Japa: What to know about working on campus as a foreign student in Canada

As Canada has introduced travel visa schemes for different immigrants, it is noteworthy that jobs are also available on campus for international students. This means foreign students can work on campus.

However, it should be noted that you can start working in Canada when you start your study programme. Meanwhile, you cannot work before your studies begin.

What you must know is that you can work as an international student in Canada if your study permit lists a condition that lists that you are allowed to work on- or off-campus.

You can work on your school campus, without a work permit, if you are a full-time post-secondary student at a public post-secondary school, such as a college, university, trade or technical school, or CEGEP in Quebec.

You can also work if you are a private post-secondary school in Quebec that operates under the.

same rules as public schools in Quebec.

It is also possible for you to work on campus if your private or public secondary or post-secondary institution in Quebec offers qualifying programmes of 900 hours or longer leading to a diploma of vocational studies (DVS) or an attestation of vocational specialization (AVS).

This also works in Canadian private schools that can legally award degrees under provincial law (for example, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctorate), but only if the student is enrolled in a study program leading to a degree authorised by the province.

This may not include all programmes of study offered by the private institution.

Requirements 

1. You must have a valid study permit or maintained status.

2. You must have printed conditions on your initial study permit allowing you to work on campus.

3. You must have a social insurance number (SIN).

4. If you are a student with a part-time course load in their final semester.

5. If you were a full-time student in every semester of your programme, but you are studying part-time in your final semester to finish your required coursework, you can still work an unlimited number of hours on campus.

Ineligibility

Who cannot work on campus or must stop working on campus:

On the day you stop studying full-time, unless you are in your final semester and you meet other requirements.

When your study permit expires.

If you are on an authorised leave from your studies.

If you are switching schools and are not currently studying.

You can return to work only once you are back to studying and you meet all the requirements to work on campus.

Where you can work

“On-campus” means you can work at all the buildings on your school campus. If your school has more than one campus, you may only work at the campus where you’re studying in most cases.

You can work at other locations if you have the following requirements like working as a teaching or research assistant and, if your work is strictly related to a research grant, and in this case you may work at a library, hospital or research facility associated with your school, even if they’re outside the campus. If you work at a hospital or other place where the protection of public health is important, you will need to have a medical exam, unless you’ve already had one.

Who you can work for

You can work in the following places like school, work with a faculty member, at a student organisation or if you operate a business that is physically located on campus (for example: you own a coffee shop that is located on campus), a private business, a private contractor that provides on-campus services to the school.

How to get a social insurance number to work in Canada

A social insurance number (SIN) is a 9-digit number that the Government of Canada gives you. With this number, you can work in Canada and get government benefits and services.

To apply for a SIN to work on campus, you must have 1 of these conditions printed on your study permit:

May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f), (v) or (w). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria.

This permit does not authorize the holder to engage in off campus employment in Canada. May accept employment only on campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria.

If you are eligible to work on campus, but we didn’t include either of these conditions on your study permit, you can ask to have them added. There’s no fee to add these conditions to your permit.

You’ll need to request an amendment to your study permit before you can apply for a SIN from Service Canada.

How many hours you can work on campus

You can work as many hours as you want, in addition to working off campus, as long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirements for working on campus.