International students may be eligible to work on and off-campus while studying if their study permit includes the conditions or remarks permitting work and if they are compliant with their study permit conditions. Additionally, they must apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) to work in Canada or to receive benefits and services from government programs.
Checking your Study Permit Conditions
Number of Hours Eligible to Work Off-Campus
To work on and off-campus while studying in Canada, you must have one of the following conditions/remarks printed on your study permit:
If your study permit doesn’t have one of these conditions/remarks or contains incorrect conditions, you may request an amendment to your study permit. This paper-based application is free of charge, and it is important to adhere to the conditions stated on your study permit until any necessary corrections are made.
To support your application for an amendment, you can request a Confirmation of Enrolment letter from VCC, which verifies that you are enrolled at an eligible DLI.
Students transferring to Vancouver Community College (VCC) from a secondary school will be required to apply for a change of conditions on their study permit. This is because the study permit they currently hold does not include conditions authorizing work.
For pathway (ESL) program students or those taking prerequisite courses for acceptance into VCC’s full-time program, the following Remarks/Observations may apply:
“Unless prerequisite course or program has been completed, may not accept off-campus employment.”
This limitation is in place due to the ineligibility for off-campus work while taking prerequisite courses. However, upon completion of your pathway program/prerequisite courses and commencement of an eligible VCC program, you will be eligible to work on and off-campus in accordance with the conditions outlined in your study permit.
Alternatively, instead of the remarks, you may see the following conditions:
“This permit does not permit the holder to engage in off-campus employment in Canada”
In this case, you must apply to change the conditions of your study permit before you can work off-campus. There is a fee to make this change.
International students with a valid study permit or maintained status, which includes the condition that they can undergo on- and off-campus work, may be eligible to work on-campus. You do not need a separate work permit to work on-campus. There is no limit to how many hours of work you can do as long as you meet all the eligibility requirements.
All of the following requirements must be met.
You are only eligible to work on-campus after you begin your program of study. You cannot work before you start your program.
‘On-campus’ refers to all the buildings on your school campus. However, you may only work at the campus where you have most of your classes. At VCC, that means you can only work at one campus location: Downtown or Broadway campus. A few examples of on-campus work include the bookstore, food services areas, and café.
International students may work as many hours as they want on campus, in addition to working off campus, as long as they continue to meet the eligibility requirements for working on campus.
For more information about working on-campus, please visit IRCC – Work on campus.
International students with a valid study permit, which includes the condition that they can undergo off-campus work, may be eligible to work off-campus without a work permit as long as they meet the following eligibility requirements.
All of the following requirements must be met.
Typically, you are only eligible to work off-campus after you begin your program of study. You cannot work before you start your program.
VCC programs are structured to ensure that international students maintain full-time academic status throughout their program. Most programs at VCC follow a cohort model, wherein students are enrolled in courses by VCC and expected to adhere to a fixed schedule according to the program curriculum. In essence, students are anticipated to commence, progress, and graduate with their cohort.
You can work full-time while you are waiting for the new program if you meet ALL of these requirements:
You are not eligible to work if you are on authorized leave from your studies.
If, due to extenuating circumstances, you become a part-time student in your final term, you are still eligible to work off-campus as long as it is confirmed to be your final semester and you have maintained full-time academic status throughout your program, provided you meet all eligibility criteria.
Under standard circumstances, international students are permitted to work up to 20 hours a week while enrolled in full-time studies. Adhering to these limitations is crucial, as exceeding 20 hours a week constitutes a violation of your study permit conditions. This breach can have severe consequences, potentially resulting in the loss of status, denial of future study or work permits, and even expulsion from the country.
However, during scheduled breaks, international students can work full-time, provided they maintain full-time academic status before and after the break. There are no restrictions on the number of hours worked during these breaks as long as the employer complies with provincial labour laws. For more information, you can refer to BC employment standards.
Most VCC programs indeed have scheduled breaks that vary based on the program and cohort. It's essential to consult with your program department to confirm if your program has any scheduled breaks and their respective dates. Winter break closure and breaks between terms, which typically begin on the day after the exam period concludes for a given term and end on the day before classes start for the subsequent term, are typically considered regularly scheduled breaks for immigration purposes at VCC.
You can also refer to the VCC College Calendar to review the dates of college closures, including the Winter Break closure. This calendar can provide clarity on when the college officially closes for breaks and reopens for classes.
VCC does not issue scheduled break confirmation letters without receiving a request letter from IRCC. This letter is not issued for employment purposes. Instead, students can utilize the email communication they received regarding their scheduled break when they commenced their program or refer to the program website if the information is available.
International students can work remotely for an employer outside Canada as long as they meet the conditions of their study permit. This type of work doesn’t count towards their off-campus work limit.
The content on this page reflects the information available at the time of its publication. It is important to acknowledge that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and other government departments regularly revise their policies. For the latest information, please visit Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website.
Latest Updated: May 26, 2024
