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Foreign students now allowed to work |
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By Anton Edwards » Foreign students attending Canadian post-secondary institutions will be able to work off campus, the government has announced. It is a step likely to be greeted with cheers by most of the 100,000 eligible students in Canada because it offers a chance to both defray high education costs as well as gain valuable work experience.
The new regulation takes effect immediately.
“Foreign students... are an important pool of potential future skilled workers that Canadian businesses need to remain competitive,” said Immigration Minister Monte Solberg, while making the announcement.
Foreign students contribute some $4 billion a year to Canada’s economy. The ministry says there are about 100,000 foreign students who could be eligible for work permits under the Off-Campus Work Permit Program.
Under the program, applicants will be able to compete for employment on an equal basis with Canadians.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has signed agreements with most provinces to implement the program, and agreements with New Brunswick and the Yukon are currently being finalized.
The agreements allow eligible foreign students to work off-campus for up to 20 hours a week during the school year and full-time during study breaks.
The work permit is valid for the duration of their study permit.
“With Canadian work experience, foreign students will be able to integrate into the Canadian labour force more quickly. This will help address skilled labour shortages in Canada,” said Solberg.
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