Working While Studying in Canada: Off-Campus Hours and Eligibility

This article provides general information, not legal advice. Student work authorization depends on the study permit, the program, enrollment and the student’s current circumstances. Check IRCC’s current instructions before working.

A study permit does not give every student the same work rights

Finding a job or obtaining a Social Insurance Number does not, by itself, prove that an international student may work in Canada. Work authorization depends on the conditions attached to the study permit and whether the student continues to meet the eligibility rules.

A student who was allowed to work last semester can lose that authorization if the study situation changes. An authorized leave, a gap between schools, program completion or a change in enrollment can change the answer even when the permit’s printed expiry date has not arrived.

This rule should be read with the broader Study in Canada guide^[1], study-permit extension and maintained-status guide^[2], and PGWP guide^[3].

Who may work off campus without a separate work permit?

IRCC’s current off-campus work page sets out the full eligibility test. In general, the student must be studying at a designated learning institution, have started the program, be in an eligible program that is at least six months long and leads to a degree, diploma or certificate, and continue to meet the conditions that authorize off-campus work.

A part-time student can still qualify in a limited final-semester situation when a full course load is no longer needed to finish the program and the student was full-time before that semester.

Students who are only taking an English or French as a second-language program, general-interest courses, or courses required for admission to a full-time program are not authorized to work off campus under this student exemption.

Use IRCC’s official off-campus work page^[4] as the primary eligibility check.

The regular-term limit is 24 hours per week

An eligible student can currently work up to 24 hours per week off campus during regular academic terms or semesters.

The limit applies across all off-campus jobs combined. IRCC also treats self-employment as work for this purpose, so a self-employed student must keep track of the time spent earning wages, selling a product or service, or collecting commission.

Working more than the permitted hours can violate study-permit conditions. IRCC says students are responsible for tracking their own hours and showing that they continued to meet their study and work conditions.

Remote work for an employer outside Canada is treated differently. IRCC states that this work does not count toward the 24-hour off-campus limit as long as the student continues to meet the conditions of the study permit.

Scheduled breaks have their own boundaries

Eligible students can work unlimited off-campus hours during a regularly scheduled break, but “scheduled break” has a specific meaning.

IRCC’s current Help Centre guidance says the break must be scheduled by the school and last at least 7 consecutive days. A statutory holiday or long weekend by itself is not a scheduled break.

The same guidance also places boundaries on long or back-to-back breaks:

• If scheduled breaks run for more than 150 consecutive days, unlimited off-campus work is permitted only during the first 150 consecutive days.
• Across regularly scheduled breaks, unlimited off-campus work is limited to a total of 180 days in a calendar year.
• If the program has no scheduled breaks, the normal 24-hour weekly limit continues.

See IRCC’s scheduled-break work guidance^[5] for the current details.

When off-campus work must stop

A student generally cannot rely on the off-campus student-work exemption when the student no longer meets the underlying study conditions. IRCC specifically identifies situations such as an authorized leave or a period between schools when the student is not studying.

Other situations that can prevent off-campus work include:

• the study permit says off-campus work is not authorized
• the program has not started
• the student is only taking language, general-interest or prerequisite courses that do not qualify
• the student is no longer meeting the required enrollment or study conditions

Do not treat a SIN as proof of current authorization. The permit conditions and the student’s actual study situation are what matter.

If the permit does not show the expected work condition

An otherwise eligible student whose study permit does not contain the condition needed to work may need to request an amendment before applying for a SIN. In some situations, a student whose circumstances changed may instead need to apply to change the conditions of the study permit.

IRCC explains the amendment and condition-change process on its off-campus work page^[4]. Do not start working on the assumption that a missing condition will be corrected later.

Student placements changed in April 2026

As of April 1, 2026, eligible post-secondary international students no longer need a separate co-op work permit for a required student work placement such as a co-op or internship. The placement still has to meet IRCC’s eligibility requirements and be part of the program requirements through the designated learning institution.

Secondary-school students still need a co-op work permit for student work placements.

Check IRCC’s student work placement guidance^[6] before starting a placement.

Work after program completion is a separate rule

Off-campus work authorization during studies does not continue indefinitely after the school confirms completion.

IRCC identifies specific situations in which a graduate may be able to work after completing the program, including where the student applied for a work permit before the study permit expired and meets the remaining requirements. A student starting another program may also have a separate route to work between programs when all conditions are met.

Do not continue working simply because the study permit has a future printed expiry date. Review the PGWP guide^[3] and IRCC’s current off-campus work instructions^[4].

A practical check before accepting shifts

Before accepting or scheduling work, confirm:

• the work condition printed on the study permit
• the current program and enrollment status
• whether the week is part of a regular term or a qualifying scheduled break
• the combined hours from all off-campus jobs
• whether any authorized leave, school change or program completion affected eligibility
• whether a required placement falls under the current student-work-placement rules

The safest approach is to match the work schedule to the student’s current legal and academic situation rather than to a SIN, a job offer or another student’s experience.

Official sources

• IRCC — Work off campus as an international student^[4]
• IRCC Help Centre — Off-campus hours and scheduled breaks^[5]
• IRCC Help Centre — Working during scheduled school breaks^[7]
• IRCC — Work in a student work placement^[6]
• IRCC — Work as an international student or recent graduate^[8]