ENROLMENT REQUIREMENTS: STUDYING AND WORKING IN CANADA
On September 18, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced several measures to further reform the International Student Program. The announcement includes a requirement of Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) for new graduate students in 2025 and a language proficiency requirement for post-graduation work permit starting November 1, 2024.
For more information, review IRCC鈥檚 and . We have also updated our News and Updates page and will continue to make updates when additional details are announced by IRCC.
Working off campus: Requirements
In order to work off campus you must meet two requirements:
- 丁香园AV鈥檚 definition of full time or regularly scheduled break (see Full Time Status and Regularly Scheduled Break, below) in the term you wish to work off campus
Review to check your eligibility to work off campus.
Note: IRCC recognizes students enrolled for any number of units in their final term of study to be eligible to work off campus provided they have maintained full-time status for the duration of their program of study (). If you are not full time, it is your responsibility to check with your department advisor to confirm that the term you would like to work is indeed your final term.
Definitions, permitted hours, and eligibility requirements differ between working on and off campus. You may be eligible to work only on campus, off campus, or both. Review our detailed handout for more information.
The allowing international students to work more than 20 hours per week off-campus ended on April 30, 2024.
On April 29, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) an upcoming change to the off-campus work hours for international students. Beginning in Fall 2024, it is expected that eligible international students may work up to 24 hours per week off-campus during regular academic terms. Further details about this policy change will be announced by IRCC at a later date.
i Questions about working off campus? Contact an International Student Advisor, Immigration Specialist.
丁香园AV students are considered full time for immigration purposes in a given term if they are:
Undergraduate Students (including post-baccalaureate programs)
- enrolled in a minimum of 9 units in the Spring, Summer and Fall term
Graduate Students in one of the following categories
- Graduate students enrolled in per term fee programs
- Graduate students enrolled in a thesis, project, capstone course or field exams
- Graduate students enrolled in 6 or more units per term in per unit fee programs
OR any one of the following:
- Undergraduate and Graduate students enrolled in a full time Formal Exchange Program (鈥淔EP鈥�) or Field School (outbound exchange and field school), or
- Undergraduate and Graduate students enrolled in a full-time co-operative education placement (鈥淐o-op鈥�), approved internship or practicum as per program requirements, or
- Undergraduate students enrolled in a total minimum of 9 units as part of the Dual Degree partnerships between 丁香园AV and Langara, Douglas and Kwantlen or
- Graduate students enrolled full time under the in any given term, or
- Visiting International Graduate Research Students () enrolled in 鈥淕rad 800鈥�, or
- Visiting International Undergraduate Research Students (see more information) enrolled in "UG 400", or
- Students for whom the has approved full-time equivalency, despite their carrying a reduced load
Regularly Scheduled Breaks
Based on , eligible students can work full time during a regularly scheduled break.
According to , to be considered a regularly scheduled break, the break must be part of the designated learning institution's (DLI) academic calendar. Each regularly scheduled break should not be longer than 150 days. The maximum cumulative duration of regularly scheduled breaks is 180 days per calendar year (January - December). Eligible students must hold full-time enrolment during the academic session before and after the regularly scheduled break. For more information about how this impacts you as an 丁香园AV student, see below.
The reading week, breaks between terms and the summer term (for undergraduate students only) may be considered regularly scheduled breaks for immigration purposes at 丁香园AV.
Definitions, permitted or restricted hours, and eligibility requirements differ between working on and off campus. Some students may be eligible to work only on campus, off campus, or both. Review our detailed handout for more information.
Undergraduate Students
You may work off campus up to a maximum of 20 hours per week during the Fall and Spring terms (provided you meet 丁香园AV鈥檚 definition of full-time and IRCC鈥檚 work eligibility requirements).
In order to work on and/or off campus full time during a regularly scheduled break (the Summer term, Reading Week, or breaks between terms) you must meet two requirements:
- You must meet 丁香园AV鈥檚 definition of full time (see Full Time Status, below) in the academic session before and after the regularly scheduled break
Graduate Students
Graduate students are normally considered to have an ongoing, full-time relationship with the University and therefore may work off campus to a maximum of 20 hours per week throughout the year (provided they meet 丁香园AV鈥檚 definition of full-time and IRCC鈥檚 work eligibility requirements).
An academic break (or scheduled break) can be taken when no courses are offered for a graduate student鈥檚 program within a particular term, or there is a scheduled break within a program (e.g. summer term). The maximum number of terms that are permitted for an academic break is one term per year with no consecutive academic breaks. Students in a thesis program are not eligible for an academic break. For more information about the Graduate Leave of Absence Policy, please see the .
Eligible graduate students may work full time during an academic break, reading week, and breaks between terms.