OFF-CAMPUS WORK VISA

In a continued effort to retain the best and brightest foreign workers in Canada, the Off-Campus Work visa was created to allow full-time students enrolled in designated public post-secondary institutions to work part-time off-campus under an authorized work permit. This temporary work permit for foreign students in Canada now allows students to take advantage of the many varied employment opportunities without the requirement of a specific job offer or having a set of required credentials or experience.

Once granted, students will be eligible to work up to 20 hours a week off-campus for any employer in any occupation. In addition, they will be eligible to work full-time during school breaks and holidays. This visa may also assist applicants in obtaining permanent residence while in Canada.

Off-Campus Work Visa Basic Requirements

Foreign students may take advantage of this temporary work permit if they satisfy the following requirements:

  • Possess a valid study permit and continue to fulfill the terms and conditions of the study permit and work permit, once issued;
  • Have studied full-time and maintained satisfactory academic standing in a specific program of study at a participating institution for at least six out of the twelve months preceding the application to work off campus;
  • Continue to remain registered as a full-time student in a program of study other than English or French as a second language (ESL/FSL); and
  • Continue to fulfill the terms and conditions of the study permit and work permit, if applicable.

Off-Campus Work Visa Entitlements

OFF-CAMPUS WORK VISA

Once the Off-Campus Work visa has been issued, the applicant will be allowed to work in Canada for up to 20 hours per week during any academic sessions and full time during scheduled breaks (for example, during winter and summer holidays, and reading week).

Applicants will be allowed to work in any occupation and change their employment at any time. This visa does not guarantee that they will find a job and it is the applicant’s responsibility to look for work. Even if they work off-campus, their studies must be the main reason they are in Canada. Spouses and children may be eligible to work and study during their stay. An Off-Campus Work visa may assist foreign students towards permanent residence and may be processed in tandem with a permanent residency application, which could allow applicants to stay in Canada once the application has been approved.

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