Why Study in Alberta? Work and Study

Working Off-Campus

The off campus work program allows international students at participating publicly funded post-secondary educational institutions to work off campus while completing their studies. The work permit allows international students to work up to 20 hours a week during regular academic sessions and up to 40 hours a week during regular breaks (e.g., winter or summer holidays and spring break).

To be eligible for an off campus work permit, you will have to:

• have a valid study permit
  
  
• be studying in a province or territory that has signed a memorandum of understanding with CIC
  
  
• be a full-time student at an eligible post-secondary institution that has signed an agreement with one of those provinces or territories
  
  
• have been a full-time student at one of those institutions for at least six of the 12 months preceding your application for a permit
  
  
• be in good academic standing
  
  
• sign a form authorizing the institution, the province and CIC to share your personal information (in order to confirm that you are continuing to study full-time and that you are in good academic standing)
  
  
• complete a work permit application provided by your institution.

You will not be able to apply for an off campus work permit if you are:

• participating in a Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program funded by Foreign Affairs Canada
  
  
• participating in a Government of Canada Awards Program funded by Foreign Affairs Canada
  
  
• receiving funding from the Canadian International Development Agency
  
  
• attending an eligible post-secondary institution in order to complete an English-as-a-second-language or French-as-a-second-language program.

Post-graduation work permits

International students who graduate from a Canadian post-secondary institution may apply to work in Canada in their field of study for up to two years. The following conditions apply:

• You must have successfully completed a program of at least two years of full-time studies at a university, community college, publicly funded trade/technical school or at a private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees
  
  
• You must have a job offer from an employer for a job that is related to your studies (however, the job offer does NOT require Service Canada confirmation)
  
  
• You must apply for a Work Permit within 90 days of graduation from your college or university
  
  
• You must have a valid study permit when you apply for the work permit

Post-graduation work permit extensions

International students who already hold a one-year work permit and who meet the eligibility criteria may be eligible to apply for a one-year extension of their post-graduation work permit.

To be eligible, you must have done ALL of the following:

• Studied for at least two years at a publicly funded Alberta institution
• Graduated from this institution
• Worked for one year in your field of study.