Employment

Can I work in Canada?

If you are registered as a fulltime student and you have Study Permit that is valid for 6 months or more you are eligible to work. There are three types of work permits for students:
• Off Campus Work Permit
• Co-Op Work Permit
• Post Graduation Work Permit

You can work on campus for up to 19 hours a week without a work permit. You can work for up to 20 hours a week off campus if you have an Off Campus Work Permit. For instructions on how to obtain an Off Campus Work Permit please look at the section “Working of Campus”.

Working On Campus

If your study permit is valid for 6 months or longer you are eligible to work on campus without a study permit. You are required to maintain a GPA of above 1.75 to be able to work. Once you have been offered your on campus job you will need to apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN). This can be obtained from the Service Canada office on Main Street.

Where can I work on campus?

Jobs on campus are limited and competitive. Many of the jobs available are in the service industry: eg. Tutoring, student assistants, Aramark

How many hours can I work on campus?

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) does not limit the number of hours students are permitted to work on campus. We recommend that you do not work more than 19 hours a week as this may affect your studies.

Working Off Campus?

If you would like to work off campus you must apply for an Off Campus Work Permit. You are not allowed to work off campus until your permit arrives. To qualify for an off campus work permit you must meet the following criteria:

1. You must be registered fulltime
2. You must have a study permit that is valid for 6 months or more
3. You cannot be an exchange student
4. You must be in good academic standing with a GPA of 1.75 or higher
5. You must have studied fulltime for 6 months in the past year (excluding exchange programs)
6. Have a partial or full scholarship from:
- the Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program, funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)
- the Government of Canada Awards Program, funded by DFAIT
- the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
7. Are participating in the Equal Opportunity Scholarship Program (Canada–Chile), the Canada–China Scholars Exchange Program, or an Organization of American States Fellowship program
8. Are registered in a program that consists either exclusively or primarily of English or French as a second language
9. Have previously held an off-campus work permit, failed to maintain your eligibility, and failed to surrender your work permit (However, if you became ineligible for the program and surrendered your work permit, you may reapply for a work permit if you meet the eligibility requirements at a later date)

With your Off Campus Work Permit you are entitled to work up to 20 hours off campus during the semester. During scheduled breaks e.g. summer break you are eligible to work for as many hours as you want anywhere in Canada.

How to apply for an Off Campus Work Permit?

To apply you must submit your application online. Your Off Campus Work Permit will expire when your study permit foes. You will need to create a MYCIC online account.
1. Create your online profile and e-pass by registering with MyCIC on their website. Remember you must complete your application within 60 days of beginning the online application.
2. When you create your CIC epass, you must provide your client ID number which should be printed on your study permit.
In the application, the first question you will be asked, is “do you have a client id number?”
- Answer “yes” to this question and provide your Client ID number (this number is printed on your study permit).
- If you have already created an e-pass and did not provide your client ID, you must create a new epass and stop using the old epass.
- You will not be able to access the EVN (electronic verification number) part of the off-campus work permit on the on-line application unless you entered your client ID when you created an epass.
3. When prompted, request an Electronic Verification Number (EVN) from Mount Allison University.
4. After you have submitted your request for verification Log out of the website. Your online request for verification will be processed by the International Advisor within 7 days. You will receive a notification from CIC in your MyCIC account once it has been processed. This message will contain an EVN and a link to the next part of the online application. If your EVN has not been issued contact the International Advisor by email.
5. At the end of the application, you will be asked to submit a copy of your passport, including the information and photo page and any pages that refer to your stay in Canada. Upload this information as a PDF.
6. If CIC has any questions, they will contact you at the email address or phone number on your application.

*Note:
If you are applying for an off-campus work permit but you also need to extend your study permit, you can apply for both documents online at the same time. Just indicate in the application that you are applying for both permits, and attach all relevant documents and fees.

Applying for a Social Insurance Number

If you receive a job offer either on or off campus your employer will ask you for your Social Insurance Number (SIN). This is usually done within the first few days after you start work.

Your will be given a SIN that starts with the number “9”. This is sometimes called a 900 series SIN. This means that you will have to show your employer either your study pemit (if you studying on campus) or your work permit (if you are studying off campus). You card will also have an expiry date on it which usually coincides with your study permit. You must renew your SIN when it expires.

Where do I go to apply for a SIN?

To apply ofr your SIN you will need to go to the Service Canada office on Main Street. The address is:

East Main Plaza
170 Main Street
Sackville, New BrunswicK

Phone: (506) 364-5000

How do I apply for my SIN?

To apply for your SIN you will need the following documents:
• original copy of your study permit
• your passport
• original off-campus work permit (if you are applying for a job off-campus)
• Social Insurance Number application form
• a work contract or letter from your employer with:
1. Name of the on-campus department or on-campus business hiring the student
2. Employer's name
3. Address where work will be performed
4. Employer's signature
5. Employer's telephone number
6. Contract of employment, which must show the start and end date of employment and these dates must fall within the study permit dates
7. Employee's start and end dates of employment
8. Gender of student
9. Date of birth of student
10. Surname, given name of student
11. Study permit document number
12. Date the study permit was signed
13. Date of expiry of the study permit
14. Signature of student and date signed

I applied for my SIN but I haven’t received my card yet. Am I allowed to work?

You can start working as long as you can prove that you have applied for a SIN. You can show your SIN application receipt to prove that you have applied.

What happens if my SIN expires before I can renew it?

Service Canada grants an implied status of up to eight weeks for those employees who experience an administrative delay after requesting a renewal of their study or work permits. This implied status is granted only if the renewal application was made prior to the expiration of the original immigration document. You should be able to keep working and receiving payments while having implied status. Visit the CIC website more details.

Working After Graduation

If you plan to stay in Canada to work you must apply for your Post Graduation Work Permit. This is an open permit which will enable you to work anywhere in Canada for up to three years. You do ont need a job offer to apply for this permit.

When should I apply for my work permit?

It is important that you apply for this permit as soon as you meet all the requirements for your degree i.e. after your final marks have been submitted. You must apply within 90 days after you are eligible.

Am I eligible to apply for a Post Graduation Work Permit?

If you meet the following requirements then you are eligible:

1. You have completed all the requirements for your degree
2. You are currently still residing in Canada
3. Your study permit is still valid

How do I apply?

You can apply with a paper application but it is advisable that you apply online as it is easier to track your documents. To apply via the paper application click here. To apply online follow these instructions:
1. Create your online profile and e-pass by registering with MyCIC on their website. Remember you must complete your application within 60 days of beginning the online application.
2. When you are asked “what do you want to do today?” choose the link that takes you to the post-graduation work permit application site.
3. When you are asked how long you want to stay in Canada, use the following guidelines put in 3 years.
Upload the required supporting documents. You are required to submit proof that you have completed your program of studies:
- For December graduates, you must obtain a letter from the Registrar’s Office, stating that you have completed all of your degree requirements.
- You are required to submit a PDF of your passport. This needs to include the information (face) page and any stamps made by Canadian officials when you have entered Canada. Create one PDF that contains all of this information and upload it.
Pay the application fee. The fee is $150
- You can pay online using your credit card, or
- If you do not have a credit card you can pay your fee at a bank using the CIC receipt (available from the International Centre), and upload a PDF of the receipt showing that you paid.

What if I want to leave Canada for a while then come back to work?

If you apply for the Post Graduation Work Permit and you receive it you may choose to take some time off first before you come back to Canada to work. If you leave Canada and then return, you must have a valid TRV (if required) in order to enter the country unless you are travelling to the United Sates only.
You must make sure that you show that you are carrying your Post Graduation Work Permit with you when you re-enter Canada. Border officials often ask to see proof of your status when you are travelling on a work permit. This can be in the form of a contract from your employer (if you already have a job) stating your duties, wages and date of employment. If your job pays less than $10,000/year, you must also carry proof of funds (a bank statement) showing that between your salary and your savings (or your family savings) you have at least $10,000 available to support yourself in Canada. If you do not have a job you will need to provide a bank statement with proof of funds available to you while you are looking for a job (usually about $10,000).

My study permit expired has expired and the 90 days to apply has passed. Can I still apply for a Post graduation Work Permit?

If your study permit expires within 90 days after your final marks are available or you have submitted your thesis or dissertation, prior to the permit’s expiry date you can apply for a study permit “bridging extension.” This is a study permit extension and can be submitted online on the MyCIC website.

After graduation can I work using my Off Campus Work Permit?

If you have applied for a Post Graduation Work Permit and it has not arrived yet you may continue working full-time off campus with your Off Campus Work Permit until your Post Graduation Work Permit arrives as long as your Off campus Work Permit is still valid and has not expired.
If your employer has any questions about this they can contact the International Student Advisor at: international_advisor@mta.ca.