Founder and Principal Consultant
What this page covers
- How many hours can you work while you study?
- What about on campus work and co-op placements?
- What happens if you take a leave or reduce your course load?
- Frequently asked questions
Working beyond what your permit allows is a status violation, and it follows you into every future application. Read the current limits before you accept any job.
Working While Studying in Canada
Working while studying is one of the significant advantages of choosing Canada for your further education. As per current regulations, most students can work up to 24 hours a week during academic sessions and full-time during scheduled breaks such as summer or winter holidays or scheduled breaks (official drop) between semesters. This work can be either on-campus or off-campus.
Enrollment
The student must be enrolled full-time at a designated learning institution (DLI) or in a post-secondary academic, vocational, or professional training program. For Quebec, this includes secondary-level vocational training programs.
Program Duration
The program must be at least six months long and lead to a degree, diploma, or certificate.
Social Insurance Number (SIN)
Students must have a valid SIN to work in Canada.
Working While You Study: The Current Limits
The rules on student work changed three times between 2022 and 2024, and a great deal of guidance online is frozen at one of the earlier positions. These are the limits as they stand.
Off-Campus Work:
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Twenty-four hours a week during academic sessions, increased from twenty on 8 November 2024
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Unlimited hours during scheduled breaks such as summer and winter holidays and reading week
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Hours across multiple jobs are combined toward the limit
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The temporary unlimited hours policy ended on 30 April 2024 and cannot be relied on
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A permit printed before the change may still read twenty hours, but you may work twenty-four if you meet current conditions
Conditions You Must Meet:
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Full-time enrolment at a designated learning institution
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A program of at least six months leading to a degree, diploma or certificate
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Your program has actually started, since you cannot work before the start date
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A valid study permit carrying the off-campus work condition
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A Social Insurance Number
A warning that matters more than the hours. Exceeding the limit is a breach of your permit conditions. It can lead to loss of status, refusal of future applications, and removal, and it surfaces later when CRA records are compared against your declared study period.
IRCC Processing Time
Study Permit from outside Canada
5 weeks
Current IRCC processing time for Study Permit from outside Canada from India is 5 weeks.
As per IRCC, last updated 2026-09-23 00:41:25, refreshed weekly
Processing times for all countries
| Country of application | Processing time |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 3 weeks |
| Albania | No processing time available |
| Algeria | 7 weeks |
| Andorra | No processing time available |
| Angola | No processing time available |
| Anguilla | No processing time available |
| Antigua and Barbuda | No processing time available |
| Argentina | No processing time available |
| Armenia | No processing time available |
| Aruba | No processing time available |
| Australia | 3 weeks |
| Austria | 4 weeks |
| Azerbaijan | 6 weeks |
| Bahamas | 4 weeks |
| Bahrain | No processing time available |
| Bangladesh | 5 weeks |
| Barbados | 4 weeks |
| Belarus | No processing time available |
| Belgium | 6 weeks |
| Belize | No processing time available |
| Benin | 17 weeks |
| Bermuda | No processing time available |
| Bhutan | No processing time available |
| Bolivia | No processing time available |
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba | No processing time available |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | No processing time available |
| Botswana | No processing time available |
| Brazil | 5 weeks |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | No processing time available |
| Brunei | No processing time available |
| Bulgaria | No processing time available |
| Burkina Faso | 5 weeks |
| Burma (Myanmar) | 5 weeks |
| Burundi | 6 weeks |
| Cambodia | 5 weeks |
| Cameroon | 7 weeks |
| Canada | 8 weeks |
| Cabo Verde | No processing time available |
| Cayman Islands | No processing time available |
| Central African Republic | No processing time available |
| Chad | 3 weeks |
| Chile | 4 weeks |
| China (People's Republic of) | 4 weeks |
| Colombia | 6 weeks |
| Comoros Island | No processing time available |
| Congo (Republic of) | 7 weeks |
| Costa Rica | No processing time available |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 8 weeks |
| Croatia | No processing time available |
| Cuba | No processing time available |
| Cyprus | No processing time available |
| Czech Republic | 4 weeks |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | No processing time available |
| Denmark | 3 weeks |
| Djibouti | No processing time available |
| Dominica | No processing time available |
| Dominican Republic | 4 weeks |
| Ecuador | 6 weeks |
| Egypt | 8 weeks |
| El Salvador | No processing time available |
| Equatorial Guinea | No processing time available |
| Eritrea | No processing time available |
| Estonia | No processing time available |
| Ethiopia | 7 weeks |
| Fiji | No processing time available |
| Finland | 4 weeks |
| France | 4 weeks |
| Gabon | No processing time available |
| Gambia | 5 weeks |
| Georgia | No processing time available |
| Germany | 4 weeks |
| Ghana | 5 weeks |
| Greece | No processing time available |
| Grenada | No processing time available |
| Greenland | No processing time available |
| Guatemala | No processing time available |
| Guinea | 6 weeks |
| Guinea-Bissau | No processing time available |
| Guyana | No processing time available |
| Haiti | 3 weeks |
| Holy See (Vatican City) | No processing time available |
| Honduras | No processing time available |
| Hong Kong | 5 weeks |
| Hungary | No processing time available |
| Iceland | No processing time available |
| India | 5 weeks |
| Indonesia | 7 weeks |
| Iran | 14 weeks |
| Iraq | 10 weeks |
| Ireland | 4 weeks |
| Israel | 6 weeks |
| Italy | 7 weeks |
| Jamaica | 3 weeks |
| Japan | 4 weeks |
| Jordan | 8 weeks |
| Kazakhstan | 6 weeks |
| Kenya | 6 weeks |
| Kiribati | No processing time available |
| Kosovo | No processing time available |
| Kuwait | 3 weeks |
| Kyrgyzstan | 3 weeks |
| Laos | No processing time available |
| Latvia | No processing time available |
| Lebanon | 8 weeks |
| Lesotho | No processing time available |
| Liberia | No processing time available |
| Libya | 3 weeks |
| Liechtenstein | No processing time available |
| Lithuania | No processing time available |
| Luxembourg | No processing time available |
| Macao | No processing time available |
| North Macedonia | No processing time available |
| Madagascar | 17 weeks |
| Malawi | No processing time available |
| Malaysia | 4 weeks |
| Maldives | No processing time available |
| Mali | 4 weeks |
| Malta | No processing time available |
| Marshall Islands | No processing time available |
| Martinique | 6 weeks |
| Mauritania | No processing time available |
| Mauritius | 13 weeks |
| Mexico | 3 weeks |
| Micronesia (Federated States of) | No processing time available |
| Moldova | No processing time available |
| Monaco | No processing time available |
| Mongolia | 3 weeks |
| Montenegro | No processing time available |
| Morocco | 7 weeks |
| Mozambique | No processing time available |
| Namibia | No processing time available |
| Nauru | No processing time available |
| Nepal | 5 weeks |
| Netherlands | 4 weeks |
| New Caledonia | No processing time available |
| New Zealand | No processing time available |
| Nicaragua | No processing time available |
| Niger | 5 weeks |
| Nigeria | 10 weeks |
| Korea (Democratic People's Republic of, North) | No processing time available |
| Norway | 3 weeks |
| Oman | 4 weeks |
| Pakistan | 7 weeks |
| Palestinian Authority | No processing time available |
| West Bank | No processing time available |
| Panama | 6 weeks |
| Papua New Guinea | No processing time available |
| Paraguay | No processing time available |
| Peru | 5 weeks |
| Philippines | 5 weeks |
| Poland | 3 weeks |
| Portugal | No processing time available |
| Puerto Rico | No processing time available |
| Qatar | 6 weeks |
| Romania | No processing time available |
| Russia | 5 weeks |
| Rwanda | 6 weeks |
| Saint Lucia | No processing time available |
| Samoa | No processing time available |
| San Marino | No processing time available |
| Sao Tome and Principe | No processing time available |
| Saudi Arabia | 4 weeks |
| Senegal | 7 weeks |
| Serbia | No processing time available |
| Seychelles | No processing time available |
| Sierra Leone | No processing time available |
| Singapore | 10 weeks |
| Slovakia | 3 weeks |
| Slovenia | No processing time available |
| Solomon Islands | No processing time available |
| Somalia | No processing time available |
| South Africa | 16 weeks |
| Korea (Republic of, South) | 4 weeks |
| South Sudan | No processing time available |
| Spain | 3 weeks |
| Sri Lanka | 4 weeks |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | No processing time available |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | No processing time available |
| Sudan | No processing time available |
| Suriname | No processing time available |
| Eswatini | No processing time available |
| Sweden | 4 weeks |
| Switzerland | 5 weeks |
| Syria | No processing time available |
| French Polynesia | No processing time available |
| Taiwan | 7 weeks |
| Tajikistan | No processing time available |
| Tanzania | 6 weeks |
| Thailand | 6 weeks |
| Timor-Leste | No processing time available |
| Togo | 16 weeks |
| Tonga | No processing time available |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 6 weeks |
| Tunisia | 4 weeks |
| Turkey | 6 weeks |
| Turkmenistan | No processing time available |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | No processing time available |
| Tuvalu | No processing time available |
| Uganda | No processing time available |
| Ukraine | 7 weeks |
| United Arab Emirates | 6 weeks |
| United Kingdom | 5 weeks |
| United States | 6 weeks |
| Uruguay | No processing time available |
| Virgin Islands (U.S.) | No processing time available |
| Uzbekistan | 6 weeks |
| Vanuatu | No processing time available |
| Venezuela | No processing time available |
| Vietnam | 4 weeks |
| Yemen | No processing time available |
| Zambia | 12 weeks |
| Zimbabwe | 14 weeks |
| lastupdated | September 22, 2026 |
On-Campus Work and Co-op Placements
Two routes carry different rules from ordinary off-campus work, and confusing them is a common source of unauthorized work.
On-Campus Work:
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No hour limit applies to on-campus work
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Available to full-time post-secondary students at eligible institutions
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The employer may be the institution, a faculty member, a student organisation, or a private business located on campus
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You must hold a valid study permit and a Social Insurance Number
Co-op and Internship Work Permits:
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Required separately where work experience forms part of your program
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The placement must be essential to completing the program, confirmed in writing by the institution
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The work component must be fifty per cent or less of the total program duration
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Students in general interest courses, bridging programs, or ESL and FSL programs are not eligible
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Applying for the co-op permit before the placement begins is essential, since it cannot be backdated
Leaves, Reduced Study Loads, and Staying Compliant
Compliance guidance was updated on 18 June 2026, and the direction of travel is toward closer scrutiny of whether students are genuinely progressing. These are the points where students most often fall out of compliance without realising it.
What You Need to Know:
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You cannot work during any leave from studies, including an institutional closure
-
Repeated authorized leaves now attract scrutiny over whether reasonable progress is being made
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A reduced course load outside your final semester can end your eligibility to work off campus
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Studies are complete on the date the institution first notifies you, and the permit becomes invalid ninety days later
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Changing designated learning institution requires a new study permit before you begin studying there
The through-line is straightforward: your right to work depends entirely on the study permit remaining valid and its conditions being met. Students who focus on the hours and overlook the enrolment conditions are the ones who lose both. If your circumstances are changing, whether that is a leave, a lighter course load or a transfer, it is worth confirming the position before you act rather than afterwards.
Not Certain Whether You Qualify Under the Current Studying and Working in Canada Rules?
Eligibility in this area rests on details that are easy to read past and expensive to get wrong. SAAB Immigration Services Inc. offers a complimentary ten minute consultation to assess your circumstances properly before you commit time or money to an application. There is no obligation.
Part-time Students
A part-time student can work off-campus if:
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They are in the last semester of their study program and do not need a full course load to complete the program.
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They were a full-time student in their program in Canada up until their last semester.
To be eligible for both on-campus and off-campus jobs, students must:
- Maintain their full-time student status.
- Ensure their study permit has not expired.
- Not be on authorized leave from studies or not studying between switching schools.
Co-op Work Permit
Certain academic programs may require students to complete internships or work placements as part of their curriculum. A co-op or intern work permit is required for such placements.
Conditions for a Co-op Work Permit:
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The student must have a valid study permit or be applying for one along with the co-op work permit.
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The work placement must be an essential part of the academic program.
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Students must provide a letter from their school confirming the work placement is mandatory for all students in the program.
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The co-op work term should constitute 50% or less of the total program duration.
Ineligibility:
Students enrolled in general interest courses, bridging programs, or ESL/FSL programs are not eligible for a co-op work permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours can I work while studying?
Twenty-four hours a week off campus during academic sessions, and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks. The limit rose from twenty on 8 November 2024. Hours across multiple jobs are combined.
My permit says twenty hours. Which applies?
Twenty-four, provided you meet the current conditions. Permits printed before the change may still show the old text, but the printed figure does not limit you.
Is there a limit on on-campus work?
No. On-campus work carries no hour limit for eligible full-time students at eligible institutions. You still need a valid study permit and a Social Insurance Number.
Do I need a separate permit for a co-op placement?
Yes, where work experience forms part of your program. The placement must be essential to completing the program, confirmed in writing by the institution, and the work component must be fifty per cent or less of the total program. Apply before the placement begins, since it cannot be backdated.
Can I work during a leave from studies?
No. You cannot work during any leave, including an institutional closure. Compliance guidance updated on 18 June 2026 also brought repeated authorized leaves under closer scrutiny over whether reasonable progress is being made.
What happens if I work more than the limit?
It is a breach of your permit conditions and can lead to loss of status, refusal of future applications and removal. It frequently surfaces later when tax records are compared against declared study periods.
Speak With a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant About Studying and Working in Canada
We act for clients across Canada and internationally, and we will tell you honestly where a matter is strong, where it is not, and when waiting or reapplying is the better course. A consultation gives you a documented assessment you can act on rather than a general impression.
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Related Pages
Other pages on this site that deal with closely connected questions.