*Disclaimer*: The information in this article is summarized from the Government of Canada website and from the experiences of international students at the University of Alberta. It does not constitute legal advice or consulting. For legal advice and consulting please reach out to International Student Services at the University of Alberta or the equivalent at any university you attend.
Graduating from university with job experience is increasingly essential in today's job market. According to a 2021 survey, half of graduating students had practical experience either through employment or internships (Canadian University Survey Consortium 2021). This is because there is an increased demand for experienced graduates and employers prefer to hire those with work experience over those without. As such, many university students seek employment while studying to prepare for the future and gain a competitive edge. Needless to say, job hunting is challenging for all students. However, it poses a particularly daunting challenge for international students, who are also required to understand and follow the rules of their study permit on top of looking for jobs. For this reason, the project team at The Global Young Leaders Network (GYLN) Peter Lougheed Leadership College (PLLC) chapter is launching a series called “Journey into Canada: A Guide to Navigating University for International Students” where we will release articles and infographics that assist international students to navigate university and career development in Canada. For the month of April, our focus is to explore the rules and regulations that international students must follow when working in Canada. Along the way, we will also draw from stories of fellow international students to gain further insight on this topic. Let us get started!
Social Insurance Number
The job application process for international students differs from that of domestic students. For starters, they cannot start working before beginning their full-time studies. This was exactly what Shalaya, an University of Alberta (U of A) Computing Science student from India, found from experience. As a result, international students often face the added stress of trying to adapt to a new environment, balance their full-time studies, and tackle the competitive job market.
In order to work in Canada, international students must obtain a Social Insurance Number (SIN). They can apply for SIN either online through the Service Canada website or in person.
The following is an account of the process Nadya, a second-year U of A Biological Sciences student from Indonesia, went through when applying for a SIN during COVID-19:
"The application process was surprisingly rapid and easy, however, do note that processing can be quite timely. The government of Canada website offers two application options: online or by mail. I chose to apply online, and you will be asked for some identity documents, proof of address, and a photo confirming your identity. I received my SIN in my mailbox about 3-4 weeks after I applied”.
Sharen, a U of A psychology student from Singapore, took a different approach to applying for her SIN before the onset of COVID-19:
"[It was a] fairly simple process. I just went to the Service Canada location downtown and applied for a SIN. I had to bring my permit, my passport and another form of ID, and I got a SIN within an hour.”
Upon receiving their SIN and starting their full-time studies, international students can then begin searching and applying for jobs.
Working during the academic year:
Working on-campus:
Shreya, an international student at the U of A began looking for a job at the university’s North Campus once she received her SIN in October 2019. She chose to seek a position on the North Campus because she wanted to work full-time and international students like herself can only look for jobs on campus where they are enrolled for studies. Shreya recalls her experience applying for jobs:
“I wanted to work full time and knew that I wouldn't be able to do that if I looked for a job off-campus because I wanted to work 40 hours a week, so there was no other option.”
International students, like Shreya, can work full-time off-campus if they work as a teaching assistant (TA) or a research assistant (RA) and their work is strictly related to a research grant. If that is the case, they might be able to work at a library, hospital, or research facility affiliated with their school even if they are located outside the campus.
According to the Government of Canada, International students can work full-time on campus as long as they are full-time students and have the proper study permit. However, in the event that any of the following were to occur, then they must cease working:
they cease studying full-time;
their study permit expires;
they take a leave of absence from their studies; or
they switch schools and stop studying while waiting to resume their studies in a new school.
If international students can't work using their study permit, then they can apply for a work permit depending on their circumstances. For more information and for legal advice on your situation please contact International Student Services.
Working off-campus:
International students looking for part-time employment during Fall and Winter Terms can apply for jobs on campus and off-campus, as long as they are full-time students. As mentioned above, if they are working on campus, there are no limits to the hours they can work, but they can only work 20 hours off-campus. Nadya is an international student who works on the weekends in an off-campus tutoring job. Since her job is off-campus, she can only work 20 hours a week. This means any time she spends earning a wage, being paid for selling a product/service or collecting a commission for a service/product, will count towards her 20 working hours per week. For this reason, one tip that a fellow international student shared was to keep track of working hours off-campus to avoid violating the permitted hours of work.
Furthermore, there are conditions under which they are not permitted to work off-campus, even with a study permit such as:
their study permit states they aren't permitted to work off-campus while they study;
they are taking only English or French as a Second Language (ESL/FSL) courses;
they are only taking courses needed to get into a full-time program; or
if their personal circumstances change so that they no longer meet the conditions allowing them to work off-campus.
Whether it be on or off-campus employment, international students are highly encouraged to consider their needs and situation in accordance with the aforementioned rules and regulations or consult their institution’s international student advisor for additional advice. For U of A students, you can book an advisory appointment with International Student Services.
Co-op
International students seeking work can also take advantage of cooperative (co-op) education, which combines classroom learning with work experience. In most cases, co-op students need to apply for co-op work permits. For more information on applying for a co-op work permit, you can visit this page and walk through your unique situation.
During Scheduled Breaks
According to the Government of Canada, international students can work full-time both off and on-campus during scheduled breaks, including reading weeks and school holidays. Toby, a third-year U of A business student from the Democratic Republic of Congo, applies for student jobs every summer. Last summer, he worked as a barista full-time at a Starbucks off-campus. But when school resumed the following Fall Term, he had to switch from full-time to part-time:
“I have a heavy schedule during Fall and Winter Terms and can only work part-time, so this works perfectly for me. My employer is aware of the hours I can work during Fall and Winter Terms as well as during scheduled holidays, so they set my schedule accordingly."
Taxes for international students:
There are multiple ways to file taxes. For example, Sally, a fourth-year U of A BSc student in Agricultural and Food Business Management from China, filed her taxes with the help of the Tax Clinic hosted by the U of A Accounting Club:
"Yes, I filed taxes. The campus provides tax service in [the] Business Building, and that's how I learned I need to file taxes. I headed to the business building and asked for help from business students."
but Sharen, another fellow international student, files her taxes through an accountant:
"I do all my taxes through an accountant; it makes the whole process easier."
For information about taxes for international students, visit this Government of Canada website and the International Student Services website on taxes.
In conclusion
This article is the first in our monthly series: Journey into Canada: A Guide to Navigating University for International Students. Throughout the article, we discussed the key information international students should know about working in Canada, including:
how to apply for a Social Insurance Number;
the rules about working on and off-campus and during scheduled breaks;
co-ops;
tax filing.
We also included examples of international students dealing with the topics mentioned above and how they handled them. These examples can help international students determine where to start and how to proceed.
There may be unique situations we did not cover here or information we missed therefore we suggest international students contact International Student Services at the U of A or the equivalent for their university if they have any questions. International Student Services provides comprehensive support in any way needed to international students. They can also give legal advice as they have licensed consultants working there.
Please stay tuned for the next edition of our series where we will explore how to prepare for and get a job in Canada!
Need a quick recap? Check out our infographic!
References:
Immigration, R. (2022). Studying and working in Canada as an international student - Canada.ca. Canada.ca. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/work.html.
Publications – Canadian University Survey Consortium. Cusc-ccreu.ca. (2022). Retrieved from
https://cusc-ccreu.ca/?page_id=32&lang=en.