When you have decided to study abroad, many or few international students will also learn about working overseas in Canada. Although the purpose of working overseas is different for each of you, there are advantages of working overseas that no one can deny, that in addition to having more income to cover your life, you also learn skills and experience in the process of working, which will help you in the process of finding a job and going to work after graduation. However, to work overseas legally in any country, you must understand the law of overseas employment for international students and some basics of the labor law of the country for international workers. In addition, you also need to arrange a reasonable working time so that it will not affect your study.
I. Overtime in Canada for International Students
Do you need to apply for a work permit to work overtime in Canada? Probably this is a question that most students when they first step into the country of maple leaves are wondering. To know if your case is allowed to work overtime during school, you need to see the conditions of your study permit. This permit is issued when you enter Canada for the first time and this permit will need to be renewed 3 months before the expiration. On the study permit will tell you whether you are allowed to work overtime or not? If yes, it is on-campus or off-campus work.
1. On campus (on-campus)
a. Who can work on campus?
You can only start working overtime in Canada when you start your program. You cannot work before your program starts. You can only work in Canada if your study abroad permit lists a condition indicating that you are allowed to work on or off campus. If you are an international student, you will be allowed to work on campus without a work permit if you meet one of the following conditions:
- You are a full-time international student of a post-secondary program at one of the following educational institutions:
- Public post-secondary schools, such as a public college, university, or CEGEP in Quebec.
- Private colleges in Quebec operate under the same rules as public schools and are funded with at least 50% of government grants or:
- Private Canadian schools can legally issue degrees under provincial laws.
- Have a valid study permit, and:
- Have Social Security Number (SIN)
b. Who cannot work on campus?
You must stop working on-campus if you are in one of the following circumstances:
- On the day you stop studying full-time
- Your study permit expires
- If you are allowed to leave school
- If you are in the process of transferring and you are not currently attending school
c. Where you can find on-campus jobs
“On-campus” means that you can apply to work in all buildings located on your campus, if your school has multiple campuses, you can only work at the facility where you are studying.
You can only work at a different location if:
- You are working as a teaching or research assistant and
- Your work is entirely related to funding, research
In this case, you can work at a library, hospital, or research facility affiliated with your school, even if they are outside of campus.
d. Who can you work for?
An “on-campus” employer can be:
- School
- A member of the faculty
- A Student Organization
- You yourself, if: you run an actual business located on campus (for example, you own a coffee shop located on campus)
- A privately owned business
- A private contractor providing on-campus services
2. Off campus (off-campus)
a. Who can work on-campus?
Just like on-campus part-time work, you can only work off-campus when your program starts. You can work off-campus or not depending on the conditions stated on your study permit.
You will be allowed to work on-campus in Canada if you meet the following conditions:
-You are a full-time international student at a designated institution (education institution with DLI code)
-You have registered:
+ Post - secondary training, vocational training, or professional training programs or:
+Secondary vocational training program (Quebec only)
-Your curriculum:
+ At least 6 months and
+Your final degree will have to be a Bachelor's Degree, College or Certificate
-Your study permit must be valid and must show that you are allowed to work off-campus.
-You have started to learn
-You have a social insurance number (SIN)
b. If you are a part-time student
You can only do extra work off campus if you meet the following conditions:
- You meet all the conditions above and
- You only study part time instead of full time because:
- You are studying at the last semester of your program and you do not need to download the entire course to complete your program, and
- You are a full-time student in your study program in Canada, until your final semester.
What if you get a break?
If you are allowed to leave school or transfer and do not study, you are forced to stop working outside of campus. You can only return to work when you go back to school.
c. Who can not work outside of the campus?
You cannot work outside of the campus, if you fall into any of the following cases:
- A work permit indicating that you are not allowed to work off campus
- You only register English or French as a second language (ESL/ FSL)
- You only take courses on common interests
- You only take the required courses to be admitted to a full-time program
- Your situation changes and you no longer meet all requirements to work off campus
If you fall into any of these categories and want to work outside of your school, you will need to apply for a work permit.
3. What is the SIN number and how do I get it to work overtime in Canada?
a. Social insurance number (SIN))
A nine-digit number given to you by the Canadian government. With this number, you can work more in Canada and get government benefits and services.
b. Apply for a SIN number to work on campus
You must have one of the following conditions printed on your study permit:
- On-campus or off-campus employment may be accepted if the R186(F) or (W) eligibility criteria are met. Inactivity must be discontinued if these criteria are no longer met.
- This license does not allow the owner to engage in off-campus work in Canada. On-campus jobs can only be accepted if the criteria are met
If you are eligible to work on campus (on-campus), but the government does not include either of these conditions in your study permit, you can ask for them to be added. There is no charge to add these requirements. However, in this case, before you apply for the SIN number then you need to ask for the modification of your study permit.
c. Students are accepted to work outside the campus
To apply for a SIN number to work on campus, you must meet one of the following conditions printed on your study permit:
- Working 20 hours/week off campus or full time on vacation if meeting the criteria set out in Article 186v of the Refugee and Immigrant Protection Regulation.
- On-campus or off-campus employment may be accepted if eligibility criteria are met, as per R186 (f), (v) or (w), and employment must be discontinued if these criteria are no longer met.
4. How many hours can you work off campus?
Usually you will be allowed to do as much extra 20 hours/week in your semester.
On vacations: on pre-scheduled vacations such as summer/winter breaks, you will be allowed to work full-time or do two part-time jobs that total more hours than usual.
You must be a full - time student before and after the vacation.
You can not work during the break before the start of the first semester.
Note: If you work more than 20 hours per week during the semester, you are considered violating the conditions on your study permit. In this case, you may be deprived of student status and may not be approved for a study permit or work permit in the future. Or you may be deported from Canada. So you should not risk this unnecessary situation.
What would it mean if your academic situation changed?
If your current work permit does not allow you to work off-campus, but your current academic status has changed and you are eligible to work on-campus, you can apply to change the conditions of your work permit.
You can change the conditions on your study permit if:
- You have changed your curriculum to one that allows you to do extra work off campus and:
- Your study permit says: This permit does not allow the owner to work outside the campus in Canada?
Or:
- We have included a condition in your study permit that may no longer apply.
II. Work after you complete your study program
After completing your studies, you have two ways to work full time:
- You applied for a work permit before your study permit expired or
- You are starting a new program
Case 1: If you have applied for a work permit, you will be entitled to work full-time if you meet the following conditions:
• You will be able to work off-campus during your studies
• You applied for a work permit before your study permit expired.
You are waiting for the results of your work permit application.
Case 2: If you are starting a new program
You will be working full time if you meet all the following conditions:
- You've been able to work off-campus during your previous studies
- You have a valid study permit or you have applied for an extension of your study permit before it expires
- You have received written confirmation from your current school that you have completed your program
- You have received an acceptance letter to join a new full-time program at a DLI institution, the list of which can be found at the following link:https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/study-permit/prepare/designated-learning-institutions-list.html
You will start your new program within 150 calendar days of receiving confirmation that you have completed the previous program
III. Working during co-op or internship
Canada has many schools that offer Co-op or internship programs to students, to help students get work experience right during their studies, which is also one of the strengths of Canadian education.
You can apply for a co-op work permit or internship if:
- You have a valid study permit
- Jobs Required to Complete Your Curriculum in Canada
- You have a letter from your school confirming that all students in your program need to complete work positions to earn their degree, and
- Your co-op or internship position accounts for 50% or less of your curriculum in total
You are not eligible for a co-op work permit if you are taking the following courses:
- English or French as second language (ESL/FSL),
- Courses in general interests, or
- Courses to prepare for a different curriculum.
If you are not eligible for a co-op work permit, but you want to work in Canada, you need to apply for a work permit
IV. What is the overtime pay in Canada?
Generally, for part-time jobs in Canada students are usually paid by the hour with a salary of about 10 CAD/ hour – 19 CAD/ hour. This salary may vary between jobs and in different provinces.
Where can you find part-time jobs?
For on-campus part-time jobs: All colleges and universities have on-campus job ads.
As with off - campus jobs, you can find one in person and there are websites that provide information about similar jobs.
Job hunting on student associations/groups on campus/in your area is also a way that many students choose. Or get jobs through referrals from seniors or juniors at the same school.
Alternatively, you can find part-time jobs in Canada at the websites of local businesses, or the recruitment websites below:
Side Job in Canada
You can work in coffee shops, restaurants and retail stores such as convenience stores, supermarkets, clothing or sportswear stores, bookstores, libraries, lifeguards or swimming instructors at university pools or beaches. If you know multiple languages, you can do translation work. Since Canada is a multicultural country, the demand for translation services is huge.
Some high-paying part-time jobs for international students in Canada:
- Teaching Assistant 15.56 CAD/hour
- Tutor 15 – 20 CAD/hour
- Serving / Dispensing 11CAD/ hour (with extra tip)
- Ube Vehicler 14 – 25.58 CAD/hr
- Freelancer 25.60 CAD/hour
- Nanny 14.67 CAD/hour
- Walk the dog 14.16 CAD/hour
- Interpreter 21.16 CAD/hour
- Salesperson 14.42 – 50 CAD/hour
Notes when working part-time in Canada
Although the government allows international students to work overtime up to 20 hours / week, you need to balance your studies and work properly, so as not to affect your academic results, because your main goal is still to study.
You must pay attention to the conditions on your study permit / work permit to properly and fully fulfill your obligations. And pay special attention to the term of these permits for timely renewal.
In order to do extra work properly, you must note the necessary and sufficient conditions before deciding to go to work. When you know the rules of this, you will know how to protect your rights when there is a dispute.
You also need to note the start and end dates of your program and to know if your program is part-time or full-time.
In order to find good jobs with good salary, you first need to equip yourself with the basic skills, necessary, especially foreign language skills. If you have good foreign languages, you will be able to easily get a good job with high salary.
Hopefully, the information about part-time jobs in Canada shared in this article, can help you in finding part-time jobs, living and studying in the beautiful maple leaf country. Wish you success!
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