Permits & Visas

You can only start working in Canada when you start your study program. You cannot work before your studies begin.

You can work as an international student in Canada if your study permit lists a condition/remark that says you are allowed to work on-campus

You can work on your school campus, without a work permit, if you:

• are a full-time post-secondary student at designated learning institution (DLI)
• have a valid study permit or maintained status
• have printed conditions on your initial study permit allowing you to work on campus and
• have a social insurance number (SIN)

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.

Students with a part-time course load in their final semester

If you were a full-time student in every semester of your program, 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.

Who can’t work on campus

You must stop working on-campus:

• on the day you stop studying full-time, unless you’re in your final semester and you meet other requirements
• when your study permit expires
• if you are on an authorized leave from your studies
• if you are switching schools and are not currently studying

You can return to work after you resume studying and you meet all the requirements to work on-campus.

Who can work off campus

You and your employer must make sure you can work off campus without a work permit before you start working. If you start working off campus but do not meet the requirements, you may have to leave Canada.

You can only start working in Canada when your study program has started. You cannot work before you start your studies.

If you can work during your studies, it will say so in the conditions/remarks on your study permit.

If you are eligible for off-campus work, you do not need a separate work permit.

Eligibility requirements

You can work off campus without a work permit if you meet all of these requirements:

• You are a full-time student at a designated learning institution (DLI)
• You are enrolled in either of the following
  • a post-secondary academic, vocational or professional training program or
  • a secondary-level vocational training program (Quebec only)
• Your study program
  • is at least 6 months long and
  • leads to a degree, diploma or certificate
• You have started studying
• You have a social insurance number (SIN)

If you’re a part-time student at a DLI

You can work off campus only if:

• you meet all the requirements above, except the requirement to be a full-time student, and
• you are only studying part-time, instead of full-time, because:
  • you are in the last semester of your study program, and you do not need a full course load to complete your program and
  • you were a full-time student in your program in Canada, up until your last semester

If you are on an authorized leave (this does not include scheduled break in your program):

If you are on an authorized leave from your studies, or you are switching schools and you are not studying, you cannot work off campus. You can only return to work once you are back to studying.

Get a social insurance number (SIN) to work in Canada

A SIN is a 9-digit number that the Government of Canada gives you. You need one to work in Canada.

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

• May work 24 hours per week off campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in paragraph 186(v) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
• May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria, per paragraph R186(f), (v) or (w) and must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria.

If your study permit doesn’t have work conditions on it

You can ask to have these conditions added if you’re eligible to work off campus. There’s no fee to add these conditions to your permit.

You must request an amendment to your study permit before you can apply to Service Canada for a SIN.

Please Note: If your study permit has a condition/remark “The holder of this permit is not authorized to engage in employment” printed on it (or a similar condition) — you will need to apply for a new study permit (extension application) to be able to work in Canada. You cannot start working until the new study permit application is approved that allows you to work in Canada.

How many hours you can work off campus

During regular school terms or semesters

You can work up to 24 hours per week. You can work more than 1 job to make up these hours as long as you continue to meet the conditions of your study permit.

During scheduled breaks in the school year

You can work an unlimited number of hours if you are on a break scheduled by your DLI, such as winter and summer holidays, or a reading week.

If you are working during a scheduled break, you can also

• take courses on a part-time or full-time basis during that break
• work overtime or work 2 part-time jobs

This will not affect your ability to work an unlimited number of hours.

You must be a full-time student both before and after the break to work full-time during the break. 

How many hours count as full-time work

There is no set number of hours per week that counts as ‘full-time’ work. However, your employer(s) must follow all provincial laws on overtime pay and time between shifts.

If your program does not have scheduled breaks

You can work up to 24 hours per week.

Working more than 24 hours per week is a violation of your study permit conditions. You can lose your student status for doing this and may not be approved for a study or work permit in the future. You may also have to leave the country.

How to calculate your hours

You’re responsible for both of the following:

• keeping track of the hours that you work off campus and
  • Hours are defined as any time you spend earning wages or collecting a commission, even if you’re on call during these hours and not actually working.
• proving that you are complying with the conditions of your study permit
  • To do this, you must show that you are
    • actively pursuing your studies
    • not working more than 24 hours per week
    • meeting any other conditions listed on your study permit
• You may work remotely for an employer outside Canada as long as you still meet the conditions of your study permit. This type of work does not count towards your 24 hours per week off-campus work limit.

Self-employed students

If you are a self-employed person, you’re also responsible for keeping track of the hours you work off campus and proving that you’re complying with the conditions of your study permit.

Hours are calculated as any time you spend doing any of the following:

• earning wages
• being paid wages for performing a service or selling a product
• collecting a commission for performing a service or selling a product

Who can’t work off campus

You cannot work off campus without a work permit if any of these situations apply to you:

• your study permit says you aren’t authorized to work off campus while you study
• you are only enrolled in an English or French as a second language (ESL/FSL) program
• you are only taking general interest courses
• you are only taking courses required to be accepted into a full-time program
• your situation changes and you no longer meet all the requirements to work off campus

International students who are undertaking any kind of field education (co-op, externship, practicum, clinical, etc.) on or off campus, regardless of length, must have a valid co-op work permit. You can submit this application at the same time as your study permit application before you arrive in Canada. A co-op letter that is required for the application is issued to you at the time of your offer of admission. 

If you did not apply for your co-op work permit along with your initial study permit or did not receive one with your study permit, you will have to submit a separate application to IRCC while in Canada well in advance of the start date of your placement/co-op, externship, etc.
Students in programs that require placements involving hospital settings and/or interaction with families and children in Canada are required by the IRCC to undergo a medical exam by a Panel Physician. See the Canadian government webpage on medical exams. 

The IRCC medical exam is in addition to completing the mandatory program-specific pre-placement health forms which may be mandated by your academic department (see georgebrown.ca/preplacement for details).

Eligibility

You can apply for a co-op or intern work permit if you meet all the following conditions:

• You have a valid study permit
• You are required to work in order to complete your study program in Canada
• You have a letter from your school that confirms all students in your program need to complete work placements to get their credential 
  • You can request this letter below

Download the Co-op Letter request form

• Your co-op placement or internship totals 50% or less of your study program

Who's not eligible

You are not eligible for a co-op work permit if you are taking one of the following:

• English or French as a second language (ESL/FSL),
• general interest courses, or
• courses to prepare for another study program.

Fees

Please note that there is no IRCC application fee for co-op work permit application. 

After you Apply

Students who are already in Canada and have applied for a co-op work permit may begin their co-op placement using their on-campus and off-campus work authorization under their study permit, provided they meet all the eligibility requirements, and only after their receive the confirmation from IRCC that they have received the co-op work permit application. 

There is no limit on work hours for on-campus co-op/placements/internship/externship. A student may accept employment on the campus of the university or college at which they are a full-time student under paragraph 186(f) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR).

For off-campus work authorization, as per paragraph R186(v), students can work a total of 24 hours per week during an academic term or semester while they are waiting for their co-op work permit; however, the 24 hours must include both the hours worked at their co-op job and those worked at their regular paid job (if they have one). 

If the co-op work permit application is refused, students must stop their co-op work immediately.

Please ensure that your study permit conditions/remarks do not prevent you from working in healthcare/childcare and other related fields in case you will be working in one of these fields while waiting for approval for your co-op work permit. 

You may be eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) if you graduated from a designated learning institution (DLI) and want to stay in Canada temporarily to work. 

Who can apply

To be eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP), you must meet all eligibility requirements below. 

Eligibility requirements include:

• general eligibility 
• eligibility requirements based on study program 
• eligibility requirements based on physical location 
  • inside Canada graduates 
  • outside Canada graduates 
• field of study requirements (if applicable) 

General eligibility 

You meet the general eligibility requirements to apply for PGWP if 

• you completed a study program at a designated learning institution 
• you maintained full-time status as a student in Canada during each semester of your study program 
  • There are some exceptions to this requirement, including 
    • studying part-time during your final semester 
    • taking an approved leave from your studies 
• you applied for your PGWP within 180 days after you graduated (if you are inside Canada, we advise that you apply for PGWP within 90 days from the date when your final semester officially ended. 
• your study permit was valid at some point during the 180 days after you graduated 
• none of the exceptions to the PGWP eligibility requirements apply to you 

In addition to the above general eligibility requirements, you must also meet the requirements below.  

Language requirement: 

You must prove your English or French language skills with a minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 5 in English or Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 5 in French in all 4 language areas. Find out what your language level is based on your language test results. 

Program length requirement: 

Your program must be 8 months or longer. 

Field of study requirement: 

If you submitted your study permit application before November 1, 2024, there are no field of study requirements. 

If you submitted your study permit application on or after November 1, 2024, you must have graduated in an eligible field of study. 

You can find PGWP eligible programs offered by George Brown College website.  

How long is a post-graduation work permit valid? 

The length of your PGWP depends on the level and duration of your study program, as well as the expiry date of your passport, whichever comes first. 

If your program was less than 8 months 

You aren’t eligible for a PGWP. 

If your program was at least 8, but less than 2 years 

IRCC may give you a PGWP that is valid for up to the same length as your study program. 

For example, if you completed a 9-month program, IRCC may give you a work permit for up to 9 months. 

If your program was 2 years or more 

IRCC may give you a PGWP that is valid for 3 years. 

If you completed more than 1 program 

You may be able to get a PGWP that combines the length of each program. 

Each of the programs you completed must be 

• PGWP eligible and 
• at least 8 months in length 

You cannot get a PGWP if you already had one after completing an earlier program of study. 

Documents you need from the College to apply for PGWP 

1. Final Transcript from the College. Please visit the MyCreds' webpage for more information on how to request your Final Transcript.  
2. Graduation Letter from the College confirming that you have met the requirements to complete the program of study. Please visit the OAS webpage to request your Graduation Letter.  

Please Note: In some cases, you may need an additional supporting letter for your PGWP application. This may include situations, but not limited to, where you were on authorized leave (this does not include scheduled summer break), you may have been granted Standing Deferral (SD) from the Academic Department, or you studied in Part-Time status in a semester, which was not your final academic semester. If this applies to you, please contact your International Student Advisor to discuss your situation.  

If you have a Spouse or Common Law Partner 

Effective January 21, 2025, only spouses of certain international students and foreign workers will be able to apply for a family Open Work Permit. Please visit the IRCC website for up to date and current information.  

Travel outside of Canada after you have submitted your PGWP application 

Please visit this IRCC website to find more information if you plan to travel outside of Canada after you have submitted your PGWP application. Please note that you will need valid and applicable documents to return to Canada.  

After you complete your study program, there are 2 ways you may be able to work full-time:

• you already applied for a PGWP before your study permit expired or
• you’re starting a new study program

You need to meet all the requirements listed below to work full-time. If IRCC refuses your work or study permit application, you must stop working. 

If you already applied for a work permit (including Post-Graduation Work Permit)

You can work full-time if you meet all these requirements:

• You were already able to work off campus during your studies under your study permit
• You applied for a work permit or post-graduation work permit before your study permit expired
• You are waiting for a decision on your work permit application

If you are starting a new study program

You can work full-time if you meet all these requirements:

• You were already able to work off campus during your previous studies
• You have a valid study permit or you applied to extend your study permit before it expired
• You received written confirmation from your current school that you completed your program
• You received a letter of acceptance to a new full-time study program at a DLI
• You’ll start your new program within 150 calendar days of receiving the confirmation that you completed your previous program