To address a labour shortfall, Canada temporarily removes work hour restrictions for international students.
International students in Canada with off-campus job authorization on their study permit will not be bound by the 20-hour-per-week regulation from November 15 to December 31, 2023.
This temporary measure also applies to foreign nationals who have previously applied for a study permit as of today. They will also be eligible to profit from this policy if their application is approved by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada.
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser made the announcement this morning in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city.
This initiative, according to Fraser, is intended to address the country’s labour shortages.
Canada is dealing with historic labour shortages as well as a historically low unemployment rate.
Statistics Canada revealed earlier this morning that Canada’s unemployment rate decreased to 5.2 percent in September, down from 5.4 percent in August.
Currently, international students who apply to study in an acceptable Canadian educational programme may be authorised to work off-campus for up to 20 hours per week during their studies.
During regular breaks, such as the summer and winter holidays, this limit is lifted. This regulation allows international students to sustain themselves financially while also ensuring that they focus on finishing their studies rather than working in Canada.
However, with roughly one million employment openings, the Canadian government has temporarily relaxed this requirement.
This policy, according to Fraser, will allow over 500,000 eligible international students who are already in Canada to possibly work more hours.
Canada is one of the top foreign student destinations in the globe. It will have over 620,000 international students in 2021, a figure that has tripled in the last two decades.
Last year, Canada issued over 450,000 additional study permits. The quality of the country’s educational institutions, multiculturalism, the affordability of the Canadian dollar, and the country’s work and permanent residence options all contribute to the country’s high demand for students.
In addition, Fraser stated in today’s presentation that Canada has already handled over 452,000 study permit applications between January and August of 2022, a 23% increase over the 367,000 received during the same period in 2021.
As a result, Canada has already surpassed the previous year’s record for study permits processed in a calendar year.
According to Canadian Bureau for Overseas Education statistics, the majority of international students want to stay in Canada as permanent citizens after finishing their studies (CBIE).
According to Statistics Canada, international students who get permanent residency tend to integrate swiftly into the Canadian labour market due to variables such as their Canadian job and study experience, as well as English and/or French language ability.
