Colleges and Institutes Canada is pleased to share that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the temporary lifting of the 20-hour-per-week cap on the number of hours that eligible post-secondary students are allowed to work off-campus while class is in session. According to IRCC, ‘This measure will provide many international students with a greater opportunity to gain valuable work experience in Canada and will increase the availability of workers to sustain Canada’s post-pandemic growth.’ The department is also launching a pilot project to automate the processing of study permit extensions. CICan continues to advocate for modernizations that will streamline the study permit application process and facilitate a positive students experience in Canada.
‘International students contribute so much to communities across Canada,’ said Denise Amyot, President and CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada. ‘In light of current labour market shortages, this temporary measure will allow students to fill employment gaps in key industries while also helping them cope with rising costs. Working while studying is an effective way to gain Canadian experience and to support post-graduation transitions to the labour market.’
We’re also pleased to share that with the removal of public health border measures surrounding vaccination, testing and quarantine/isolation requirements, Designated Learning Institutions (DLI) will no longer have to actively maintain COVID-19 readiness plans in order for international students to attend their institutions. The IRCC DLI list for institutions with COVID-19 readiness plans will be dormant as of October 1, 2022.