International students will be allowed to work off-campus for 24 hours a week starting this fall, according to a government announcement.
“First and foremost, people coming to Canada as students must be here to study, not work,” said Immigration Minister Marc Miller on Monday, April 29. “We will continue working to protect the integrity of our student program.”
The changes will come into effect starting in September.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller (@MarcMillerVM/X)
In 2022, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser introduced the pilot program, which temporarily lifted the 20-hour-per-week cap on the number of hours eligible post-secondary students can work off-campus while class is in session. The program ended on December 31, 2023.
Miller previously announced that the workweek cap would be waived until Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Now, it appears that it won’t be extended.
“Students who come to Canada must be here to study,” reads a statement from the IRCC. “As such, allowing students to work up to 24 hours per week will ensure they focus primarily on their studies while having the option to work, if necessary.”
Meanwhile, students with a scheduled academic break can continue to work unlimited hours this summer session.
The announcement has received mixed reactions.
Awful different from when you said they were lucrative and a good source of cheap labour for big box stores. What’s changed?
— Pastel Ponytopia (@PastelPonylady) April 29, 2024
How about ZERO hours?
Aren’t they supposed to prove financial security before coming here?
Why should they take ANY paying job away from a Canadian?— The Buck You Will (@TheBuckYouWill) April 29, 2024
International students are an exploited segment of the workforce. This will only compel them to work under the table. There is already a huge premium on hiring Canadians for nearly all desirable jobs. The solution to housing and unemployment is helping businesses compete.
— FrontierJatt (@SatlujAthabasca) April 29, 2024
Seems like a reasonable decision. Lifting the 20 hours/week cap was a temporary measure when labour shortages were particularly acute; it was always intended to expire.
— Russil Wvong (@russilwvong) April 29, 2024
“Working off-campus helps international students gain work experience and offset some of their expenses,” said Miller. “As international students arrive in Canada, we want them to be prepared for life here and have the support they need to succeed.”
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.
With files from Nikitha Martins