IRCC has revised requirements for International Students on December 07, 2023

Canadian Immigration Minister provided an update on the temporary policies affecting all the International Students.

During COVID the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada IRCC has allowed students to work for 40 hrs per week till December 31, 2024, and is now extended till April 30, 2024, which means all current students in Canada and the students who submitted their study permit applications as of December 7, 2023 are eligible to work 40 hours per week.

Students may be eligible to work while studying in Canada if they:

 

• • hold a valid study permit;

• • Are actively studying full-time at a designated learning institution;

• • have started studying and remain in good academic standing as determined by their institution;

• • are studying in a program that is at least six months in duration and leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate; and

• have a Social Insurance Number (SIN).

This is good news for all international students. IRCC is also considering extending the off-campus work to 30 hours per week from 20 hours per week after April 30, 2024.

During COVID the IRCC has also allowed international students to count time spent studying online towards the length of PGWP – Post Graduate Work Permit and now announced that Students can continue their courses online less than 50 % of the course work and apply to all who begin a study program before September 1, 2024.

Note: The above measure doesn’t apply to students who begin a study program on or after September 1, 2024.

And, sadly the temporary policy facilitating the 18-month work permit extensions for the PGWP holders till December 31, 2023, will not be extended further. Foreign nationals with a post-graduation work permit expiring up to December 31, 2023, remain eligible to apply.

 

If you are applying for a study permit to Canada a single applicant will have to show $10,000 towards the living expenses and now it will increase to $20,635 starting January 1, 2024. So, if you are applying for a study permit make sure that you show enough funds.  

The cost-of-living requirement for study permit applicants has not changed since the early 2000s, when it was set at $10,000 for a single applicant. As such, the financial requirement hasn’t kept up with the cost of living over time, resulting in students arriving in Canada only to learn that their funds aren’t adequate.

The department also notes that the new financial guidelines will be applied to the Student Direct Stream (SDS). The SDS is a study permit stream for applications from residents of 14 countries that offers faster processing.