From November 15, 2022, to December 31, 2023, international students studying in Canada are now permitted to work more than 20 hours per week even while classes are in session.
In order to address Canada’s long-standing labor shortages, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser on Friday announced a new temporary measure, according to CICNews. According to Fraser, this will enable the over 500,000 foreign students already residing in Canada to possibly work longer hours.
International students studying in Canada starting in the middle of next month are permitted to work more than 20 hours per week off-campus while classes are in session if they have off-campus work authorization on their study permit.
Based on the information MandyNews.com was able to obtain Foreign nationals who have already submitted an application for a study permit as of pretty recently will also be impacted by the temporary measure. If their application is accepted by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, they will also be eligible for this policy’s benefits.
This significant change was introduced on Thursday,ย 6 October in Ottawa, the nation’s capital, by Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.
This policy, according to Fraser, aims to address the labor shortages that are currently plaguing Canada.
Canada is dealing with the worst labor shortages in history and a historically low unemployment rate. Statistics Canada announced on Friday that the country’s unemployment rate decreased to 5.2% in September from a previous reading of 5.4%.
Can International Student Work More Than 20 Hours In Canada
Currently, foreign students who apply to enroll in a Canadian educational program that meets their qualifications may be granted permission to work off-campus for up to 20 hours a week while they are enrolled in classes. During scheduled breaks, such as the summer and winter vacations, this cap is lifted. It is possible for international students to support themselves financially thanks to this policy, which also aims to keep them concentrated on finishing their studies rather than looking for employment in Canada. But the Canadian government has temporarily relaxed this rule in response to the country’s nearly one million job openings.
According to Fraser, this policy will enable the over 500,000 eligible international students already residing in Canada to work possibly more hours.
In the announcement made today, Fraser also noted that, compared to the 367,000 study permit applications processed during the same period in 2021, Canada had already processed more than 452,000 applications between January and August of 2022. So far this year, Canada has processed more study permits than it did in any previous year, breaking its own record.
According to research by the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), most foreign students state that they are interested in staying in Canada as permanent residents after completing their studies.
