Canada allowed international students with off-campus work authorization on their study permits to work 20 hours per week while courses are in session.
From November 15 until December 31, this temporary measure will be in effect. This significant change was introduced on Friday by Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.
Foreign nationals who have already applied for a study permit as recently as Friday are now included in the temporary measure that Canada has extended.
If Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada approve an international student’s application, they also will be eligible for this policy’s advantages.
Canada is facing a labour shortage and a historically low unemployment rate. According to Statistics Canada, the country’s jobless rate decreased from 5.4 per cent in August to 5.2 per cent in September.
Currently, international students who apply to study in a Canadian educational programme are permitted to work off-campus for up to 20 hours per week while enrolled in the programme.
To allow international students to support themselves financially, this limit is lifted during pre-scheduled periods such as the summer and winter breaks.
Due to the approximately one million open positions, the Canadian government temporarily relaxed this rule.
According to research by the Canadian Bureau for International Education, most international students are interested in remaining in Canada as permanent citizens after completing their studies.
Canada is among the leading destinations for international students. In 2021 alone, it hosted over 620,000 international students.
Between January and August of 2022, Canada processed over 452,000 applications for study permits, a 23% increase over the 367,000 applications processed during the same time in 2021.
