Working while studying in Canada: 24 hours, scheduled breaks and the rules behind them

To work off campus while studying in Canada as an international student in Quebec, you must meet federal eligibility conditions, not simply hold a study permit or a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ). During regular academic sessions, eligible students may work up to 24 hours a week off campus; unlimited work is possible during qualifying scheduled breaks. We explain what to check, how the work-hour rules differ by situation, and what to do if your studies or authorization change. This guide is based on IRCC pages checked on October 17, 2026.

Key takeaways

• Can you work while studying in Canada? Yes, if you meet the federal eligibility conditions and your study permit has a condition that allows off-campus work.
• Check your school, program, enrolment status, study permit conditions and social insurance number before starting a job. You can’t work before your program starts.
• During regular academic sessions, eligible students may work up to 24 hours per week off campus, all employers combined.
• Unlimited hours are allowed during a break scheduled by your school that lasts at least 7 consecutive days, up to 180 days of unlimited work per calendar year.
• On-campus jobs and required work placements have separate rules from ordinary off-campus employment; since April 1, 2026, post-secondary students no longer need a co-op work permit.
• Changes to your enrolment, completion of your program or work outside the permit conditions call for a fresh check of the federal rules.

Check your study permit and student eligibility

Start with your study permit. It must include a condition allowing you to work off campus; having a study permit by itself does not establish that you can take an off-campus job. Read the federal off-campus work eligibility rules and compare them with the conditions printed on your permit.

IRCC says you can work off campus without a work permit if you meet all of these requirements:

• you’re a full-time student at a designated learning institution (DLI);
• you’ve started your study program;
• you’re enrolled in a post-secondary academic, vocational or professional training program, or a secondary-level vocational training program in Quebec;
• you have a valid study permit, or you applied to extend your study permit before it expired;
• your study program is at least six months long and leads to a degree, diploma or certificate;
• you have conditions printed on your initial study permit that allow you to work off campus;
• you have a social insurance number (SIN).

Check with your school whether your program qualifies, and keep proof of your full-time enrolment. If you’re eligible but your permit doesn’t show the work conditions, you can ask IRCC to add them; there’s no fee for this, and you must request the amendment before you apply to Service Canada for a SIN.

In Quebec, keep the CAQ and the federal study permit conditions distinct. The CAQ is part of Quebec’s study process, while the federal study permit conditions determine whether you may work off campus; our pages on the CAQ for studies in Quebec and on study permits cover those separate documents.

Know when your study situation changes eligibility

Full-time enrolment is one of the conditions for off-campus work. There is one exception for part-time studies: you can still work off campus in your final semester if you don’t need a full course load to finish your program and you were a full-time student in your program in Canada until that last semester.

If you’re on an authorized leave from your studies, or you’re switching schools and not studying, you can’t work off campus; you can return to work only once you resume your studies. IRCC also lists students who can’t work off campus at all without a work permit: those whose permit says they aren’t authorized to work off campus, those enrolled only in an English or French as a second language program, those taking only general interest courses, and those taking only courses required to be accepted into a full-time program.

If your situation changes the other way, for example you move from a French as a second language program into a full-time program, you may be able to have the condition removed from your study permit. This requires an application for a new study permit from within Canada, with a fee and a letter explaining why the condition should be removed, and it must be done before you apply for a SIN.

Your studies must have started before you work off campus: IRCC is explicit that you can’t work before your studies begin. If your start date changes, wait for the new start date.

Track the weekly limit during academic sessions

During regular school terms or semesters, eligible students may work up to 24 hours per week off campus, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Count all off-campus jobs together: the limit applies across employers, not separately to each position. If your current study permit says you may work only 20 hours per week, IRCC confirms you’re allowed to work up to 24 hours per week as long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

You are responsible for keeping track of your off-campus hours and for proving that you comply with your study permit: that you’re actively pursuing your studies, not working more than 24 hours per week, and meeting any other condition listed on your permit. Hours are any time you spend earning wages or collecting a commission. If you’re self-employed, the same applies: count every hour spent earning wages, being paid for a service or product, or collecting a commission.

Keep a week-by-week log of your shifts and hours worked. If your schedule varies, review your log before accepting more work. Working more than 24 hours per week during classes is a violation of your study permit conditions: IRCC warns that you can lose your student status, may not be approved for a study or work permit in the future, and may have to leave the country.

If you have a separate work permit question alongside your student authorization, our work permit page explains how we help individuals and employers assess work permit options and plan next steps, for example when you need a route beyond the student off-campus rules.

Separate scheduled breaks, campus jobs and work placements

During a break scheduled by your DLI, such as summer and winter holidays or a reading week, you can work unlimited hours off campus, and taking courses part time or full time during the break doesn’t change that. IRCC’s help centre sets precise limits:

Situation	Rule
Break scheduled by your school	Unlimited hours, if the break lasts at least 7 consecutive days
A statutory holiday or long weekend on its own	Not a scheduled break: the 24-hour limit applies
Back-to-back breaks longer than 150 days	Unlimited work only during the first 150 consecutive days
All breaks in a calendar year	Unlimited off-campus work for 180 days at most
Program without scheduled breaks	Up to 24 hours per week all year

On campus, there is no limit to work hours during regular terms or scheduled breaks, as long as you’re eligible: full-time student at a DLI (or part-time in your final semester after studying full time), valid study permit or extension applied for on time, a work condition on your permit and a SIN. You must stop working on campus if you stop studying full time, your permit expires, you’re on authorized leave or you’re switching schools.

Work placements such as co-ops, internships and practicums that are required by your program are a separate category. Since April 1, 2026, post-secondary students no longer need a co-op work permit for them. The placement must be required to complete the program and confirmed by a letter from your DLI, total 50% or less of the program, and your initial study permit must allow on-campus work. Secondary school students still need a co-op work permit.

Get ready before accepting your first shift

Before accepting an off-campus job, confirm that your study permit authorizes off-campus work, your studies have started, and you are enrolled full time at a DLI in a program of at least six months leading to a credential. Review IRCC’s off-campus work guidance.

You also need a social insurance number to work in Canada. To apply for one for off-campus work, your study permit must show one of the work conditions IRCC lists; apply online with Service Canada, or in person or by mail, which can take longer.

Do not begin off-campus work until you meet the eligibility conditions and have your SIN. A job offer does not change the conditions on your study permit. Your employer should also check that you’re allowed to work, but IRCC says both you and your employer must make sure you can work off campus before you start.

Recheck your authorization after graduation or a breach

After completing your program, you can keep working unlimited hours in two situations. First, if you were eligible to work off campus during your studies, applied for a work permit or a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) before your study permit expired, and are waiting for the decision. Second, if you’re starting a new full-time program: you were already able to work off campus, your study permit is valid or its extension was applied for on time, you have written confirmation that you completed your program and a letter of acceptance to the new program, and you start it within 150 calendar days of that confirmation. If your work or study permit application is refused, you must stop working and leave Canada.

Visa Canada Rouge helps graduates assess eligibility for a post-graduation work permit and prepare the application. Our PGWP checklist is a good place to start before your last semester.

If you have worked outside the off-campus work conditions, pause and get qualified advice about your circumstances. Working outside your authorization may affect your status and future applications, and may mean you have to leave Canada. Stop the work, keep your schedules, pay records and school correspondence, and get advice before resuming.

Other Visa Canada Rouge resources

For broader immigration planning, you can also book a consultation, describe your situation, or browse our immigration articles.

• LMIA in Quebec and employer resources
• Quebec Experience Program, Quebec Skilled Worker Selection Program and Express Entry
• Permanent residence and spousal sponsorship in Quebec
• Visitor visas, visa refusals, complex cases and inadmissibility

Frequently asked questions

Can I work remotely for an employer outside Canada while I am physically in Quebec?

Yes, as long as you still meet the conditions of your study permit. IRCC says this type of work doesn’t count toward your 24 hours per week off-campus limit.

Does volunteer work count as work for immigration purposes?

It can. IRCC defines work as any activity you’re paid to do, or an unpaid activity that you would usually be paid for or that would be valuable work experience for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, such as an unpaid internship.

Can I work for a Canadian employer while I am physically outside Canada during a school break?

Canadian off-campus work authorization concerns work performed while you are in Canada; it does not decide whether you may work in another country. Check the work rules where you will physically be.

What records should I keep to show that I stayed within my permitted work hours?

Keep dated schedules, time sheets, pay records and a personal log that lists each employer, the hours worked and any self-employed work. Save the school calendar too, so you can show which weeks were regular sessions and which were scheduled breaks.

Conclusion

To work off campus while studying in Canada as a student in Quebec, confirm that your program, enrolment and study permit conditions meet the federal requirements, then track your combined work hours and reassess whenever your studies change. Use the relevant canada.ca guidance before starting work, during scheduled breaks, at graduation and if you have worked outside your permit conditions.

Official sources

Official pages consulted on October 17, 2026:

• IRCC — Work off campus as an international student
• IRCC Help Centre — Working unlimited hours during scheduled breaks
• IRCC — Work on campus as an international student
• IRCC — Work in a student work placement