Canada is lifting the 20-hour-a-week limit on the number of hours that international students can work off-campus. Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced a major reform for international students in Canada. The government decided to temporarily lift the 20-hour work restriction for international students from 15 November 2022 until 31 December 2023, to deal with the historic labor shortages in Canada.

Canada is one of the top destinations for international students worldwide. More than 620,000 international students are studying in Canada according to data from 2021, a figure that has tripled in the last two decades. Last year, Canada issued nearly 450,000 new study permits. The quality of education, Permanent residence opportunities, job opportunities, multiculturalism, and affordability is attracting students from different part of the world. Student supporting and Permanent residence friendly policies and supports provided by the Canadian government are mainly contributing more to making the Canada best study destination for international students. 

Canada aims to solve the country’s labor shortage through this historic decision.  “There are more job opportunities than there are workers in almost every community in Canada,” Fraser told reporters, adding that while some international students will work in service jobs, he hopes some will find employment in their field of study.

This will bring amazing opportunities for international students studying in Canada and increase the number of applications to the universities of Canada.