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Best Part-Time Jobs for International Students in Canada

23 Jan 2026Best Part-Time Jobs for International Students in Canada

Securing an appropriate part-time job is among the top concerns of those adapting to life in Canada while studying overseas. Studying abroad in Canada offers unique opportunities and challenges, especially when navigating the Canadian job market. On top of either studying or fulfilling expenses because of residing within Canada’s borders or adapting to school life under difficult circumstances, students need to juggle regulations related to immigration while considering which part-time job suits their interests and ends.

This guide takes apart the best part-time jobs for international students, how to comply with Canadian work regulations, and how to identify job opportunities that fit your skill sets, schedule, and future plans.

Key Takeaways

  • Choose jobs that match your schedule, skills, and legal work limits so you can balance earning with academic success and stay compliant with Canadian regulations.
  • Gain valuable work experience by working part-time, which can enhance your resume and help you adapt to the Canadian workplace.
  • Consider your future career goals when selecting part-time jobs to ensure your work experience supports your long-term professional aspirations.
  • Explore diverse opportunities to find the best fit for your goals, lifestyle, and future career path.
  • Protect yourself by avoiding scams, tracking hours/pay, and prioritizing mental health, ensuring your part-time work experience in Canada is safe, productive, and rewarding.

Related: Study in Canada: Requirements, Costs, Intakes & Scholarships

What Makes a “Best” Part-Time Job for International Students?

Being an international student at Canadian universities comes with many benefits; however, when it comes to part-time jobs, not just any job will pay off or satisfy these students. Students should be aware of the eligibility criteria for part time job opportunities in Canada, as these determine which jobs they can legally pursue while studying. The best part-time job for these students must integrate money, time freedom, legal status to personal growth, and long-term value.

Best Part-Time Jobs for International Students in Canada

Pay, Flexibility & Location

A good part-time job can at least pay the local minimum wage; indeed, a little more would be even better. There exist positions including more specialized ones like tutoring that pay significantly more than that.

When choosing a job, consider the flexibility of working hours. Flexible working hours are crucial for international students to accommodate academic commitments, allowing you to schedule shifts around classes and exams.

Being a full-time student with a study permit allows you to work off campus for 24 hours per week while school is in session without requiring a work permit (new rule; announced at the end of 2024). It’s important to balance studies with work hours to avoid conflicts with studies and exams.

Campus jobs like library or teaching assistant positions are not only convenient but cut commuting time and are perfect for busy students. Any off-campus job (retail or cafe) would be fine if it’s close to your living or campus accommodation.

English Level, Customer Interaction & Comfort Zone

There are careers which need strong abilities at customer service and confident English speaking, like barista, server at a restaurant, retail salesperson, or tour guide. These roles also require strong communication skills to interact effectively with customers. Employing these types of workers could benefit you if you like people and find enjoyment when interacting with others.

For instance, if one works at a busy cafe or restaurant, there could be peak hour rushes and unexpected shifts which can cause stress. Others, such as those at library assistance or tutoring services, could be relatively quiet and manageable; hence offer a conducive environment especially for those students who like quiet and predictable environments.

A perfect job would mean you can get money without affecting your studies; therefore, shifts should not interfere with your study and class timing.

Related: Why PTE Is Becoming More Popular Among English Test Takers Worldwide

Skill-Building & Future Career Alignment

Part-time jobs can help develop other skills beyond college: communication, teamwork, time management, customer service, problem-solving. For example, serving customers can teach patience and multitasking, while tutoring or becoming a teaching assistant can hone teaching and organization abilities.

Roles on-campus or related to academic support like teaching assistant or library assistant or perhaps with campus administration will relate to your subject or future career plans.

Having a part-time job that shows responsibility and experience can actually help to enhance your resume. These jobs also provide valuable work experience that can support your long-term career development. On-campus jobs or internships can mean networking with professors or college staff or classmates which could translate well into obtaining co-op positions or jobs after college.

Earning Smartly While Studying in Canada

Financing your life while an international student requires strategic earnings  picking jobs that will help pay your daily expenses while meeting your interests and academic objectives. There are numerous part-time jobs available for students within Canada; making an educated or wise decision depends on different expenses and your capability to generate those particular finances.

Focus on taking advantage of campus resources and job opportunities to maximize your earnings and gain valuable experience.

Cost of Living Strategy

The cost that the average overseas student incurs every month is CAD $1,000 – $2,000 depending on which city they stay in; Toronto and Vancouver are the highest-priced ones. Mostly every guide mentions that part-time jobs can cover almost half of these costs if you opt for appropriate ones

To earn smartly, students need to focus on:

  • Jobs close to campus or at home – cutting transport time and cost – a recurring advice found throughout student job guides’
  • Flexible roles with easy adjustment to class times, such as those found at the cafeteria or retail work, tutoring, or campus jobs
  • Predictable and stress-free jobs: library assistant, admin support work, or tutoring to ensure easy juggling of studies and work

Smart earning ends at finding the highest hourly pay rate; rather, smart earning is finding work that ensures your study time and well-being are protected.

Future-Proofing Your Career: Experience, Skills, and Networking

Part-time employment is a significant part of your Canadian resume-building experience. It’s been touted on various educational and career-based sites that students should target positions that can hone skills related to communication, team work, organization, and customer service delivery.

Here’s how part-time employment relates to actualization:

  • Frontline industry jobs (retail salesperson, restaurant server, barista) assist students with communication and service training
  • Tutoring or teaching assistance enhances academic, organisational, and leadership abilities
  • Campus jobs offer networking with professors or other university staff – can lead to co-op or internship positions or letters of recommendation. Building professional connections and expanding your professional network through these relationships can open doors to future opportunities.

Relating your part-time job to your chosen career field, like if you’re studying business and work at a retail store or if you study marketing and work related to social media, can make your part-time experience more meaningful once you graduate.

How Much Can You Earn? Typical Hourly Wages & Monthly Income

How Much Can You Earn

The minimum wage in Canada will cost approximately CAD $15.00 to CAD $17.00 per hour, depending on the province. Student-centered sites assert that these wages apply to many part-time jobs:

Typical student hourly rates:

  • Retail Associate: CAD $15–$18/hour
  • Barista / Café Staff: CAD $15–$20/hour (tips included)
  • Server / Restaurant Jobs: CAD $15/hour + tips
  • Library Assistant / Campus Jobs: CAD $16–$22/hour
  • Tutor: CAD $18–$30/hour

Monthly earnings during term time:

  • $16/hour → ~$1,536/month
  • $18/hour → ~$1,728/month
  • $20/hour → ~$1,920/month

It is well-supported among students’ estimates of earnings that part-time jobs can combine with payments for living expenses to prevent studies from being dwarfed.

Instead, during breaks (summer/winter), students can work full-time jobs and potentially earn $2,800-$3,800+/month depending on the job.

The Essential Rules: Working Legally in Canada

Before applying for part-time jobs, it’s necessary that every international student learns about Canada’s labor regulations and rules. These rules will keep you on track with your study permit status and prevent problems with immigration regulations. There’s nothing difficult about legal employment, you simply need to know your boundaries, exemptions, and required paperwork. Understanding the application process is also essential for securing legal employment in Canada.

rules in canada

Off-Campus Work Limits

International students with a valid study permit and registered on a full-time program can work off-campus for up to 24 hours per week when school is in session. It applies regardless of how many jobs you hold.

Common off campus jobs include retail work, cafe jobs, tutoring students with younger ages, or maybe just

In school weeks, this restriction of 24 hours ensures that students achieve equilibrium between studies and work.

Full-Time Work Exceptions

International students can work full-time if it’s during breaks like these (also known as scheduled breaks):

  • Winter holidays
  • Summer holidays
  • Spring Break (if applicable to your institution)

Student job guides will typically point to this period as when money can best be maximized or saved for future semesters or when Canadian work experience can be gained.

It is at this point that students often opt to take up more lucrative or involved positions like warehouse work, hospitality full-time hours, or retail positions.

Eligibility Checklist

In order to work off-campus without requiring an additional work visa, full-time international students enrolled at a designated learning institution (DLI) need to satisfy these requirements:

  • Must possess a valid study permit
  • Be a full-time student at a designated learning institution (DLI)
  • Be registered in at least a 6-month program which can lead to a degree, diploma or college-level certificate
  • Begin your studies (cannot begin employment before starting studies)

Verifying your study permit clauses – often found with older permits with clauses explicitly-stated on the permit itself.

If your permit shows “not authorized to work,” you need to renew/modify it before taking any job.

Getting Your SIN, Taxes, and Pay Stubs Right

Before going to work, students need a Social Insurance Number (SIN). It’s illegal for employers to pay students without this number.

Once you start your work:

  • Employers must provide official pay stubs with hours worked, amount deducted, and taxes paid
  • It’s necessary to declare annual returns on income taxes if you earned only a small amount
  • Salary could include deductions like CPP (Canadian Pension Plan) or EI (Employment Insurance), depending on your salary level

Knowing how taxes and deductions work is important for budgeting and unexpected expenses related to net income.

Having copies of your pay stubs electronically can also prove helpful when applying for employment authorization or PR if work experience becomes necessary at a later date.

Avoiding Job Scams and Exploitation

Unfortunately, international students can easily fall prey to job scandals too. It’s therefore important for students to carefully scrutinize any employment offer to ensure that your employer is genuine and that you’re legally employed in Canada too.

Be alert for signs that could indicate:

  • Being required to pay fees to “secure” employment
  • Employers refusing to provide job contracts or pay stubs
  • Jobs with unrealistically high payoffs for menial tasks
  • Cash only programs that disregard employment regulations
  • Forcing you to work beyond legal work hours

Protecting yourself is part of doing it legally – and part of creating your protected campus experience in Canada.

On-Campus Opportunities

on campus

Key Advantage

The main advantage of off-campus or on-campus job opportunities for students is convenience. Students can work on-campus without requiring an additional work permit provided they satisfy study permit criteria.

Campus jobs also provide:

  • Reduced travel time, facilitating students to overcome commuting costs
  • Flexible Schedules: These can run around class times
  • A positive and secure work environment with university-based roles that provide regular hours and pretty decent pay relative to other off-campus employment possibilities

Additionally, on-campus jobs help students become more involved in the campus community, offering valuable opportunities for networking, social integration, and building professional connections.

Job Opportunities

Campuses throughout Canada offer numerous types of employment for students with diverse scholarships and interests. These range from:

  • Library Assistant/ Circulation Desk Staff: Serene and organized areas for students who like structured work and quiet areas. Examples: shelving books, assisting students with materials access, issuing items for checkout.
  • Teacher’s Assistant (TA): Assisting professors with evaluation, tutorials, lab work, or student tutoring – suits academically bright students.
  • Research Assistant: Assisting with academic research projects, data collection, and analysis alongside faculty members.
  • Campus Administrative Assistant: Assisting departments with reception, filing, event organization, and office matters.
  • Peer Tutor/ Academic Support Staff: Providing tutoring in areas at which you excel, often among the highest-paying employment on campus.
  • Residence Assistant (RA): Supporting student housing communities, activity organization, and assistance for residence life employees.

These roles not only serve as an income-generating activity but will also allow students to create networking contacts and gain Canadian experience.

Typical Pay & Weekly Hours On Campus

The pay for these positions on-campus can be fairly competitive and starts at around CAD$15 to CAD$22 per hour, depending on which position one applies for.

Tutoring or TA positions normally pay more money, with occasional rates reaching $25 to $30 an hour; this can occur when involved with upper-level courses or specialty fields of study.

Throughout the semester, students can work 8 to 15 hours per week at school; this schedule helps students balance themselves with school.

Some departments at school or college could provide additional hours when school or college is not in session.

Service and Retail Roles

retail jobs

Key Advantage

There are several advantages of service and retail jobs that make these professions perfect for international students:

  • Jobs are very numerous with vacancies opening every other day in cafés, supermarkets, and retail shops.
  • Flexible schedule with ability to work evenings or weekends or just small shifts between classes – many service and retail jobs offer weekend work, which is ideal for students with weekday classes.
  • Tips for earning possibilities, especially at coffee shops and eating places that can increase earning significantly.
  • Fast improvement of speaking English ability thanks to daily interactions with customers, colleagues, and managers, especially helpful for beginners.
  • Easy hiring for beginners because turnover management for service sector and retail businesses means employers can afford to take on students with little to no experience with Canadian workplaces.

Job Opportunities

Service sector and retail jobs account for diverse roles that provide students with varied ways of earning money depending on their interests and level of comfort. Some of the most popular part-time jobs include:

  • Barista: Preparing drinks at coffee shops and providing services to customers while keeping the cafe environment.
  • Retail Sales Associate: Helping customers, unloading goods into shops like fashion shops or electronics shops or supermarkets, arranging goods on shelves.
  • Server/Host at Eating Establishments: Taking orders and serving food; greeting patrons; and taking care of eating areas. Server jobs can benefit from tips; hence increasing their wages.
  • Cashier: Financing payment transaction requests and customer inquiries.
  • Grocery Store Clerk/ Stocker: arranging items on shelves and selling or giving items to customers.
  • Fast Food Crew Member: Handling food preparation, orders, and flows of customers – often providing flexible hours amenable to students’ schedules.
  • Delivery Driver: Delivering food or packages for companies like Uber Eats or DoorDash, offering flexible hours and good earning potential.
  • Dog Walker: Providing pet care and exercise for local pet owners, a flexible and enjoyable job for animal lovers.

These types of positions are available in almost every city and town in Canada and will probably be among the simplest positions for students to find when they arrive internationally.

Who These Jobs Are Best For (English Level, Schedule, Personality)

Customer service and retail work can benefit students wishing to enhance their English proficiency or gain experience with other cultures and practice their communication with others. They would benefit students:

  • English language speakers with intermediate skill level interested in speaking English every day and becoming more fluent with customers.
  • Those with busy academic schedules because service industry employers offer hours that can easily fit around students’ academic programs or activities.
  • People with extroverted or amiable personalities or those wishing to gain more confidence. These types of roles can assist with communication techniques, group work, and experience with providing customer service; these would be positive contributions to potential employment in Canada.
  • Students in search of rapid hiring possibilities. Several retail and food service companies offer rapid hiring with no prerequisites about previous experience in Canada.

Skilled, Niche, and Digital Jobs 

skilled jobs

Key Advantage

Highly skilled, niche, and digital jobs offer true benefits to those students with academic excellence, programming or design acumen, or creativity:

  • Higher earning potential, with many jobs paying above entry-level wages thanks to their specialised nature.
  • Flexible remote work options, especially when it comes to writing content or programming/coding articles or projects remotely from your computer at home or your computer lab at school.
  • Career-aligned experience, helping students build portfolios and gain relevant skills valued by future employers.
  • Opportunities to strengthen academic knowledge, such as tutoring or research-based jobs, which reinforce what students learn in class.
  • These roles help students develop organizational skills, which are valuable for academic and professional success.
  • Greater long-term benefit, as these roles often lead to internships, co-op placements, freelance work, or graduate-level employment.

Skilled and digital jobs are ideal for students who want more than income — they help build strong résumés and future-proof careers.

Job Opportunities

These kinds of jobs will fit students with technical or creative abilities. These jobs normally cost more than those associated with regular students.

Examples of positions students can benefit from:

  • Academic Tutoring: Tutoring other students with knowledge of math, English, statistics, business, computer science, or language concepts.
  • Tech Support or IT Helpdesk: Helping with troubleshooting, hardware installations, software problems, and other supporting roles related to campus or small business environments.
  • Graphic Designer: Producing visual content such as posters, logos, and digital graphics for clubs, businesses, or freelance clients.
  • Web Designer: Designing and building websites for clients or student organizations, a flexible freelance opportunity for those with web development skills.
  • Freelance Writing: Creating content for blogs, websites, or social media, allowing students to build a writing portfolio and work flexibly.
  • Coding/Web Development: Creating websites, bug correction/fixing, enhancing online platforms or IT projects at a small-scale level.
  • Movie Editing / Social Media Help: Helping content creators or online businesses with video editing to get more likes and exposing hidden talents.

These kinds of opportunities can largely be freelancing-friendly, which would mean students can choose to participate at their own convenience and increase or decrease depending on their level of expertise.

Casual Work

casual jobs

Key Advantage

Casual work offers students several advantages which make it attractive for students who need utmost flexibility:

  • Pick your schedule: Evening hours and weekends, or just when it’s busy. It’s ideal for when school schedules get hectic.
  • Easy access, with many casual positions not requiring experience or ongoing commitment to Canada.
  • Perfect for boosting your finances for the short-term before a new semester or unexpected expenses.
  • Better pay rates for periods when there’s high demand for casual labor, perhaps due to holidays or other events.
  • Variety of work environments, allowing students to examine diverse work situations without an immediate commitment to them.

Casual employment suits students wishing to gain liberty, speedy hiring processes, or control over their timetables.

Job Opportunities

Casual jobs are offered throughout the year for students with interests suited for shift work. These usually consist of:

  • Event Staff: Assisting with concerts, conferences, sport games, and community events with setup, ushering, tickets/crowd service.
  • Warehouse Assistants/ Stock Helpers: Stacking/ unstacking packages or management of stockrooms for meeting occasional stock increase orders.
  • Delivery Helpers (Non-driving Roles) -Assistance with pickup or with delivery at delivery hubs.
  • Temporary Staff for Local Businesses: Assist with sales peaks, moving seasons, or promotions at retail outlets or markets.
  • Seasonal Food Prep or Catering Support: Helping with banquets, wedding parties, or catering events.

These jobs pay pretty well when there’s high demand and provide students with flexibility if they don’t want set weekly hours.

Highest-Paying Part-Time Jobs for International Students in Canada

Campus and Private Tutoring

Tutoring ranks among the highest-paying employment opportunities for students coming to study internationally in Canada. Students with acumen in areas such as math or business can easily earn more money than other retail or service sector workers.

  • Higher hourly rates, ranging between $20-$30 or more depending on how difficult the subject matter is.
  • Flexible scheduling; allowing students to choose tutoring times that fit their class schedule.
  • Campus tutoring services or private tutoring for students’ benefit to indulge more clients when time permits.
  • Reinforcing educational knowledge; facilitating tutoring to improve knowledge while tutoring others.

Tech, IT Support & Web Roles

Technology jobs are among the part-time highest-paying careers for overseas students too. These kinds of jobs need technical expertise; hence their pay rates are higher.

Why tech jobs pay more:

  • High demand for students with technical or programming skills 
  • Opportunities for freelance or project work that can increase earnings  
  • Close alignment with future studies related to IT, engineering, analysis of data, or software development

Specialized Language or Cultural Skills Jobs

Since you know multiple languages or have extensive cultural knowledge, you can tap into specialized and well-paying career paths that others cannot easily access.

Why these roles pay well:

  • They need special talent that other applicants lack
  • These assist institutions and societies in covering cultural and linguistic differences
  • These support international engagement activities, diversity programs, or multicultural marketing projects

Remote & Online Part-Time Jobs You Can Do From Anywhere

online jobs

Freelance Platforms and What to Watch Out For

Freelancing happens to be among the easiest ways for students to make money online, especially when it comes to areas such as writing, design, editing, digital marketing, or web development, among others. Online job platforms increasingly offer students flexible projects that can work well for beginners or seasoned students.

There are, however, factors to contend with while carrying out online jobs for students to remember.

  • Be wary of positions requiring you to pay money upfront, like “training fees” or “registration fees,” which are often dodgy Internet schemes.
  • Carefully examine client reviews before committing to any project to ensure viability.
  • Be careful with offers that pay too much for too little work, this could indicate scamming going on.
  • Use secure platforms which provide inherent payment securities and contracts.
  • Record your hours and payments, especially when working with multiple clients at once.

Balancing Online Work with Study Time Zones

Since teleworking could mean that clients could be located anywhere around the globe, managing time zones becomes an important requirement.

Tips on how to juggle your studies with your online job:

  • Define your work hours and share these with your clients if they’re located outside of Canada.
  • Use Google Calendar or other tools like time zone converters to remember important dates like meeting times or deadlines.
  • Give your academic schedule top importance; more so when exams are approaching. Tele-commuting can feel like “less urgent,” yet deadline stacking happens fast enough.
  • Try to steer clear of night shifts if these affect your sleep or school work, which can often happen when serving clients overseas located in Europe or Asia.
  • Break your tasks into batches (for example, writing or editing) so that you can efficiently utilize your free hours between classes.

While tele-commuting offers unparallelled flexibility, it calls for more discipline too. It can therefore help students to earn money easily while at the same time constructing portfolios and obtaining worldly experience while sitting on their laptop computers only.

Tips for a Successful Part-Time Job Search

Where to Find the Best Job Listings

International students can find dozens of trustworthy sites for part-time jobs either on or off campus. It’s important to find legitimate sites when applying for part-time jobs.

Effective places where jobs can be found:

  • University Career Portals (campus positions, tutoring, library work, administrative assistance)
  • Canadian job search engines and job boards like Indeed, LinkedIn, Job Bank, and community boards
  • Websites of retail and hospitality companies which commonly show available positions
  • Classmates or professors’ networks for tutoring or research or other jobs on campus
  • Local businesses around campus that often hire students for seasonal employment
  • Set up job alerts on job boards and career websites to get notified about new part-time job opportunities as soon as they are posted

While searching on the Internet, it’s important to carefully read job postings and steer clear of those that seem too good to be true.

Stand Out: Resume & Interview Secrets

A good application can make students stand out even if they have never been to Canada before.

Resume writing tips for International students:

  • It should not be more than one page when applying for part-time jobs; keep it concise and easy to read
  • Identify communication, teamwork, and customer service skills
  • Take into account your experience before moving to your new environment – your experience at home still counts
  • Customize your resume for every position rather than using the same resume everywhere
  • Prepare a tailored cover letter for each application to highlight your relevant skills and experiences

interview tips:

  • Practice interview questions beforehand
  • Be prepared to explain your study schedule
  • Examine reliability, friendliness, and eagerness to learn
  • Prepare examples of how to solve problems or work with others
  • Develop strong interview skills by attending university workshops and practicing with peers

A good preparation will help overcome weakness in Canadian experience and demonstrate your commitment and professionalism to potential employers. Making a positive impression through professionalism and preparation is key to success.

Guarding Your Paycheck & Hours

People begin earning money; thus, it becomes important to secure their income and follow rules and regulations.

Important Safeguards for Students:

  • Ask for and receive a contract with your pay rate and details of your job description
  • Ask for official pay stubs with every pay-out
  • Record your hours to make sure you get paid accurately
  • Never accept “cash jobs” without paperwork because they can violate Canadian labor regulations
  • Know Your Rights Regarding Breaks, Overtime, and Deductions

Balancing Work, Study, and Mental Health

Part-time jobs can be fulfilling; however, it’s important for international students to prevent burnout with wise time management. If you are studying full time, you must prioritize your academic commitments when taking on part-time work.

Health study/work life:

  • Reflect your restriction of hours because you need to keep up academically
  • Minimize night shifts when there are examination periods
  • Incorporate breaks and downtime into your weekly schedule
  • Develop a calendar system to track classes, work hours, group projects, and personal time
  • If you find that you’re overwhelmed, contact your college’s campus wellness services
  • Do not forget that your study permit mandates you to study first

By adopting an equal method, students can remain productive while taking care of their mental well-being at the cheapest cost ever in Canada.

How to Choose the Right Part-Time Job for You

How to Choose the Right Part-Time Job for You

Matching Jobs to Your Course Load and Class Schedule

Your academic timetable is the foundation for your job search. Before applying for other places, mind your busy schedule semester-wise.

Smart ways to match work with your studies:

  • Pick jobs with flexible hours if your courses keep rotating every term.
  • Try to avoid jobs which require irregular or extended hours when exams occur.
  • If you’re carrying a lot of courses, prioritize on-campus or remote positions because these types of jobs will provide more regular hours.
  • Plan your week with classes, study time, resting, and work so that you don’t work off-campus more than the legal limit.

A job must aid your studies and not interfere with your studies at all – especially with your study permit requiring you to succeed academically.

Choosing Jobs Based on Commute and Location

Location matters far more than students realize. A position that is too far to get to can easily suck your life dry of time, vitality, and money.

When considering job locations:

  • Try to find part-time jobs close to your campus or at home so that traveling time and cost can be saved.
  • Be wary of employers with locations that are not close to public transport avenues if you don’t own transport or access to it.
  • On-campus jobs will prove more ideal for busy students given that commuting is eliminated.
  • Online or remote jobs would work well if your preference is to stay at home or create your own schedule.

When to Say No: Red Flags & Burnout Signs

It’s easy to find reasons to “yes” every project when you need more money; however, there are times when you must know when to “no” or “stop.”

Typical red flags when applying for jobs:

  • Employers demanding initial payments or cash for “securing” the position
  • Job descriptions with absurdly high salaries for ridiculously low-level work
  • Official contract not required, unclear role expectations or need to work beyond legal hours

Indicators of burnout when you begin your employment:

  • Consistently tired or struggling with your school studies
  • Feeling stressed or overwhelmed before your shift starts
  • Losing sleep or going hungry because of work
  • No time allotted for engaging with society or relaxation

If your work becomes affecting your studies, your health, or your visa status, then perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate your position. Your part-time job should add value to your experience in Canada – not detract from it.

FAQs

Can international students do internships or co-ops while studying?

Yes, but these would be internships or co-ops that are part of your program and would require either a co-op work permit, which would differ from other off-campus work permits or visas. Your program has to contain required work experience too.

Can I start working before I receive my SIN?

No, employers need to legally require your Social Insurance Number (SIN) before your first shift starts at work. It’s possible to apply for your SIN shortly after moving to Canada, which should occur on the same day.

Are cash-paying jobs illegal for international students?

Cash payments itself can’t be said to be illegal; however, working without legal paperwork (no pay receipts or taxes paid or SIN numbers) can lead to problems with immigration regulations. Always make sure your payments are recorded properly with your employer.

Conclusion

Part-time jobs in Canada can lead to more advantages like stability, skill acquisition, and valuable network possibilities – if you pick the correct opportunity and are well-informed about regulations too. Understanding your own capabilities and taking smart timing decisions while being conscious about your own legal obligations can directly lead to landing you your desired job that satisfies your academic and professional interests too. 

And if you’re studying for academic success, boosting your English confidence, or just looking to get ready for improved job offerings, programs like PTE Magic can assist you with bolstering your English abilities and get you started on your goal at a faster pace. By using the correct strategy, your part-time employment experience can be an inspiring step within your own path of empowerment.

Moni Vuong
Moni Vuong

PTE Magic

My name is Moni, and I am a seasoned PTE teacher with over 6 years of experience. I have helped thousands of students overcome their struggles and achieve their desired scores. My passion for teaching and dedication to my student’s success drives me to continually improve my teaching methods and provide the best possible support. Join me on this journey toward PTE success!

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