The Canadian authority, directed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has introduced new laws restricting the work hours for international students. The new guidelines, effective this month, will affect many students from different nations who depend on part-time employment to assist with their studies and settlement costs in Canada.
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New Work Hour Law: What Is Modified?
Canada’s new law enables international students to work off campus for 24 hours weekly, an increase from the previous cap of 20 hours.
This change is designed to balance students’ earning prospects with the requirements to retain their educational success, ensuring that excessive work hours do not compromise their education. The law modification carefully considers foreign guidelines and studies on student work periods, offering a promising future for international students in Canada.
Major Points Of The New Law
Work Hours
Under the new law, international students in Canada can now work up to 24 hours weekly off-campus during their educational courses. This increase from the past cap is intended to provide additional financial flexibility while balancing educational commitments, empowering students to manage their time and resources effectively.
Past Restrictions
Before, Canada permitted international students to work off-campus for 20 hours weekly during their educational durations. At the time of the pandemic, the authority eased this limit, allowing students to work for unlimited periods to help reduce financial stress.
Break Durations
The 24-hour work limit does not operate during school holidays, such as summer or winter holidays. This ensures that students can rest and focus on their studies during these periods. At this time, students can be employed full-time, providing them with the prospect of getting paid extra money when they are not in school.
Rationale
The modification strives to match Canada’s guidelines with those of other nations that inflict work-hour caps on international students. These guidelines ensure that students prioritize their studies over jobs, helping them achieve better educational results.
Existing Laws For Employment: What Was Authorized?
Before this new law, the laws for international students who are employed in Canada had to do with;
20-hour cap: Students were authorized to work off-campus for 20 hours weekly during their joint educational sessions.
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Unrestricted hours during holidays: There were no limits on work hours during students’ scheduled holidays, enabling them to acquire full-time employment.
Pandemic waiver: During the COVID-19 outbreak, the Canadian authority temporarily eased the 20-hour job limit, allowing international students to work without restriction off-campus to help them cope with the financial strain of the outbreak.
Government’s Views And Explanation
The revised laws are part of the Trudeau government’s comprehensive plan to reduce stress on Canada’s accommodation and healthcare systems. The government intends to ensure all students’ well-being and the system’s sustainability, providing a sense of security to the international student community.
IRCC declared that they adjusted after examining guidelines in other nations and studying how surplus work durations can negatively affect educational results.
The Minister for Immigration, Marc Miller, emphasized the demand to match Canada’s laws with those of other nations, which usually restrict working periods for international students.
He pointed out that if their programs entice more candidates whose significant plans are to get employed and study, it could undermine the intention of their academic system.
Effects For Foreign Students
International students usually rely on part-time employment to pay for living costs such as accommodation and food. The new 24-hours-per-week restriction enables about three eight-hour shifts, making these incomes important for financial strategy. With a minimum hourly pay of $17.36, this earning is essential for several students. However, the reduction in work hours may also mean a decrease in their total income, which could impact their ability to cover living expenses.
While the new law could be complicated for students who were used to working additional hours during the pandemic when caps were eased, the authority assumes that restricting work hours will help students concentrate more on their education, improving their educational performance and success. This could lead to better academic outcomes and future career prospects for international students.
The new work hour restriction is an aspect of Canada’s actions to manage the number of international students experiencing difficulties in accommodation and healthcare. In 2023, Canada provided more than one million student permits, underlining the demand for sustainable guidelines.
These laws strive to defend the quality of education while dealing with student welfare and societal effects. Under these new laws, international students must balance financial demands with educational dedication.
