According to the announcement by Immigration Minister Marc Miller, international students in Canada will be allowed to work off-campus for up to 24 hours per week. The international students will be allowed to work off-campus starting this fall. Moreover, the temporary policy allowing international students to study more than 20 hours per week will end as scheduled on April 30, 2024.
The cap on working hours will return to 20 hours per week until September this year. After that, the government will change it to 24 hours a week off-campus. In a statement, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada revealed that international students must be in Canada to study. Therefore, restricting the number of hours to work will ensure that students have a focus on their studies.
Further, the IRCC mentions that international students will still have the right to work for unlimited hours during their scheduled academic breaks—the summer and winter holidays. As per Minister Miller, working off-campus helps international students gain more experience. Moreover, students will be prepared for life in Canada while receiving the necessary support to succeed.
IRCC, while revealing the news, also cited the studies conducted in the United States and Canada. This study has found a link between academic performance and students working more than 28 hours a week. According to these findings, the academic performance of students working this number of hours has significantly declined. However, those working for more than 24 hours a week are more likely to drop out.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, international students in Canada were allowed to work only for up to 20 hours a week. The government has temporarily lifted the 20-hour cap amid a health crisis to solve labour shortages within the country.
