Online studies for students who are outside the country 

On October 6, IRCC made an update to their distance learning policy which directly impacts Post Graduate Work Permits (PGWP).  

1. All students who started, or will start a program of study between September 1, 2022, and August 31, 2023, are required to complete at least 50% of their program (or programs) of study in Canada. 
2. For the above group of students, up until August 31, 2023, time spent studying outside of Canada will be counted toward the overall length of the PGWP only if it constitutes less than 50% of the program. 

This is different than the previous policy and communication which indicated up to 100% could be online from outside Canada. Students can now complete less than 50% of the program online from outside Canada to not impact their PGWP eligibility.  

For more information, please read the October 6 release or review the PGWP eligibility guidelines. 

Lifting of 20-hour-per-week restrictions on off-campus work for international students 

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced international students who applied for a study permit on or before October 7, 2022 and are eligible to work off-campus, are not limited to working 20 hours a week between November 15, 2022, and December 31, 2023, as a temporary measure.  

This is particularly helpful for students who participate in a co-op program. If they have applied for a co-op work permit but their application is still in process, staring from Nov. 15, 2022 to December 31, 2023, they can work full time during the time they are waiting for the decision.  

ISD has communicated this information directly with more than 18,000 international students. Students are expected by IRCC to “balance their study and work commitments, as those who stop studying or reduce course loads to only study part-time are not eligible to work off-campus.”