Immigration Minister Sean Fraser reported that the federal government would temporarily remove the 20-hour working cap for international students to address labour shortages. Starting on November 15 until the end of 2023, the 20-hour work limit for international students will be temporarily removed. This means that international students can now work more than 20 hours per week off-campus while class is in session.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the cap was only temporarily lifted for international students who worked in certain fields including health and transportation. Advocates, such as Jaspreet Singh, the founder of the International Sikh Students Association, have been pushing for a permanent change which is essential to allow international students to support themselves while studying. Tuition fees for international students are drastically higher than those for domestic students. Removing the hourly cap allows international students the opportunity to gain work experience while supporting themselves financially. In addition to the financial benefits, work experience is heavily weighted when one is applying for permanent residency. Tony Fang, the Stephen Jarislowsky Chair in Economic and Cultural Transformation at Memorial University of Newfoundland, stated that having work experience helps students become permanent residents in Canada.
Although students across Canada applaud this change, they are continuing to advocate to remove this cap permanently. More information is to come about the effects of this decision and whether this will become a permanent change.
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