Working as a Student

You may work on campus at the institution where you study without a work permit if:

• you are engaged in full-time studies at a Canadian university, community college, CEGEP, a publicly funded trade or technical school or a private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees; and
• you have a valid study permit.

Working Off-Campus

Off-campus work (meaning work not within the school or university) is available to full-time students studying in the following provinces:

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Nova Scotia
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Québec
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon

If you are in one of these provinces, you must apply for a work permit, and you may not work off-campus until you have received your work permit. The work permit allows you to work up to 20 hours a week during regular academic sessions (15 hours a week in Quebec), and up to 40 hours a week during regular breaks (e.g., winter or summer holidays and spring break).

To be eligible for an off-campus work permit, you must:

• have a valid study permit;
• be studying in a province or territory that has an agreement with CIC;
• be a full-time student at a participating school that has an agreement with one of those provinces or territories;
• have been a full-time student for at least one year (two consecutive terms) at one of those institutions;
• be in good standing at your institution;
• sign a consent form that allows CIC, the institution and the province to share your personal information;
• complete a work permit application provided by your institution; and
• include with your work permit application an official receipt to show you have paid the application processing fee.