• 2022/3/20 9:38
• 留学霸
• view:309

Many Canadian international students choose to find a part-time job during their studies. This is a very common phenomenon. On the one hand, international students can earn some living expenses. On the other hand, the most important aspect is that they can accumulate local work experience. It helps to find a job in Canada in the future. However, working in Canada will also have a series of problems to pay attention to. If you work illegally in Canada, you are likely to be discovered by the Immigration Department and sent back to your country.

So how can international students meet the conditions for legal work, and what matters should be paid attention to, Canada and the United States immigration will answer you in detail.

01. Basic conditions for international students to work part-time

1. Hold a valid study permit

2. Full-time study at a DLI post-secondary institution (Designated Leaning Institution, DLI) designated by the Canadian Immigration Service

3. Begin the study of professional courses (ESL English courses do not count)

02. Time limit for international students to work part-time

Of course, in order to ensure that international students do not affect their studies during part-time work, the Canadian Immigration Bureau stipulates that they can only work a maximum of 20 hours per week, but this limit is only during the normal semester. During the usual summer vacation, winter vacation and spring vacation, international students can work full-time. Part-time work (usually 40 hours per week).

In these cases, international students do not need to apply for a separate work visa, and can choose to work on-campus or off-campus.

03. International students apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Introduction to SIN: International students need to apply for a SIN before starting work, that is, Social insurance number, a 9-digit number that is used for tax rebates and or benefits when working in Canada. On March 31, 2014, Service Canada replaced the work card with a work card number, so how can I apply for a SIN number?

SIN application requirements:

1. Must hold a valid Study Permit and study full-time

2. The school must be a DLI post-secondary institution designated by the government

SIN application process:

First of all, you need the school to issue an enrollment letter, namely the enrollment letter. The enrollment letter includes the school’s official letterhead, contact information, your full name, birthday, full-time student certificate, the program you are studying and the school’s DLI number), and bring you Passport, study permit, proof of study, you can apply for SIN for free when you go to ServiceCanada.

04. Co-op Work Permit (Co-op WP)

As mentioned just now, international students who meet the above conditions generally do not need to apply for a work permit for part-time work. However, if international students do internships during their studies, they need to apply for a separate work permit, which is called a Co-op work permit. This work permit is not required by all international students. To be able to apply, there must be an internship part in the professional curriculum. This visa requires a separate application. The conditions to apply are:

1. Hold a valid Study Permit.

2. Be able to provide a letter of certification issued by the school (the work of the internship must be an important part of the professional course studied in Canada);

3. The part of the internship work cannot exceed 50% of the entire professional study.

05. Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

Of course, after graduation, international students can also apply for a post-graduation work permit to legally work in Canada. After the applicant submits the application, the Immigration Bureau will issue work visas of different lengths according to the length of the applicant’s study abroad period. The conditions for applying for a graduate work visa are as follows:

1. The duration of the project studied by the applicant is not less than 8 months, and the study is full-time;

2. Applicants must have graduated from Canadian public colleges and universities, and some private schools can also meet the conditions;

3. You must complete your studies and obtain a qualification diploma issued by the institution, etc.;

4. The application must be made within 90 days of the graduation certificate or transcript issued by the school;

5. The application must be made within the validity period of the study permit;

It should be emphasized here that the validity period of the graduation work permit issued by the Immigration Bureau is determined according to the length of the study program formulated by the school (rather than the length of the applicant's study time).

1. Students whose study time is less than 8 months cannot apply;

2. The duration of the study project is more than 8 months and less than 2 years, and the validity period of the graduation work permit is the same as the duration of the study project;

3. The duration of the study program is greater than or equal to 2 years, and the graduation work permit is valid for 3 years (maximum 3 years);

The processing time for a graduate work permit is short, but usually international students can work legally during the period of submitting their application and waiting for a graduate work permit.

Canadian and American immigrants need to remind international students that they can only apply for a graduation work permit once in their lifetime, so please cherish the time of the graduation work permit, accumulate work experience, and prepare for future immigration or higher job positions!

06. Spouse Work Permit

Every year, many international students go to Canada to study, and some of them are married. In order to avoid long-term separation, many students want to travel to Canada with their spouses. Canada does not currently have an accompanying visa category, but spouses can apply for a spouse work permit (Spouse Work Permit), which is an open work permit that does not limit the companies and work categories that the spouse can work in Canada. Spouses who meet one year of work experience in Canada and other conditions may also apply for Canadian experience-based immigration.

The conditions for applying for a spouse work permit are:

1) International students hold a valid study permit;

2) International students studying full-time in government-approved DLI post-secondary institutions;

The duration of the spouse's work permit is not longer than the duration of the student visa for international students, which is usually the same as the duration of the student visa.

07. Canadian wages

Starting in 2021, Hourly Rates are increasing in nearly every province and territory in Canada.

Let's take a look at the salary increases in Canadian provinces/territories (from high to low) for international students to refer to when they work part-time:

The minimum hourly wage in British Columbia will increase from $14.60 to $15.20 starting June 1, 2021, an increase of $0.60 per hour.

The minimum hourly wage in the Northwest Territories increased from $13.46 to $15.20 per hour, an increase of $1.74 per hour, effective September 1 this year.

In Ontario, starting October 1, 2021, the minimum wage will increase from $14.25/hour to $14.35/hour.

The Yukon minimum wage will increase to $13.85 an hour starting April 1, 2021.

The minimum hourly wage in Quebec will increase to $13.50 an hour starting May 1, 2021.

The minimum hourly wage in Prince Edward Island, starting April 1, 2021, will increase to $13.00 per hour.

The minimum wage in Nova Scotia will increase to $12.95 an hour starting April 1, 2021.

Manitoba's minimum wage will increase to $11.95 an hour starting October 1, 2021.

The minimum wage in Newfoundland and Labrador will increase to $12.50 an hour starting April 1, 2021.

The minimum wage in New Brunswick will increase to $11.75 an hour starting April 1, 2021.

The minimum wage in Alberta remains at $15.00 per hour.

The minimum wage in Saskatchewan remains at $11.45 an hour.

The minimum wage in Nunavut, at $16 an hour, remains the highest in the country. 

Eligible applicants please prepare as soon as possible. For more information, you can consult us. We provide free consultation and tailor-made the most suitable immigration and study program for you!