Canada’s New Rules for International Students

The Hon. Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), declared on November 15, 2024, that new rules for international students will go into effect right away. These modifications centre on how many hours students are allowed to work both during the academic year and during the holidays. Rules governing international students who choose to transfer schools and the manner in which designated learning institutes (DLI) submit information about international students are also new.

In the end, these modifications are meant to safeguard international students, prevent fraud, and make sure that educational institutions adhere to the proper international student policies.

Off-Campus Work Hours Increase

Due to recent modifications, overseas students are now permitted to work up to 24 hours per week throughout the academic year, instead of the prior cap of 20 hours. Students can now integrate into the Canadian workforce and generate additional income to help pay for their living expenses and tuition thanks to this reform.

During the summer, winter, and Easter breaks—when the school is closed—international students are permitted to work full-time. During these intervals, students are allowed to work full-time as long as they adhere to the terms of their study permit authorisation, which entails being enrolled full-time in their program at a recognised educational institution.

The criteria must be clearly stated in your study permission to ensure that you are permitted to work full-time during scheduled breaks or off-campus 24 hours a week. You can contact the IRCC to request an amendment to include these conditions if your permit does not already have them.

Violating Work Conditions

It is your duty as a student to keep thorough records of your working hours and to abide by the terms of your study permit. Serious repercussions could occur, for instance, if you work more than the 24-hour restriction during the school year or if you labour outside the parameters specified in your study permission.

·       Loss of student status

·       Ineligibility for future immigration programs, including study or work permits

·       Potential removal from Canada

Accountability Measures for Schools

In order to verify that students are enrolled and following the regulations, the government now requires twice-yearly reports from Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) that take in international students. If the institution fails to declare this or if the government is made aware that students are no longer enrolled, the institution could undergo an investigation and be prevented from taking new international students for up to a year.

Transferring Schools

Students’ attendance at authorised schools and the validity of their study licenses will be guaranteed by this regulation.

Verifying the Letter of Acceptance (LOA)

The Canadian government is taking strong measures to ensure that Letters of Acceptance (LOA) from schools are authentic and valid. There has been a troubling rise in some individuals attempting to manipulate the system to gain entry to Canada. As of December 2023, IRCC has checked approximately 492,000 LOAs and during this process, over 17,000 cases were discovered where the letters were either forged or cancelled. These efforts are critical in maintaining the integrity of the international student program and ensuring that only eligible international students are studying in Canada— legally.

Provincial attestation letter (PAL)

For most applications, students must provide a provincial attestation letter in addition to confirming the acceptance letters, unless they qualify for one of the few exceptions.

We are available to help if you need assistance understanding these new changes or if you intend to study in Canada. We at Kingston Immigration Consultant can assist you in navigating these recent changes, making sure that your job circumstances and study permit comply with the most recent laws and guidelines.