Many of us feel like we work too many hours, though almost none of us are told this by the federal government — unless you’re an international student, that is.
What happened: Starting in September, international post-secondary students will be able to work no more than 24 hours a week off-campus. The previous cap of 20 hours was lifted during the pandemic to help with labour shortages but came back into effect today.Â
Why it’s happening: The feds are worried that too many international students use their student visas as de facto work visas, undermining the goals of the temporary foreign workers program (a different immigration path that is actually meant to attract workers from abroad) and distracting from their studies.Â
- Currently, 80% of foreign students work over 20 hours a week, per the immigration ministry. The feds considered a 30-hour cap but worried it was too close to full-time.
Yes, but: As you may well know, living in a Canadian city is pricey. If students don’t feel they can work enough to survive, it’ll be another disincentive to come to Canada.Â
- The feds may not see that as a bad thing, however — new student visa rules already have higher requirements for the amount of cash students need.Â
Why it matters: The cap on how much international students can work is part of a broader shift by the federal government away from its previously gung-ho immigration goals — best exemplified by caps on non-permanent residents and foreign students themselves.—QH