Canada lifts work hour limits for international students to help labour shortage

Reutersྪ་་་

TORONTO, Oct 7 – Canada is lifting the 20-hour-a-week limit on the number of hours international students can work off-campus, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser announced on Friday, citing the country’s labour shortage.

Canada’s job vacancy rate was 5.4% in July, down from a peak 6.0% in April 2022. Canadian employers were actively looking to fill nearly 1 million jobs as of July.

“There’s more job opportunities than there are workers in almost every community in Canada,” Fraser told reporters, adding that while some international students will work in service jobs, he hopes some will find employment in their field of study.

The new policy, set to run from Nov. 15 through the end of 2023, will only apply to students studying full time, he said.

Students have said the 20-hour cap made them vulnerable to exploitation because many end up working longer hours without protections.

Fraser said lifting the cap will give students a greater choice of employment opportunities, making them less likely to fall victim to “unscrupulous employers.”