Working in Canada During Your Studie
Are you an international student and want to work in Canada during or after your studies? There are several options available to you. However, it’s important to be aware of the eligibility criteria and the conditions to be met to avoid violating the conditions of your study permit or immigration laws.
Make sure you also find out what administrative steps you need to take to comply with labour standards and tax obligations and—most importantly—make sure that your studies remain your main activity!
Working during your studies
Working while you study lets you gain work experience in Québec and earn additional income. It definitely sounds like a win-win, but you need to be able to handle the workload!
Combining full-time studies with work can be a major challenge. Your ÉTS studies must remain your primary focus; otherwise you could face administrative issues (e.g., if you fail a course or don’t meet the required average) or immigration issues (non-compliance with the law). You are legally permitted to combine on-campus, off-campus, and co-op work if you meet the conditions for each of these programs, as described below.
Working on campus
As an international student, you are permitted to work on campus at ÉTS without a work permit if you meet the following eligibility conditions:
- You are a full-time student;
- You hold a valid study permit;
- Your study permit lists one of the following work conditions:
- May work 20 hours per week off campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in paragraph 186(v) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations;
OR - May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria, per paragraph R186(f), (v) or (w) and must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria;
- May work 20 hours per week off campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in paragraph 186(v) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations;
- You have a Social Insurance Number.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stipulates that "On-campus" means you can work at all the buildings on your school campus.
An on-campus employer can be ÉTS, as the educational institution, a faculty member, a student organization, yourself if you run a business that is physically located on-campus, a company (e.g.: Jean Coutu), etc.
You can also work at other locations under the following conditions:
International students who hold a study permit and are registered full time can work on campus with no limit to the number of hours.
Even if you are not limited to 20 hours per week, studying must always be your main activity in order to remain in compliance with the conditions of your study permit.
You maintain your authorization to work off campus with no limit on hours, even if you are studying part time during the final session of your study program, as long as you were registered for full-time studies throughout the rest of your program.
IRCC clarified the rules governing self-employment, reiterating that it is subject to the same conditions as on- or off-campus work, depending on the physical location where the self-employment is carried out. If your self-employment is carried out on campus (e.g.: you live in the ÉTS residences and carry out contracts as a webmaster), you are authorized to work an unlimited number of hours.
Nevertheless, it is strongly recommended that you document your hours and keep all relevant documentation.
Are you interested in a few hours of paid work on campus? During every session, the various services and departments at ÉTS offer part-time jobs or hire students for specific events. Consult the list of on-campus jobs.
Work-study program
Are you a full-time ÉTS student looking for an on-campus job? The Work-Study Program subsidizes part-time jobs to help students who are experiencing financial difficulties. Visit the work-study program page.
Working off-campus
As an international student, you are permitted to work on campus at ÉTS without a work permit if you meet the following eligibility conditions:
- You are a full-time student*;
- You hold a valid study permit;
- Your study permit lists one of the following work conditions:
- May work 20 hours per week off campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in paragraph 186(v) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations;
OR - May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria, per paragraph R186(f), (v) or (w) and must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria;
- May work 20 hours per week off campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in paragraph 186(v) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations;
- You have a Social Insurance Number.
- Respect the maximum number of hours per week.
Limit on off-campus work hours temporarily lifted
Under a temporary public policy, certain international students are permitted to work off-campus more than 20 hours per week until April 30, 2024, if they meet the requirements detailed on the IRCC website. Take note, if you stop studying or only study part-time, you will no longer be able to work off campus!
In terms of authorization for working off-campus, it is crucial to respect the maximum number of hours per week. In short, IRCC stipulates that a student can work:
- a maximum of 20 hours per week during regular sessions*;
- full-time (unlimited hours) during regular breaks indicated in the academic calendar**
*Regular session: At ÉTS, the Fall and Winter sessions are considered to be regular sessions for all programs. The regulatory framework at ÉTS makes a distinction between programs with a research profile and course-based programs with respect to the Summer session. For more detailed information, consult the Glossary of university studies at ÉTS and the section below that discusses the specific characteristics of the Summer session.
**Break indicated in the academic calendar: The break must be part of the ÉTS academic calendar, such as the holiday period at the end of the year, the student break week, break periods between sessions, etc.
Attention! – These hours are not transferable from week to week. For example, you are not permitted to work 30 hours during a given week because you only worked 10 hours during the previous week.
For the Summer session, it is important familiarize yourself with the specific conditions that apply to your study program in order to avoid placing yourself in a non-legal situation.
For students who are registered in a research-type program (PhD, M.A.Sc.)
- The Summer session is a regular term for Doctoral and Master with thesis programs. Therefore, full-time registration is mandatory, and off-campus work must be limited to 20 hours per week.
- If you do not wish to register for the Summer session, you must apply for an authorized absence from ÉTS. In such a case, you are not authorized to work on campus or off campus, as stipulated on the IRCC website under the section entitled Authorized leave from studies.
For students who are registered in a course-type program (bachelor, certificate, Specialized Graduate Program (DESS), M.Eng.)
- If it is not your first session in the program, registration for the Summer session is not mandatory although it is strongly recommended to accumulate course, internship or project credits. .
- You may decide to register for part-time studies or full-time studies, or to not register, while still taking advantage of the right to work full time, subject to certain conditions:
- Have been registered full-time for the preceding Winter session;
- Register for full-time studies in the same study program for the subsequent Fall session, OR on an exceptional basis, register for part-time studies if the Fall session is the final session for your study program.
For more information, please consult the section entitled Full-time or part-time course load during a scheduled break on the IRCC website.
IMPORTANT! Not studying during the summer will almost inevitably lead to exceeding the time allowed for completing your program. In addition to impacting your academic path, this will put you in a position of having to renew your immigration documents.
You maintain your authorization to work off campus up to 20 hours / week, even if you are studying part time during the final session of your study program, as long as you were registered for full-time studies throughout the rest of your program.
There may be certain nuances related to your study regime at the end of your program, depending on the type of program:
- Programs with a research profile: Even if you have accumulate all of your research credits and are registered for zero (0) credits (REDAC – writing), ÉTS considers you to be continuing to study full time, even in the case of an extension of your program, as long as you were studying full time for all of the previous sessions of your program (mandatory according to the Regulations).
- Programs with a project profile: If you are in your final session with zero (0) credit activities (REDAC – writing) AND you were registered for full-time studies throughout the rest of your program (including Summer sessions), ÉTS considers you to be continuing to study full time. However, if you have exceeded the normal length of your program and have extended your program, ACTIVIT will be considered as part time.
If your final session is a Summer session, you must limit your working to 20 hours per week, regardless of your study program, because the authorization to work full time is conditional upon the fact of also being registered for the subsequent session.
For more information, consult the Full-time students with a part-time course load in their final academic session section of the IRCC website.
IRCC has clarified the rules governing self-employment, reiterating that it is subject to the same conditions as on- or off-campus work, depending on the physical location where the self-employment is carried out.
Considering that off-campus work is limited to 20 hours / week, it is important to document all of your hours, and it is your responsibility to do so. As indicated on the IRCC website, “hours are calculated as any time you spend doing any of the following:
- Earning wages;
- Being paid wages for performing a service or selling a product;
- Collecting a commission for performing a service or selling a product.
Working with a Co-op Work Permit (CWP)
Professional experience is an integral part of many programs at ÉTS. Whether you are participating in a co-op internship at the Bachelor level or an industrial internship and/or project carried out at a company as part of a Master with Project program, you must ensure that you have the legal authorizations required to work at a company, and that you meet the required conditions.
This section is intended to give you all the information you need concerning the Co-op Work Permit and how it can be used within the context of your ÉTS study program. You are responsible for informing yourself with respect to the conditions and rules that apply to your specific situation, and for ensuring that you remain in compliance with ÉTS and immigration requirements throughout your time as a student.
Eligibility criteria for a Co-op Work Permit:
- Hold a valid study permit;
- Be enrolled in a program for which work placement is a required component AND have an official document from the learning institution confirming this requirement;
- The co-op work term or internship must not represent more than 50% of the total duration of your study program*.
In general, the period of validity of the CWP is that same as for the study permit (SP).
There are a number of advantages attached to this type of permit when it is issued under exemption code C32 (co-op for post-secondary international students):
- You are exempt from processing fees (applying is free of charge);
- There are no restrictions in terms of the number of hours you can work per week, regardless of the session;
- It is an open work permit, which means that you do not require a valid offer of employment to apply.
- The Co-op Work Permit will indicate ÉTS as the employer, which does not mean that you are restricted to working on the ÉTS campus, but rather, that you can only use it within the context of an educational activity associated with ÉTS.
*Students in a Master with Project program must limit the use of the CWP to two sessions during the course of their study program. Consult the M. Eng. section below for more detailed information.
All students at the Bachelor level must successfully complete three paid co-op work terms. The work term component is indicated on Page 1 of the letter of admission.
Students in a Master with Project (M.Eng.) program also have an opportunity to participate in an industrial internship during their study program (STA800, STA802 or MGA902)*. The co-op work term component is indicated on Page 2 of the letter of admission.
Consult the Co-operative Education Service website (in French) for detailed information concerning the various work-term and internship options at ÉTS.
Before taking part in a work-term or internship activity, all international students must obtain a Co-op Work Permit from IRCC that indicates ÉTS as the employer. This permit is mandatory, regardless of the session in which you are participating in the work term or internship, including the Summer session.
This permit is also required to access the work-term or internship offers portal, so it is important to obtain your work permit as quickly as possible once you begin your program, in order to avoid missing out on interesting opportunities. However, you can register for a preparatory course (PRE011 Développement professionnel et initiation à la santé et sécurité au travail or PRE811 Développement de carrière aux cycles supérieurs) even if you are still waiting to receive your CWP. Once you receive your CWP, send a digital copy, along with your Social Insurance Number, to stages@etsmtl.ca.
*For M.Eng. students, participating in an industrial internship does not exempt you from the obligation of writing a final project at the Master level. You must respect the structure of your program in order to fulfil the conditions for obtaining your ÉTS diploma.
Graduate and post-graduate programs at ÉTS vary with respect to their structure and the conditions for obtaining a diploma. Not all programs require full-time work at a company during a final project, and therefore, not all programs provide automatic access to a Co-op Work Permit.
M.Eng.
All M.Eng. programs require a final project, but the nature of the synthesis activity differs depending on the selected path.
For example, within the same program, one individual may take more course credits and complete the program with a technical project worth 3 or 6 credits. Another individual may opt for at path with a project worth 9 or 15 credits (e.g.: MTR895 - Projet d’intervention en entreprise or MTR893 - Projet en entreprise), and therefore, take fewer course credits. The description of project-type educational activities can be found in the course directory, under course code MTR.
If you opt for a synthesis activity that is partially or completely carried out in a company or at the premises of a partner outside of ÉTS, you must fill out Part 3 of the Subject Identification File for the Synthesis Activity, Graduate Programs without Thesis - Report or Project (in French). Upon request, the Dean of Studies Office will then issue a confirmation to the external partner on your behalf, based on the information sent.
It is possible to obtain and use a Co-op Work Permit for a project carried out at a company as part of a Master with Project (M. Eng.) program, and to use it during any study session, insofar as you respect the following conditions: Be registered for project credits, carry out work that is directly related to your project and limit the use of the CWP to a maximum of two sessions (e.g.: one work-term session and one project session OR two work-term sessions OR two project sessions).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is only mandatory under the following circumstances:
- If your work at the company exceeds the authorizations for off-campus work indicated as conditions in connection with your study permit (e.g.: more than 20 hrs/week during the Fall and Winter session);
- If your work at the company exceeds 20 hours per week during the Summer session and it is not your final session.
In summary, the CWP is not automatically required for executing a project carried out at a company, but it may be worthwhile to obtain one in order to provide yourself with maximum flexibility. It is also possible to use the work authorizations indicated as conditions in connection with your study permit to execute all or part of the project, including full-time work during the Summer session if you meet the conditions listed in the Working off-campus tab.
Specialized Graduate Program (DESS)
You cannot obtain a Co-op Work Permit from IRCC within the context of a DESS, because work is not an essential component of this type of study program.
M.A.Sc. or Ph.D.
You cannot obtain a Co-op Work Permit from IRCC within the context of a research project as part of a Master with Thesis (M. Sc. A.) or Doctorate (Ph. D.) program. However, if your work is exclusively linked to a research grant, you can use your authorizations for on-campus work (unlimited hours per week), even if your project is executed outside of ÉTS (e.g.: affiliated research centre, private company). Both you and your employer should consult the IRCC website for the definition of on-campus work.
In all other cases, you can use the authorizations for off-campus work indicated as conditions in connection with your study permit, and you can work a maximum of 20 hours per week, including during the Summer session.
ÉTS strongly recommends that students in eligible programs (Bachelor, M.Eng.) apply for a Co-op Work Permit when submitting their initial application for or renewing their study permit, although there are other options. Consult our Memory Aid (in French) and the detailed procedure described below that corresponds to your specific situation.
1. When applying for a study permit
Initial application
This is the easiest and most efficient approach, because it is free and requires no additional forms or delays.
- During the initial application: Respond "Yes" to the question "Is professional experience an integral part of your study program?";
- Submit your letter of admission with the documents indicated on the checklist;
- You will receive the letter of introduction for the Co-op Work Permit via your GCKey account, along with the letter of introduction for the study permit. The permit itself will be issued to you by the Canada Border Services Officer upon your arrival in Canada. If you are not issued a CWP right away, don’t hesitate to submit an explicit application with the Officer.
Application for renewal
If you must renew your study permit, don’t forget to renew your Co-op Work Permit (extension or initial application), because doing so is free and requires no additional forms or delays.
- During the renewal process: Respond "Yes" to the question "Do you also want to request a work permit?";
- Submit your letter of admission with the documents indicated on the checklist;
- You will receive your Co-op Work Permit by mail at your address of residence in Québec, along with the study permit.
2. When applying separately from the application for a study permit
If you did not apply for your CWP when applying for your study permit, you can submit an application online, but only after you have arrived in Canada. it is still free, but you can expect processing times ranging from two to five months (see Temporary residence > Work permit from inside Canada (initial and extension), and you must fill out a series of forms. Considering this processing time, it is crucial to submit your application as soon as possible, at least two sessions before your expected co-op work term.
- Step 1: Sign into your GCKey account;
- Step 2: The system will guide you through the various questions. You must respond by indicating that you wish to work in Canada, that you are currently in Canada with the status of a student, that you have not received a diploma and that you have not received a written offer of employment.
- You will receive your permit by mail at your address of residence in Québec.
3. When applying at a port of entry
The law allows for an application for a CWP to be submitted at a port of entry into Canada, on the condition that you are exempt from the requirement for a temporary resident visa (source R198.1). Your application will be processed by a Canada Border Services Officer, and the permit will be issued on site. There is no form to fill out, but you must ensure that you have all of your supporting documents on hand. Begin by filling out a simulated application online and consult the document checklist.
If you plan to apply at the Canada-US border (“flagpoling”), it is important to understand that this process requires you to leave Canadian territory and then cross the border again, at which time you will be subject to normal customs controls. Therefore, it is crucial that you hold valid temporary resident status and that your file is in order.
Request to amend a CWP
If you have changed learning institutions or if there is inaccurate information on your work permit, or if the Employer, Location or Occupation sections contain erroneous restrictions or information, you can submit a Request to Amend Valid Temporary Resident Documents at no charge.
Procedure
- Fill out and sign the IMM 1436 form:
- In Part C, Box 2, explain that your co-op work permit is non-compliant, and indicate the information to be amended;
- Collect all of the required documents, including the original of your work permit;
- Send the entire package by registered mail to the address indicated on the form.
- Consult the IRCC FAQ page for more detailed information.
Working after completing your studies
Want to stay in Canada after completing your studies? There are several steps you will need to take if you want to work in Canada once you graduate from ÉTS.
Administrative procedures
There will be a few administrative procedures not related to your immigration process, such as applying for a SIN (Social Insurance Number) or filing your taxes.
A Social Insurance Number (SIN) is required in order to work in Canada. You will be asked to provide it when being hired or on your tax returns. The SIN is a nine-digit number that is assigned to you by the Government of Canada. Your SIN is valid until your study permit or work permit expires, and is renewable.
Obtaining a Social Insurance Number
- Collect the required documents (e.g.: original of your study permit, work permit, passport, etc.);
- Go to the nearest Service Canada Centre (Complexe Guy-Favreau, 200 boul. René-Lévesque Ouest, Montréal) in person;
- If everything is in order, you will receive your SIN on site.
Expiration and renewing your SIN
Most international students have a Social Insurance Number beginning with the number “9”. Your Social Insurance Number remains valid if you are in a situation of implied status or if you are waiting to receive your post-graduation work permit. It is important for you and your employer to consult the Employer information – SIN page, and specifically the section entitled "Before extending employment for your employee".
In both of these situations, you maintain your right to work and/or study in accordance with the conditions of your initial permit until a decision is rendered. You must then have your SIN renewed once you receive the new permit.
Income tax obligations and labour standards
All Canadian residents are required to declare their income for the previous year on or before April 30. Income is declared to both Revenu Québec and the Canada Revenue Agency.
Overview of income tax
The concept of resident for income tax purposes is different from that for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The requirement to declare your income is based on the status of residence, not on the status of student or citizenship.
- If you are not sure of your status of residence in Canada (different from your immigration status), fill out the RC66SCH - Status in Canada and Income Information form.
- Even if you are not working in Canada, it may be advantageous for you to declare your income here, as you may be entitled to certain tax credits.
- If you plan to remain in Canada for a number of years to study or to work after completing your studies, start declaring your income right away. It’s easier and more beneficial.
For more detailed information
Income tax clinic
Office of Student Life does not offer advice or guidance with respect to filling out tax returns. However, the ÉTS Student Association (AÉÉTS) offers students an income tax declaration service every spring. This is an easy, fast and affordable way to fulfil this requirement. Keep an eye on the Interface newsletter (in French) to remain informed.
Labour standards
All workers in Canada, regardless of their legal status, are protected by Canadian laws. This includes labour standards pertaining to holidays and absences, labour conditions, minimum wage and prohibited practices, such as harassment at work.
For more information:
- EducaLoi
- Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST – Labour standards, equity and health and safety Commission)
- Canada’s labour laws – Foreign workers
- Employment Equity Act
- Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (Human rights and youth rights Commission)
- Filing a complaint related to labour standards