Working in Canada

1. Authorized Work for Study Permit Holders
2. Social Insurance Number
3. Co-op Work
4. Post-Graduation Work Permit
   1. How and When to Apply for a PGWP
   2. PGWP Validity
   3. Additional Resources
   4. Travel After Applying for a PGWP
5. Open Work Permits for Spouses and Common-Law Partners (CLPs)
   1. Work Permits for Spouses/Common-Law Partners of Students
   2. Open Work Permits for Spouses/Common-Law Partners of Skilled Workers
6. Other Kinds of Work Permits

Kindly note that the information on this web site does not, and is not intended to constitute legal advice, and instead all information, content and material is for general information purposes only. Readers should contact and consult with an authorized immigration representative to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter.  No reader should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this site without first seeking legal advice from an authorized representative in the relevant jurisdiction and with expertise in immigration law.  Only your authorized representative can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. The content and information are provided “as is;” and no representations are made that the content or information is accurate, complete or error-free. Any liability is expressly disclaimed and Carleton University will not be liable for any losses, injuries or damages from the use or reliance on the information or content.

The information on this page is provided as a resource for international students at Carleton University. Carleton students may always contact the ISSO for additional immigration information and support.

Authorized Work for Study Permit Holders

Most international students at Carleton are authorized by their study permits to do some work in Canada without having a separate work permit.

They must ensure that they follow rules established by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) concerning who may work, and where and how much they may work. Unauthorized work can put the student’s status in Canada or a future immigration application at risk.

The ISSO provides this overview of authorized work for study permit holders. Visit the IRCC website for complete and official information about working as an international student. Please contact the ISSO if you have questions.

If you are a Carleton student with a study permit and you wish to work:

• Your study permit must be valid; or else you must have maintained status because you applied to extend your permit before its expiry date.
• Your study permit must have a remark that begins with “May work…” or “May accept employment…”.
• You must have started your studies at Carleton and be actively studying.
• You must have full-time student status.
  • Full-time status for undergraduate students means completing at least academic 1.5 credits each term, according to the Undergraduate Calendar 2.1.2.
    • Undergraduate co-op students are always full-time students during their co-op work terms.
    • Full-time status for graduate students is explained in the Graduate Calendar, General Regulations, section 7.9.
  • Exceptions — part-time study in one of these situations doesn’t affect authorized work:
    • During a school-scheduled break period.
    • In one (only) final term of your program
• You must have a Social Insurance Number.

Work for study permit holders is divided into two categories:

1. On-Campus — On-campus work takes place when the study permit holder is physically on the Carleton campus: main campus, CU@Kanata, or the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre. There is no limit on the number of hours of on-campus work.
   Learn more about working on campus

2. Off-campus — Students who are in a program that is at least 6 months long and that leads to a credential (degree or certificate) may work off campus.

Off-campus work is limited to 24 hours per week during school sessions. Students may work full-time off campus during a regularly scheduled program break, provided they study full-time before and after that break period. For example, students may NOT work in the summer before they start their classes; or in the summer after they finish their program.
Learn more about working off campus 

Students who meet eligibility criteria may do both on-campus and off-campus work.

For information about Carleton University’s regularly scheduled break periods, students may consult Carleton’s Academic Regulations (for undergraduates) or their Graduate Program Calendar.

Social Insurance Number

International students must have a Social Insurance Number (SIN) before they start to work in Canada. The SIN is a number that some Canadian government programs use to identify a person uniquely.

An employer must collect your SIN in order to pay you. However, your SIN is confidential and you should not share it with everyone who asks. Learn about when you should provide your Social Insurance Number and how to protect it.

You may apply for a SIN:

• Online
• In-person at a Service Canada Centre
• When Service Canada representatives visit Carleton — Visit ISSO or check our Events listing to learn upcoming dates.

To apply for a SIN you need these documents:

• Your valid study permit
• Your passport
• A Certificate of Enrolment (option 3) from Carleton Central under “Student Online Applications”

Service Canada will look for one of these remarks printed on your study permit:

• “May work 24 hrs. per week off campus, or full-time during regular breaks, if meeting criteria outlined in section 186(v) of IRPR”
• “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”

If your study permit does not have one of these remarks, and you believe that immigration officials made an error when issuing it, you may apply to have your study permit corrected. There is no fee for this application.

If your study permit says that you may not work or else doesn’t have the required remark because you previously were not eligible to work as a student, you may apply to change conditions on your study permit. This is the same application as extending a study permit. There is a fee for this application.

Your SIN will have an expiry date that matches the expiry of your current study permit. As long as you have valid temporary status in Canada (a valid study permit,  valid work permit, or maintained status), your SIN remains valid. You can visit Service Canada to update the expiry date once you have renewed your status.

Co-op Work

Co-operative education programs combine classroom study with work experience related to the student’s field of study. Carleton offers undergraduate and graduate level co-op programs. Learn more about Co-operative Education at Carleton

Additionally, some Master’s programs have work integrated learning opportunities administered by the academic departments.

International students must apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for a co-op work permit before they begin the work placement portion of their co-op program or do any work that is a required component of their program of study.

Carleton is identified as the employer on the work permit. The permit authorizes the student to work only at their co-op placement or other work required by their program and not at any other jobs in Canada.

“Internship” is a general term for student work programs. Not all internships are co-op work. Carleton co-op work appears on the student’s academic transcript. International students who seek other kinds of internship opportunities, must be sure that their work is authorized by Canada’s immigration regulations. This is true even if the internship is unpaid. Learn more at the IRCC website.

Additional Resources

IRCC information about co-op work and co-op work permits

ISSO Guide to Applying for a Co-op Work Permit

Post-Graduation Work Permit

Important Note: As of November 1, 2024, there are new eligibility requirements for PGWP applicants. 

• Language Requirement
  • All applicants who have graduated from a university program must have valid test results demonstrating English or French language skill levels at Canadian Language Benchmark 7 or better. See details at the IRCC website.
• Field of Study
  • Graduates of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs do NOT have a field of study requirement.
  • Students in other university programs must graduate in an eligible field of study, if they applied for their study permit on or after November 1, 2024. Learn more at the IRCC website.

Many Carleton University graduates will be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) after they complete their program of study. The PGWP is an open work permit, which means the holder may work for most employers, anywhere in Canada.

A Carleton graduate may not be eligible if:

• They studied part time.
  • Exception: Part-time study took place in one final term only.
  • Exception: Part-time study took place during a regularly scheduled break

OR

• They were not enrolled for one or more terms.
  • Exception: They took a term off and it was regularly scheduled school break.
  • Exception: They left Canada during their break from studies.
  • Exception: The break was less than 150 days AND they had an official Leave of Absence from Carleton. Learn more about Leaves of Absence.
  • Exception: The student is exempt from study permit conditions.

You must apply for your PGWP within 180 days after Carleton notifies you that you have completed your program requirements and are eligible to graduate. The 180 days starts on the earliest of the following dates:

• The day that you receive a letter from Carleton confirming that you have completed your program requirements and are eligible to graduate.
  or
• The day that Carleton sends you an email notice that the Senate has confirmed you are eligible to graduate, which is usually 1-2 months after the end of your final school term.

You must have had a valid study permit up to your program completion, but your study permit does not necessarily have to be valid at the time you apply for the work permit.

The ISSO strongly recommends that students have a study permit that is valid for at least 90 days after the end of their final term of study. If you need an extension, you should apply early in your last term. This will ensure that you have a valid study permit when your graduation is confirmed. This is one of the requirements if you want to start working as soon as possible.

How and When to Apply for a PGWP

If you plan to remain in Canada after you finish school

• You must maintain valid status. Remember that your study permit will become invalid 90 days after the end of your studies if you are not continuing to study, even if the expiry date printed on it is beyond that.
• Up until Carleton notifies you that you have completed all your program requirements, you may work as authorized by your study permit. It’s important to know that you may not work full-time off-campus. The summer is not an academic break for you if you are not returning to school in the fall.
• Authorized work as a study permit holder ends as soon as Carleton notifies you that you have completed all program requirements and are eligible to graduate.
• If you can truthfully declare on your application that you have not worked more than authorized as a student, and if you apply for the PGWP while your study permit is valid, you may begin working full-time as soon as you submit your PGWP application and until IRCC makes a decision on your application. In these particular circumstances, work without a work permit is authorized by Canada’s Immigration Regulations. If your work permit application is refused, you must stop working.

If you leave Canada after you finish school

• You can apply for the PGWP at any time during the 180-day eligibility period.
• If the application is approved, you will be issued a TRV or eTA to travel to Canada and the work permit will be issued when you re-enter Canada.

Carleton documents needed to apply for a PGWP

IRCC requires these Carleton documents to confirm program completion and eligibility for the PGWP.

1. Letter confirming completion of the program of study — This may be one of the following options, whichever you receive first:

• Confirmation of Eligibility to Graduate Letter — Students can get this letter from Carleton Central once their audit indicates “All Requirements Identified Below Have Been Met”.
• Certificate of Enrolment option 4 showing your degree has been awarded.

2. Transcript — For online applications, this may be an unofficial transcript obtained from Carleton Central. Note to graduate students: If the course load shown on your transcript does not clearly establish that you had full-time status, then you should include additional documents, such as historical Certificates of Enrolment. Please consult the ISSO.

As of November 1, 2024, all university graduates must include valid English or French language test results  with their PGWP application. Please see the ISSO’s PGWP Application Guide for complete details.

If you took an authorized break from studies, or were not in Canada for a period, or qualify for any of the exceptional circumstances listed above, you must provide additional documentation to prove you are eligible for a PGWP.

Students with a financial hold preventing them from accessing documents from Carleton Central may contact the ISSO to discuss options.

PGWP Validity

If their program of study was at least 2 academic years in length, then the graduate will be eligible for a 3-year work permit. If the program of study was more than 8 months, but less than 2 years in length, work permit validity will be equal to the length of the program. There is an exception to this rule: Master’s degree programs can make a student eligible for a 3-year work permit even if the program length is less than 2 years.

A PGWP can’t be valid beyond the expiry date of the applicant’s passport or beyond their biometrics expiry date. If you initially get a PGWP that is shorter than you are expecting because of your passport or biometrics expiry, you will be able to apply for the remaining time later, once you have a new passport or have submitted new biometrics.

Additional Resources

• IRCC information about Post-Graduation Work Permits
• ISSO PGWP Application Guide
  • Appendix – Applying from Outside of Canada
• ISSO Brightspace Course on Applying for a PGWP
• Explanation Letters for IRCC Applications

Travel After Applying for a PGWP

Many students wish to travel after completing their studies and before starting work, and have questions about returning to Canada during this period. In most cases they are able to travel and return, provided they have valid visa or eTA. IRCC answers this frequently asked question on their website.

Open Work Permits for Spouses and Common-Law Partners (CLPs)

An open work permit (OWP) allows the holder to work at most jobs, anywhere in Canada. Someone does not need a job offer to apply for an OWP. However, they must be eligible for one of Canada’s open work permit programs. See IRCC information on Who Can Apply for an Open Work Permit?

The principal foreign national, also called the principal applicant, is the first person of a couple to obtain a study or work permit. This person will remain principal for future applications to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The roles cannot be switched between the individuals.

Work Permits for Spouses/Common-Law Partners of Students

Spouses or common-law partners (CLPs) of full-time Carleton students may be eligible to apply for an open work permit (OWP), work permit code C42.

In February 2024 IRCC announced changes to open work permit eligibility for spouses. Eligibility is now limited to the spouses and common-law partners of students in graduate (master’s and doctorate) and professional degree–granting programs. However, spouses and CLPs of students in other levels of study who are already in Canada with an existing C42 work permit may apply for extensions.

The spouse or common-law partner may apply as an accompanying family member before coming to Canada.

• This may be done as a family application. The applicant for a study permit should indicate during the set-up questionnaire that begins an online application that they have an accompanying family member who wishes to work in Canada. The study permit application list will be followed by the work permit application list. The OWP application will be approved only if the study permit application is approved.

Or, if the spouse is already in Canada, they may apply for the work permit as an extension of status.

The spouse or common-law partner of a Carleton University student must demonstrate in their application for an OWP that:

• They are in a genuine relationship with the principal applicant.
• The principal applicant is studying in an eligible program.
• The principal applicant has a valid study permit or has received initial approval for a study permit.
• The principal applicant is studying on a full-time basis while physically resident in Canada or intends to do so.

The work permit is usually valid for the same period as the principal applicant’s study permit, subject to passport expiry date.

Should you have additional questions, please visit the IRCC website.

Open Work Permits for Spouses/Common-Law Partners of Skilled Workers

Spouses or common-law partners who held an open work permit (OWP) when the principal applicant was a student may be eligible for a new OWP when the principal applicant transitions to a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), provided the principal applicant is working in Canada.

IRCC revises eligibility criteria for this work permit program from time to time. Please refer to the IRCC website for the latest information.

The PGWP and OWP applications may be submitted together, provided that all points of eligibility are met at the time. The OWP will be approved only after the PGWP is approved.

If the principal applicant is not working when they apply for their PGWP, their spouse or common-law partner can’t apply for an OWP at that time.

• If they have a previous work permit, it remains valid to its expiry date, even though the principal applicant is no longer a student.
• If their work permit is about to expire, the spouse or common-law partner may have to apply to remain in Canada as a visitor, so that they can maintain valid temporary resident status until the principal applicant is employed.

Other Kinds of Work Permits

Learn about other kinds of work permits at the IRCC website.

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