BackCanada to let int'l students work off-campus for up to 20 hrs per week
This measure has been taken temporarily and is applicable from 15 November to 31 December
PremiumCanada on Friday allowed international students who have off-campus work authorization on their study permit to work twenty hours per week while classes are in session.
This measure has been taken temporarily and is applicable from 15 November to 31 December. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced this major reform on Friday.
Canada has extended this temporary measure to foreign nationals who have already submitted a study permit application as recently as on Friday.
International students will also be able to benefit from this policy if Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada approve their application.
Canada is dealing with labour shortages and an unemployment rate that is low by historical standards. Statistics Canada reported that the country's unemployment rate fell to 5.2 per cent in September, down from 5.4 per cent in August.
At present, the rule is that international students who apply to study in a Canadian educational program may get authorized to work off-campus during their studies for up to 20 hours per week.
However, this limit is lifted during scheduled breaks such as the summer and winter holidays, allowing international students to support themselves financially.
With nearly a million job vacancies, this has resulted in the Canadian government easing this rule for the time being.
According to research by the Canadian Bureau for International Education, the majority of international students are interested in remaining in Canada as permanent residents upon completing their studies.
Canada is among the leading destinations for international students. In 2021 alone, it hosted over 620,000 international students.
Canada has already processed more than 452,000 study permit applications between January and August of 2022, a 23 per cent increase compared to the 367,000 processed over the same period in 2021.
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