From November 2022, study and work in Canada with unlimited working hours

Highlights of removal of working-hour cap for foreign students

• Sean Fraser announced that starting November 15, 2022, international students won’t have a 20-hour restriction on off-campus work.
• This is applicable to post-secondary students, till December 31, 2023.
• The new decision opens up the opportunity to study and work in Canada with unlimited working hours allowed temporarily.
• The urgent need to address the shortage of workers is the main reason behind this decision.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91a0Ruz9884

If you have been following news on Canada immigration, you will be aware of how the country is finding a solution for the skilled worker shortage through immigration. The Canadian government has been introducing many measures to attract foreign nationals and retain capable foreigners in the country.

Recently, Sean Fraser, the Minister of IRCC, announced that international students doing post-secondary courses can study and work in Canada with unlimited working hours, temporarily. Currently, these students can only work off-campus for up to 20 hours per week. The new decision of granting unlimited working hours will be applicable from November 15, 2022, to December 31, 2023.

Also read: How much do you know about vocational courses in Canada?

Who can benefit from the new decision?

If you are planning to migrate to Canada for studies and have already submitted a study permit application in the first week of October, this new decision will benefit you. This however will be possible if the Canada student visa application you have lodged is approved.

You, as an international student in Canada, will get a greater opportunity to gain valuable experience at work in Canada. On the other hand, the availability of workers will increase in Canada. The country will be able to sustain economic growth after the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are more than 500,000 international students employed in off-campus work in Canada currently. With the cap on working hours per week lifted, the country will get more working hours for international students. The existing worker shortage in many sectors will be brought down. On the other hand, international students will get more flexibility to work and earn more along with their studies.

Nevertheless, Canada student visa holders are expected and required to strike a balance between the commitments related to study and work. Note that students who stop studying or take up lesser course work just to do part-time courses to get the benefit from such decisions aren’t granted eligibility to indulge in part-time employment off-campus.

Also read: Have plans to study in Canada? Here’s a guide to the costs involved

Other developments

In October 2022, IRCC will launch a pilot project for the automation of Canada study permit extensions. Chosen types of visa applications will be considered to under this pilot project. These will be application types that have shown a high rate of approval consistently. The applicants lodging these applications will already have received approval to study in Canada.

The aim of this pilot which involves a limited number of applicants is to grant extensions after faster processing. What IRCC will achieve will be meeting improved service to its clients.  If the pilot becomes successful, its expansion will be done so that visa processing times are reduced and officers can focus on more applications that are even more complex to handle.

Here are a couple of other decisions recently made that will benefit international students as well as recent graduates.

• IRCC has granted a period of transition for those studying Canadian university courses online from countries abroad.
• IRCC has given an opportunity to those whose PGWPs have expired or are expiring to get an extra 18-month validity on an open work permit in Canada.

If you are willing to study in Canada, talk to Y-Axis, the leading immigration and career consultant in the UAE.

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