Off-campus work

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Updates to off-campus work

Due to temporary policies, some international students can work off-campus more than 20 hours a week between Nov 15, 2022 and Apr 30, 2024. If you are eligible for the temporary policies, you might also be exempt from requiring a co-op work permit for co-op placements during this period. Check the FAQ for important eligibility details.

Immigration and Health Insurance updates and FAQs

Find out about updates and FAQs on immigration, health insurance, and more.

Tax filing support for international students

Get free Canadian tax filing support at the UBC Tax Clinic for Students (TACS) from Mon, Feb 26 to Sat, Apr 13, 2024. Take the online questionnaire to confirm your eligibility register online. 
 

What is considered off-campus work?

Off-campus work is work that takes place outside the boundaries of the campus at which a student is registered. University-related work at facilities owned, operated, or affiliated with UBC located off-campus might be considered on-campus work in some cases.

Make sure you're eligible to work off-campus

You may work off campus starting the first day of the term you begin studies at UBC if you meet all of the following requirements:

  • You have a valid study permit, or you have applied to extend your study permit and have maintained status.
  • You are enrolled full-time for immigration purposes during academic terms in a degree, diploma, certificate program, or exchange program, or you are eligible to work during a scheduled break.
  • Your study permit includes conditions allowing you to work on campus, such as “May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria, per paragraph R186(f), (v), or (w) and must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria”.
  • You have a valid Social Insurance Number, or you had a SIN and are on maintained status.
  • You are enrolled in a degree, diploma, or certificate program which is at least 6 months in duration.

You should also consider the following:

  • If you plan to work in jobs which require a medical exam, such as working with children or in health care settings, you must have taken a medical exam and have the right conditions on your study permit before starting.
  • If work is required for your program, you must have applied for a co-op work permit and received it before starting your position, be eligible to work while you are waiting, or be eligible for the temporary exemption from the co-op work permit. Review the co-op page for details. 
  • If you are doing volunteer or unpaid work, this might still be considered work in Canada, and would count towards the 20 hours of work you are permitted to do off-campus (or more if eligible for the temporary off-campus work policies).
  • You aren’t allowed to work in jobs at risk of exploitation.
  • If you are enrolled in a UBC graduate program or the Diploma in Accounting, you must be enrolled full-time in the summer session to be eligible to work on or off campus.

Learn how your enrollment impacts immigration, including work eligibility.

Non-degree seeking students, including Visiting International Research Students (VIRS), visiting students, and unclassified students, are not eligible to work off campus, but you might be eligible to work on-campus.

How many hours can I work off campus per week?

Under normal circumstances, you can work up to a maximum of 20 hours a week for all positions combined (paid or unpaid) during regular academic terms.

IRCC created temporary policies allowing some international students who are eligible to work off campus to work more than 20 hours a week between November 15, 2022 and April 30, 2024. Review the temporary off-campus work policies for important eligibility information.

You can work full-time during your program’s scheduled breaks if you’re enrolled full-time in the academic terms immediately before and after your scheduled break.

For example, if you are enrolled full-time in Winter Term 1 and will enroll full-time in the following Winter Term 2, you can work full-time during the winter break. There is no specific limit for full-time hours. If you are not full-time in the terms before or after the break, you cannot work during the scheduled break.

You cannot work full-time off campus during a scheduled break for more than 150 consecutive days, and cannot exceed a total of 180 days per calendar year.

See definitions for immigration purposes for details. A summary is below.

Undergraduate, certificate, and diploma students

Your regular academic terms are:

  • Winter Term 1 (September to December)
  • Winter Term 2 (January to April)

You have scheduled breaks during the summer session (May to August), breaks between terms, and during midterm breaks. Taking courses during the summer scheduled break does not impact your ability to work.

If you are not enrolled full-time in the terms before or after the summer scheduled break, you cannot work at all during the summer. Exceptions are if you enroll full-time in the summer session or if the summer session is your final academic term, in which case you can work up to 20 hours a week off campus (or more if eligible for the temporary off-campus work policies).

Graduate and Diploma in Accounting Program students

Your regular academic terms are:

  • Winter Term 1 (September to December)
  • Winter Term 2 (January to April)
  • Summer session (May to August)

You are considered to have an ongoing, full-time relationship with the university throughout the year. The summer session is not a scheduled break—you must be enrolled full-time to work, and you cannot work more than 20 hours per week off campus during the summer (or more if eligible for the temporary off-campus work policies).

You have scheduled breaks during breaks between terms and during Midterm breaks.

Exchange students

You cannot work during scheduled breaks, and can only work during academic terms if you are enrolled full-time.

When can I start working?

You cannot start working until you’ve begun full-time studies at UBC—starting from the first day of the term in which you are enrolled according to the Academic Calendar—and meet the above requirements.

When must I stop working?

You must stop working immediately if you no longer meet the above requirements. For example, do not work if your study permit expires and you did not apply to extend it.

If you are no longer enrolled full-time and take time away from studies, you are not allowed to work, and cannot work during the scheduled breaks before or after your break. Learn about taking time away from studies.

If you are an undergraduate or DAP student and withdraw from courses to a part-time course load, you must stop working right away, and cannot work during the scheduled breaks before or after you are enrolled part-time. Learn how your enrollment impacts immigration.

If you are in your final term

Undergraduate degree, certificate, diploma, or DAP students

If you are an undergraduate, certificate, diploma, or DAP student with fewer than 9 credits in your final term to finish your program requirements, you are considered full-time and can work.

If you are in your final term, regardless of when the final term occurs, you may continue to work off-campus until your Letter of Completion becomes available.

After you have finished your last program requirement, be sure to check every day if your Letter of Completion has become available. Starting from the day after your Letter of Completion becomes available, you must stop working until you meet additional requirements to resume working, such as one of the following:

Contact International Student Advising to discuss your options if you have not received your letter of acceptance for your next program yet, or if you have more than 150 days between programs.

Exchange students

You must stop working on the last day of the posted final exam period when your last enrolled term ends, according to the Academic Calendar.

If you plan to work on campus

If you are also eligible to work on campus, you can work on campus at the same time as working off campus.

If you plan to work off campus during your Co-op or internship

You must have a co-op work permit if work is required for your program, even if you are eligible to work off campus. You might be eligible to work after you applied for the co-op work permit while you are waiting, or be eligible for the temporary exemption from the co-op work permit. Review the co-op page for details.

If you have a co-op work permit and you’re enrolled in a co-op position, internship, or practicum course, you can also work off campus for up to 20 hours per week (or more if eligible for the temporary off-campus work policies) at the same time, if eligible. Your co-op work permit can only be used for program-required work, and cannot be used to work additional hours off campus.

International Student Guide

Find everything you need to know about life as an international student at UBC's Vancouver campus.

View the guide

Additional resources

If you have questions

You can connect with International Student Advising for questions related to immigration, health insurance, and life as an international student in Canada.

The information on this page may change

The immigration information on this page has been reviewed and endorsed by Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) or Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs) in compliance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations. However, this is not a legal document and information may change without notice. Always refer to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the most up-to-date information.

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