Marc Miller, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), announced the extension of three temporary policies set to expire in 2023. IRCC extended the waiver, allowing students to work off-campus for more than 20 hours weekly until April 30, 2024. This applies to students already in Canada and those who apply for a study permit by December 7, 2023.
Furthermore, the measure allowing online study time to count towards a post-graduation work permit will continue for students starting before September 1, 2024.
In addition, the Canadian Government extended the temporary policy granting an extra 18-month work permit for post-graduation work permit holders with expiring work permits.
Post-graduation work permit holders whose initial permit expires by December 31, 2023, can apply to extend their work permit.
Extended temporary policies to support more international students
Minister Miller also provided an update on three temporary policies affecting international students, all set to expire at the end of 2023.
The exemption from work limit
The exemption from the 20-hour-per-week limit on the number of hours international students may work off campus while classes are in session will be extended until April 30, 2024. International students who are already in Canada and applicants who have already applied for a study permit as of December 7, 2023, will be able to work more than 20 hours per week off campus until that date. We will continue to look into future options for this policy, such as increasing off-campus work hours for international students to 30 hours per week while classes are in session.
International students to count time spent
For students who begin a study program before September 1, 2024, the facilitative measure that allows international students to count time spent studying online towards the length of a future post-graduation work permit, as long as it constitutes less than 50% of the program of study, will remain in place. Students who begin a study program on or after that date will no longer be subject to this measure. Distance learning facilitation measures were first implemented in response to travel restrictions during the pandemic in 2020, and their scope was reduced in September 2022. The vast majority of international students are currently studying in person in Canada.
Post-graduation work permit apply
In response to labor market disruptions during the pandemic and post-pandemic recovery, a temporary policy was implemented three times to provide post-graduation work permit holders with an additional 18-month work permit as their initial work permit expired. Foreign nationals with a post-graduation work permit that expires before December 31, 2023, can still apply. This temporary policy, however, will not be extended further.
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