Who can participate in student work placements
- To be eligible for a student work placement, the work placement must be required to complete your study program.
- You can participate in student work placements as a post-secondary student if you meet all of the following conditions:
- You have conditions printed on your initial study permit that say you’re allowed to work on campus.
- You have a letter from your DLI that confirms the work placement is a requirement of your study program.
- You have a valid study permit or you applied to extend your study permit before it expired.
- You’re a full-time student at a DLI.
- Your study program is at least 6 months long, at a post-secondary level and leads to a degree, diploma or certificate.
- The work placement of your study program totals 50% or less of your study program.
That letter can be downloaded from UWinsite if you are in the co-op/internship stream of your program.
Based on the type of work required in your study program, you may also need a social insurance number (SIN).
If you’re eligible to work on campus, but IRCC didn’t include either of the following 2 conditions on your study permit, you can ask to have them added:
- “May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f), (v) or (w). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria.”
- “This permit does not authorize the holder to engage in off campus employment in Canada. May accept employment only on campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria.”
You can’t work if you don’t have one of these conditions on your study permit. There’s no fee to add these conditions to your permit. See how to request an amendment to your study permit. Ensure you meet all the requirements to participate in student work placements.
Who isn’t eligible for student work placements
You can’t participate in a student work placement if you’re taking one of the following:
- English or French as a second language courses
- general interest courses
- courses to prepare for another study program
- courses at an institution outside of Canada
If you’re not eligible to participate in a student work placement but you want to work in Canada, you need to apply for a work permit.
You must stop participating in your student work placement
- on the day you stop studying full-time unless you’re in your final semester
- when your study permit expires
- if you’re on an authorized leave from your studies
- if you’re switching schools and aren’t currently studying
You can return to your student work placement if
- you start studying again, and
- you still meet all the requirements to work in a student work placement