Get a work permit while you study

Work on Campus​​

You may work on campus at the institution where you study without a work permit if:

You are a full-time student at:

• A public post-secondary institution, such as a college or university, or a collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) in Quebec or

• A private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as a public institution, and receives at least 50 per cent of its financing for its overall operations from government grants (currently only private college-level educational institutions in Quebec qualify) or
  

• A Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees and​ you have a valid study permit.
  

You must stop working on-campus on the day you no longer meet the above eligibility requirements (e.g., if you are no longer a full-time student.)

Work off Campus

​Study permit holders in Canada may gain work experience by working off campus while completing their studies.

As of June 1, 2014, you may qualify to work off campus without a work permit. If you qualify, your study permit will allow you to:

• Work up to 20 hours per week during regular academic sessions and

• Work full-time during scheduled breaks, such as the winter and summer holidays or spring break.
  

To qualify, you must:

• Have a valid study permit

• Be a full-time student
  

• Be enrolled at a designated learning institution at the post-secondary level or, in Quebec, a vocational program at the secondary level, and
  

• Be studying in an academic, vocational or professional training program that leads to a degree, diploma or certificate that is at least six months in duration.
  

You must stop working on the day you no longer meet the above eligibility requirements (e.g., if you are no longer a full-time student during an academic session.)

Use the self-assessment tool to see if you are eligible to work off campus without a work permit.

Social Insurance Number

You need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) from Service Canada to work in Canada or to receive benefits and services from government programs.

You must have one of the following conditions or remarks printed on your study permit in order to apply for a SIN for off-campus work:

• May work 20 hrs per week off-campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in section 186(v) of IRPR

• May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f), (v) or (w). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria
  

If your study permit does not have one of the above conditions or remarks, you must submit a request for an amendment to your study permit before you can apply for a SIN. There is no fee for this request.

If your study permit has: This permit does not permit the holder to engage in off campus employment in Canada, printed on it and you have changed your program of study, you must apply to change the conditions of your study permit and pay the applicable fee.