Interested In Working On Campus?

You can only start working in Canada when you start your study program. You can’t work before your studies begin.

You can work as an international student in Canada if your study permit lists a condition that says you’re allowed to work on- or off-campus.

You can work on your school campus, without a work permit, if you:

  • are a full-time post-secondary student at a
    • public post-secondary school, such as a college, university, trade or
  • have a valid study permit, and
  • have a Social Insurance Number (SIN).

Who can’t work on campus

You must stop working on-campus:

You can return to work only once you’re back to studying and you meet all the requirements to work on-campus.

Where you can work

“On-campus” means you can work at all the buildings on your school campus. If your school has more than one campus, you may only work at the campus where you’re studying in most cases.

You can work at other locations if

  • you’re working as a teaching or research assistant and
  • your work is strictly related to a research grant

In this case, you may work at a library, hospital or research facility associated with your school, even if they’re outside the campus. If you work at a hospital or other place where the protection of public health is important, you’ll need to have a medical exam, unless you’ve already had one.

Who you can work for

An “on-campus” employer can be:

  • the school
  • a faculty member
  • a student organization
  • yourself, if:
    • you run a business that is physically located on-campus (for example: you own a coffee shop that is located on campus)
  • a private business
  • a private contractor that provides on-campus services to the school

How many hours you can work on campus

You can work as many hours as you want, in addition to working off campus, as long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirements for working on campus.