Every student who is studying in Canada might have one goal “Earn while learning”. Most of the pupils from developing countries pay high tuition fees and substantial living costs, which are quite difficult for them to manage. Immigration Lawyer Toronto will discuss the available work opportunities in Canada for overseas students.
First of all, Let us shed light on the work permit legitimacy for international students in Canadian universities. International pupils in the country may work on campus or off campus; else they can choose to work as an intern, if they desire to make money while studying in order to support their studies according to the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) department. Being an international student, you can choose any of the following work opportunities in Canada as recommended by the CIC:
Work Off Campus
International students can opt to work off campus to gain work experience while carrying out their studies. At present, working off campus in Canada is fairly easy for global students as the CIC has started the Off-Campus Work Permit Program (OCWPP) from June 1, 2014, which allows them to work outside the universities without a work permit. However earlier, students was not get allowed and they had to get a work permit from CIC before going off campus to work which was involved complicated paperwork.
As per CIC, Eligibility criteria for working off campus
- A person must be full-time student and have a valid study permit
- A person is enrolled at a designated learning institute for a post-secondary studies or a secondary level vocational program in Quebec
- A person is studying an academic, professional or training vocational program of at least 6 months in duration which will get them a diploma, degree, or certificate.
If you meet the criteria, your study permit will allow you to:
- In a regular academic session, you can work off-campus up to 20 hours per week and
- During spring break or winter / summer holidays you can work off-campus full-time.
Here are a few instances of places where global students can work off campus:
- Restaurants as cooks, servers, hosts
- Corporations in their field of study as interns, coordinators or research assistants
- Banks as customer service representatives or tellers
- Stores as cashiers, customer service representatives, designers of store displays, etc.
Work On Campus
A very suitable mode of earning while studying, working on campus is the ideal alternative for a pupil who has spare time between classes. Eligibility criteria for working on campus are following as;
- You must be a full-time student and
- You must have a valid study permit.
Here are a few of the immense places where pupils can work on campus:
- Bookstores in Campus
- Universities’ Administrative offices -as interns, assistants or receptionists
- Stores and restaurants of universities
- University libraries
- University Coffee shops
Work as a Co-op Student or Intern
For some academic streams, work experience is part of the syllabus. In such cases, it is quite easy for international students to search work opportunities in Canada, because the CIC permits them to go for a Co-operative Education or paid internship program, for which they will need to apply for both study permit and work permit. A Co-operative Education is a type of internship program that allows college students to get career training while working with professionals in their major streams of study and get paid.
Eligibility criteria for a work permit for the Co-op program or paid internship are following as:
- Pupils must have a valid study permit.
- Their service must be a part of their educational program, and ought to be certified by a letter from the concerned educational official.
Overseas students will not be entitled to work as co-op student or intern if they are studying French or English as a second language.
Now, let’s check the available work opportunities in Canada for overseas students who are studying in the following Canadian Universities:
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McGill University – Work Study Program
The McGill University offers work Study Program for international students who are looking for work opportunities in Canada. Under this program, students can do clerical, technical, research, library or other jobs on campus or in the McGill-affiliated organizations and hospitals.
Students must meet the following requirements;
- Students must have a valid study permit and be registered in a full-time degree program
- They must have maintained a satisfactory academic record
- University of Toronto – Work Study Program:
University of Toronto Work Study program provides students some opportunity to expand their skills, knowledge and experience through paid work on campus.
Eligibility Criteria
- Work Study program is open for all regular domestic and international students who are studying at least 40% course load.
- International pupils must have a Social Insurance Number (SIN) provided by Service Canada to get paid.
Students are permitted to work a maximum of twelve hours for each week, at a wage fee of $11.25 for each hour plus 4% vacation pay.
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University of British Columbia – Work Study Program
The UBC work study program provides entitled students with the chance to expand their workplace skills, search potential career paths, and obtain mentoring through work experiences. They can attain all this whilst earning extra income to help finance their education.
Eligibility
- To be qualified for the Work Study Program, UBC pupils should maintain at least of 18 credits (9 per term).
- Overseas students must have a valid study permit and a valid Social Insurance Number card.
University of Alberta: Global students can search work opportunities in Canada, while studying at the University of Alberta. There are a lot of ways pupils can earn some money while studying at the University of Alberta. University of Alberta allows students to work both on campus and off campus.
Alberta Cooperative Work Programs: The School of Business and the Faculty of Engineering at University of Alberta (UAlberta) offers cooperative work programs for overseas students. In such programs, students can obtain precious work experience in their field of study and meanwhile they can earn to support their expenses.
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