Off Campus in Canada
Canada is one of the most popular and promising destinations for educational immigration. Canada attracts people not only by the quality of education but also as a country with opportunities for subsequent legal professional employment. Current Canadian legislation does not restrict students' right to formal employment and allows graduates to continue working after graduation. Favourable factors are also called more affordable prices for training in comparison with the neighbouring United States, and a friendly attitude towards visitors, and the opportunity to get a job from the first days of school. This gives the prospect of own earnings and a chance to find an employer for subsequent employment and life in the country while still a student. The approximate salary level and available student vacancies will also facilitate the procedure for choosing a job for a foreign student during the holidays or even while studying. During the training, you can gain experience both on-campus and off-campus. The extra money promises a more comfortable life, fewer restrictions on spending, and faster adaptation in Canadian society and its labour market. But to start working in Canada, college and university students need to familiarize themselves with the mandatory rules of employment - learn about opportunities, limitations, prospects.
In 2014, Canadian authorities made it easier for foreign students to work up to 20 hours a week during the school year. During the spring, autumn and summer holidays, you can work full time - up to 40 hours a week. Foreign students do not need a special work permit to be employed on and off campus. It is enough to have a Study Permit and meet some requirements. To be eligible an applicant must study full-time at the college or university from the Designated Learning Institution (DLI) list (1) and must study in an academic or occupational training program, upon completion of which diplomas or certificates are issued (2).
If your study destination is Quebec then you also must be a full-time student and study at the place mentioned in the DLI but also be enrolled on the post-secondary training program or to the auxiliary professional training. The option of being registered to the secondary occupational program and still be eligible is available only for students in Quebec.
The common requirement for working off campus is that a study schedule must endure a minimum of 6 months (3) and must guarantee a result where an individual will obtain a certificate or diploma about the program completion (4). Another must is an individual has to start his or her studying process before working off-campus in Canada (5). A final requirement is a human being must get a Social Insurance Number (SIN) which will be discussed further.
Please note that the requirements above are for all students who come to study in Canada. If you are a part-time student you can also think about working off campus but be sure that you meet all the demands mentioned before and there are particular reasons when you are eligible to work off campus. You have to be in the last semester of your examination program and you needn't bother with a full course burden to finish your program, also you were a full-time understudy in your program in Canada, up until your last semester. If this situation is similar to your case then you can work off campus. In addition, whether you are on an approved leave from your studies, or you are changing schools, and it means you are not part of the studying process at your institution, you can't work off grounds. It is possible to start working again only when you get back to your education.
As it was mentioned before, for official employment in Canada (on campus or off campus), you will need a Social Insurance Number, a 9 digit character that is issued personally. Students must provide it to their employer within three days from the start of employment. Before applying to the SIN, it is necessary to check if there is a work condition printed on a Study Permit. There are several statements of allowance from the IRCC and one of them must be written on the document. It should state either you have the right to work off campus for 20 hours a week and full-time on authorized breaks; or the employment on and off campus is available according to the sections of the statute SOR/2002-227 under paragraph 186 (f,v or w). These points imply that international students can work in Canada if they are holders of a study permit who are studying full-time or completing their program. If there is no such condition on a study permit then you need to obtain it by applying online, by mail or in person. The service is completely free and takes about 20 working days.
Foreigners are allowed to work 20 hours per week during semesters and full-time on seasonal breaks (winter and summer holidays, reading weeks, etc.) When the holidays are over, the students must return to the previous scheme of working 20 hours per week. Besides, international students can stay at work longer than required and even have 2 part-time jobs exceeding the usual number of hours. There is no concrete definition of what a full-time job is but if you have decided to work off campus then the employer must obey the regulations of the region and keep the time between shifts. However, it is essential to remember working over 20 hours of the week is an infringement of the study permit conditions. An individual can lose his or her status for doing this, and may not be supported for a study and work permit later on. The person may even need to leave the country. Nevertheless, not all the students can work off campus, there are some exceptions. Mainly not all the educational programs allow students to get a job outside campus, so if it is told that the person is not approved to work off grounds in the study permit, then an individual will not be employed during his or her educational process. People who study in Canada on language courses such as English second language (ESL) and French second language (FSL) cannot obtain work as well. Clearly, the same situation occurs with interest classes that are attended as a hobby without any academic background and the preparatory courses which are necessary for applying to a full-time study program. Also, an individual is losing the right to work off campus if one of the mentioned conditions has not been met. Despite these situations, a person can apply for changing the conditions of a study permit if there are changes in the study process of an individual. For instance, a change of program that implies new regulations regarding working off campus. To rule a situation like this, a student should apply for a new study permit with the updated information explaining why he or she has to get a new document. This could be done online.
Many students wonder what happens next when they end their studies. If an individual wants to stay in the country and continue working, he or she has to either apply for a work permit or to enrol in a new program. Application for a work permit and post-graduation work permit (PGWP) must be submitted before the expiration of a study permit. The period for which a work permit is issued depends on the total period of study at the educational institution. According to the terms of PGWP, after graduating from educational institutions in Canada, every foreign student has the opportunity to obtain a work permit for up to 3 years. While an application is being considered, a graduate can continue working off campus on a full-time basis. For people who want to keep studying and start new courses, it is possible to keep working off campus full-time as well but they have to meet some of the requirements discussed further. If an individual has applied to a new program, he or she needs to extend their study permit before it ends. Also, there should be a certificate or some document confirming the completion of previous studies and the letter of acceptance from the new full-time educational program at a DLI. The new program must be started within 150 days after the collection of a certificate of graduation or a diploma. Laws are strictly adhered to in the country of maple leaves, so employers make sure to check with students about the availability of the opportunity to work off campus. In case of violation of the listed requirements, a refusal can always follow. At the same time, the employment of students is encouraged in Canada and the conditions are suitable for this. The work experience accumulated during studies will be very useful for finding an employer after graduation.
By working while studying, you will be able to support yourself financially, as well as establish business contacts and add a nice bonus of practical experience to your resume. In addition, working in Canada while studying will help you adapt to a new country faster while you are studying.
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