Ottawa: Canada’s immigration minister Marc Miller on Monday made an important announcement for international students.
In a press conference, Miller announced that Canada is going to end the temporary policy that allows international students to work more than 20 hours per week off campus. He said the policy will end on April 30.
Under the policy, international students were allowed to work 40 hours per week off campus.
“This fall, we intend to change the number of hours students may work off campus per week to 24 hours. Students who come to Canada must be here to study. As such, allowing students to work up to 24 hours per week will ensure they focus primarily on their studies, while having the option to work, if necessary,” he said.
However, he clarified that students who have a scheduled academic break that can continue working unlimited hours.
“In developing this change, we looked at the needs of students, policies in other countries, as well as research that has shown that academic outcomes suffer the more a student works while studying. It also strikes the appropriate balance so students have the option to work without compromising academic outcomes. More details will be shared in due course.
We also continue to develop the new Recognized Institutions Framework to reward postsecondary institutions that set high standards for selecting, supporting and retaining international students,” Miller said.
“Working off campus helps international students gain work experience and offset some of their expenses. As international students arrive in Canada, we want them to be prepared for life here and have the support they need to succeed. However, first and foremost, people coming to Canada as students must be here to study, not work. We will continue working to protect the integrity of our student program,” said the immigration minister.