Permits & Visas

If you are a registered, full-time student with a Study Permit, you are able to work at any job on campus without having a work permit. To see if you qualify check Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s guidelines for work permits for students.

You can work as an international student in Canada if your study permit lists a condition that says you’re allowed to work on- or off-campus

To work on campus, you must:

• be registered as a full-time post-secondary student at a:
  • public post-secondary school, such as a college or university, or CEGEP in Quebec
  • private college-level school in Quebec that operates under the same rules as public schools, and is at least 50% funded by government grants, or
  • Canadian private school that can legally award degrees under provincial law
• have a valid study permit, and have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)

International students may qualify to work off campus without a work permit. If you qualify, your study permit will allow you to work up to 20 hours per week.

You can work as an international student in Canada if your study permit lists a condition that says you’re allowed to work on- or off campus

To qualify to work off-campus, you must:

• have a valid study permit,
• be a full-time student,
• be enrolled at at a designated learning institution (such as George Brown College) at the post-secondary level or,
• be studying in an academic, vocational or professional training program that leads to a degree, diploma or certificate that is at least six months in duration.

You must stop working on the day you no longer meet the above eligibility requirements (e.g., if you are no longer a full-time student during an academic session.)

Use the self-assessment tool to see if you are eligible to work off campus without a work permit. Please note you need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) from Service Canada to work in Canada or to receive benefits and services from government programs.

International students who are undertaking any kind of field education (co-op, externship, practicum, clinical, etc.), regardless of length, must have a valid co-op/intern work permit. You can submit this application at the same time as your study permit application. If you did not apply for your co-op/intern work permit along with your study permit or did not receive one with your study permit, you will have to submit a separate application through CIC while in Canada well in advance of the start date of your placement.

The work permit is a document required by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) before international students can start their field placement, work placement, externship, practicum, even if these placements are unpaid. 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. Medical exams performed by a Panel Physician are valid for up to 12 months. If you completed a medical exam for your visa application and it is still valid, you may be able to submit proof of this medical with your application for a co-op work permit. 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).

Features

• No application fee required for co-op work permit processing
• Employer indicated on the work permit is George Brown College
• Apply early, as processing times vary and you must have your co-op work permit in order to begin your placement
• Cannot be used in place of an off-campus work permit and must only be used for your field education purposes

Requirements

The International Centre will prepare the Co-Op Certification Letters based on a list of students provided by the Academic Department.

Download the Co-op Letter request form
The list will include the following information:

• Name of Student and Student ID Number
• Program
• Term of student (ex:first, second)
• Placement Period (from when to when)
• Total Number of Placement Hours and whether the placement is one-time only or for each term. If placement is done each term, total number of hours per term.

If a student has a HOLD on the student information system or is not currently registered, a Co-Op Certification Letter cannot be issued.

When the Certification Letters are ready, the International Centre will either:

a. Inform the academic department so student can pick up the letter from the International Centre; or

b. Send the letter to the department where it can be picked up by the student.

How to Apply for a Co-Op Work Permit

For details and information on how to apply for a co-op work permit please visit the Canadian government website here.

International students are eligible to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit that is valid from 8 months to up to three (3) years, depending on the duration of the academic program successfully completed. Please check with the IRCC (formerly CIC) to confirm eligibility. For more information, please visit the Canadian government website.

Highlights of the Post-Graduation Work Permit

1. The permit is valid from 8 months to up to a maximum of three (3) years
2. The permit allows students to work anywhere within Canada
3. Students are not required to find a job related to their field of study.
4. If you complete any Community and Health Sciences programs, H402, R107 and T402 programs, and want to work in your field, a recent medical exam by a Panel Physician may be required by IRCC if you want to receive a Work Permit without any restrictions attached.
5. Students do not need a job offer to apply for a post-graduation work permit.
6. The work permit is an “open” permit and not employer specific (which means that students do not need to change their work permit every time they change jobs).
7. Post-Graduation Work Permit application may be done online or by mail

Application Information

If you’re an international student who wishes to apply for the Post-Graduation Work Permit you must:

• Possess a valid Study Permit
• Have completed an academic, vocational or professional training program at an eligible institution in Canada that is at least 8 months in duration leading to a degree, diploma or certificate
• Have maintained a full-time student status in Canada during each academic session of the program or programs of study that have completed and submitted as part of their post-graduation work permit application. Exceptions can be made only for the following:
  • leave from studies
  • final academic session
• Have received a transcript and an official letter from the eligible DLI (George Brown College) confirming that they have met the requirements to complete their program of study
• Apply within 90 days (if within Canada) or 180 days (if outside Canada) of your last day of class in your final semester
• Have not previously been issued a work permit for post-graduation employment following any other course of study

How to Apply

Applications for a Post-Graduation Work Permit can be submitted online or by mail.

Visit work in Canada after you graduate