Yes — but only during scheduled breaks. During your academic session, the limit is 24 hours per week off-campus. Working 40+ hours during the school year violates your study permit conditions.
This is one of the most searched questions international students have — and one where a misunderstanding can cost you your status in Canada.
During Academic Sessions: 24-Hour Cap
While classes are in session, international students cannot work more than 24 hours per week off-campus. Forty hours of work in a regular school week is a direct violation of your study permit.
The rule applies to all off-campus employment combined. Two part-time jobs, three gigs — it all counts toward the same 24-hour ceiling.
On-campus employment is not subject to this limit. If your employer is your institution or a business that is genuinely located on campus and serves primarily the campus community, there is no hour restriction.
During Scheduled Breaks: No Hour Limit
During official scheduled breaks — summer, winter holiday, reading week if recognized by your institution — you can work as many hours as you want. Full-time, overtime, whatever your employer offers.
Conditions that must be met:
- Your study permit must be valid and include off-campus work authorization
- You must be enrolled in a program and intending to return after the break
- The break must be a scheduled break at your specific institution, not self-declared
If your school’s summer break officially starts June 30 and you start working 40 hours a week on June 28, those two extra days are a violation. The break starts when your school says it starts.
What the COVID-Era Unlimited Hours Rule Was
Between November 2022 and November 2024, IRCC temporarily removed the off-campus work limit for international students. Students could work unlimited hours during academic sessions. This policy ended.
As of now, 24 hours per week is the firm limit during the academic year. Students who built their budget around unlimited hours need to adjust.
Co-op Work: Not Counted Toward the 24-Hour Cap
If you have a co-op work permit — issued because your program has a mandatory work component — those hours are counted separately. You can work full-time in a co-op placement during the academic term without it affecting your 24-hour off-campus limit.
Important: you need a separate co-op work permit for this. It does not happen automatically. Apply for it when you apply for your study permit, or after, if your program requires it.
The Real Risk of Working Over the Limit
IRCC enforcement of hour limits is not random spot checks. Violations typically surface in two situations:
- When you apply for PR — background checks review your employment history. T4s and ROEs tell IRCC exactly how many hours you worked.
- When your permit is being renewed — officers can flag inconsistencies between income, working hours, and your stated permit conditions.
The consequence can be a refusal of your PR application, or a finding of inadmissibility. It is a risk that is not worth taking for a few extra shifts.
Practical Workarounds (Legal Ones)
If 24 hours is not enough income:
- Look for on-campus positions — no hour limit, and they are often more flexible around exam schedules
- Apply for a co-op work permit if your program qualifies
- Time full-time work around your breaks — work heavily in summer, taper back in fall
- Freelance or remote work — this still counts toward your 24 hours if you have Canadian clients or the income is earned in Canada
