Working On-Campus and Off-Campus Canada

Imagine this: You just landed in Canada as an international student, getting admission to one of your dream universities, unaware of the life that’s waiting for you, and the adventure that is written thereafter. But as you start to familiarise yourself with the foreign environment, your surroundings, and your academics, do you start to face discomfort regarding arising foreign expenses? What do you do then? You learn to manage them, and you do that by availing yourself of the numerous on-campus and off-campus working opportunities in Canada!

Maple leaf country provides their students with the choice of working on campus and off campus so that students can find suitable jobs and cover the cost of living in Canada. 

Read through this blog to get to know more about the job regarding working on campus and off campus in Canada. 

Working On-Campus Canada

Going simply by the name, do we understand that working on campus means the job opportunities provided to students to work on the campus itself This includes the administrative office or the on-campus library, etc. 

Who Can Work On-Campus in Canada?

Students can work on-campus in Canada only after their course study begins. They can’t start working on campus before that. As an international student, you can work on campus if the study permit you possess specifically mentions that you are permitted to work on or off campus. 

Though students can, in some cases, work on campus without a work permit, as well. This includes students that are: 

• A post-secondary student at a public post-secondary school, a private post-secondary school in Quebec (with the same functioning as that of a public school); a private or public secondary or post-secondary institution (leading to a diploma), the private institution providing degrees under law. 
• A holder of a valid study permit 
• Possesser of a Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Who Can Not Work On-Campus in Canada?

A student cannot work on campus if they:

• Stop studying full-time
• Are on an authorised leave of absence from school 
• Have an expired study permit 

Who Can You Work For?

You can work for the following entities when you start on-campus work:

• A faculty member
• The academic institution
• A student organisation
• Independent organisation on-campus 
• Private business on campus 
• On-campus services of a private contractor 

Exceptions to Working On-Campus 

In most cases, you have to physically work on-campus for it falls under the category, but in some cases, you can work at other locations if you meet the following:

• Your work entails that of a teaching or research assistant
• Your work is related to a research grant 
• You are working at a library, hospital or office associated with the school, though they are situated outside the campus  

Number of Hours working On-Campus 

There is not a fixed number of hours you can work on-campus, but it depends on the employers who can limit the number of hours you are able to work per week. 

On-Campus Pay 

The following table illustrates how much pay you receive working on-campus in Canada. 

Per year	Per hour
CAD 42,565 (INR 26 lakh)	CAD 22 (INR 1,300)

Working Off-Campus Canada

The places of employment that fall outside the campus location fall under the category of working off-campus for students of Canada. This includes cafes, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. 

Eligibility Requirements to Work Off-Campus 

Before working off-campus, you, as a student need to make sure that you can in fact work and meet the requirements of not needing a work permit. The employer needs to make sure that the student is eligible to work off-campus and doesn’t need a work permit. 

Have a look at the points below to know the requirements to work off-campus without a work permit. 

1. You need to be a full-time student at a designated learning institution (DLI).
2. You also need to be enrolled in a post-secondary vocational, academic, or professional program. 
3. Further, you should be studying a program that at least lasts for 6 months and provides a diploma, degree or certificate upon graduation.
4. You need to start studying and be a student with active classes
5. You especially need to have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Who Can Not Work Off-Campus in Canada?

A student can not work off-campus in Canada if:

• They are on a break from studying 
• Their study permit doesn’t allow them to work off-campus 
• Their study programs only consist of general courses, or an ESL/FSL program
• They are simply not studying but choose to work 
• They no longer meet the eligibility requirements
• They are switching schools and are therefore not studying 
• They are on a leave of absence from school and are not studying 

Exceptions to Working Off-Campus 

If you are a part-time student, the following apply to you to work off-campus 

• As a student, you meet all the remaining eligibility criteria, except that of being a full-time student
• The reason you only studying part-time is that you are already in the last semester and you don’t need to study full-time anymore; plus you were already a full-time student up until the last semester  

Number of Hours Working Off-Campus 

Working off-campus in Canada is distinguished between two-time durations: During regular classes and during scheduled breaks like summer vacation. 

During Regular Classes 

During regular classes, you are allowed to work for no more than 20 hours per week. Though please note a recent update on the same below. 

This states that if you are a study permit holder, are studying at DTI full-time, have received the application for a study permit on or before October 7, 2022; have an off-campus work authorization on a study permit; and are expected to come to Canada soon by December 31, 2022; you are allowed to work for more than 20 hours per week off-campus. 

During Scheduled Breaks

During scheduled breaks, you are allowed to work full-time as a student. 

Please Read: Canada extends work hours for international students to address labour shortage

Off-Campus Pay 

The following table illustrates how much pay you receive working on-campus in Canada. 

Per hour

CAD 22 (INR 1,300)

Now, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about working on campus and off campus in Canada. 

FAQs

This was all about Working on Campus and Off-Campus Canada! You may enlist the assistance of Leverage Edu specialists to assist you with the application process to get into an esteemed university so that you can realise your goals. Call us immediately at 1800 57 2000 for a free 30-minute counselling session.