Employment Opportunities during Studies in Canada: Balancing Work and Education for International Students

Learn about the opportunities for international students to work while studying in Canada, including part-time and full-time employment options and how to find a job. Explore high-paying job opportunities for students, and how to obtain a post-graduation work permit.

Employment Opportunities during Studies in Canada: Balancing Work and Education for International Students
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Apr 14, 2023 06:45 PM
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Canada is an amazing place for budding students to learn new things. Being the most educated country in the world, learning at this academic hub is nothing less than a dream. But this isn’t the only reason why Canada attracts thousands of students every year. It is also an excellent spot for gaining professional work experience too! By working alongside studying, you get a great experience, especially if you aim at applying for a PR (Permanent Residence).
Surviving in Canada (financially) can be a bit difficult, as things are a little bit too expensive. Notably, the Indian markets, the masalas or ready-to-eat dishes are all big-time money-snatchers on your wallet. Luckily, you can go ahead and work after your study hours too! This will help you earn side-by-side and financially help you!
You can work for a maximum of 20 hours per week in part-time employment during the University Semesters. You cannot work more than this, but you are allowed to work for fewer hours too. During the University breaks, such as the summer or the winter breaks, the students can go ahead with working full time as well!
Generally, all students who are enrolled in intensive programmes at the universities work for only about 12 hours every week. This is, in fact, suggested by the Universities themselves, since working for more hours can, in turn, affect the student’s performance.

Monetary Pay

Students are generally paid on an hourly basis for part-time employment. The average amount one is paid for working for an hour is about CAD$10 on an average. One can either go ahead and work on-campus, such as roles of a teaching assistant, research assistant, student head of the library, or in the campus cafeteria; students can also opt for working off-campus as well, as per their preferences. If the student simply wants to gain a work – experience only, they can work within the campus itself, and there is no necessity to get a work permit issued. The pay is usually a little lesser, but if you are staying in the campus accommodation, you can save much more on travelling, go anytime between classes, and even reach home earlier. Having a Study Permit can help you engage in any academic work on the University premises.
However, if an international student wants to work somewhere else off-campus, he/she will be required to apply for an Off-Campus Work Permit. This permit can be applied only after completing a minimum duration of six months of studying at the Canadian institutions. With this permit, a student can work for a maximum of 20 hours every week off the University campus.

How to find a part-time job

If you are looking for on-campus employment, you need not seek out far and take much efforts! All universities and colleges advertise all on-campus job offerings on their bulletin boards. What’s more, you can also sometimes find similar job openings on the University websites too, clearly describing the job profile and duration and point of contact for the same. You can also find on-campus employment in the University/College Administration Office or International Office as well.
If you plan on getting a job outside your campus, you can work in the restaurants, cafes, coffee places, or in any retail stores like sports or clothing outlets, in any groceries too. Or even as a swimming instructor or lifeguard at the University Swimming Pools or beaches, be an assistant librarian or also help at the bookstores. If you speak many languages with fluent proficiency, you can even go ahead and be a translator. Being a country with people coming from all different countries, a translator is very well appreciated and widely required.
Here we present 5 best high-paying job opportunities for the students coming to Canada for their Masters.

1. Rideshare driver

All you need is a good vehicle, a fully-charged smartphone, and do well on and pass a background check for becoming a rideshare driver. Bigger the city, better the earnings! This profession will help you earn about $15-$30 per hour. And the best part? Work at whichever time is convenient for you! It is an entirely flexible profession!

2. Waiter

This profession might get you about $7-$12 every hour, and you will be needed to attend customers, serve food and clean tables. But what really gives you the upper hand is the TIPS! You might get about $15-$20 every hour. This is also a pretty flexible job, and you can work whenever you want!

3. Tutor

Smart with the laws of physics? Well versed with the chemical formulas of acids and bases? Very clear on the theorems of Mathematics? Then relax and sit back! You can put your knowledge into good use! A private tutor can earn at least around $30-$60 an hour!

4. Web Designer

If you are an expert on the Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator, know the right palette schemes for graphic designing, good with coding and are super-creative? Aye, buddy! Be a web designer! Find internships under this field or offer to create web pages and design for various business. Depending on the work you get, you can be paid anywhere between $20-$150 per hour, or you may be paid based on the consignment you receive too! This not only helps you build your portfolio, as well as let you work in any hours convenient for you!

5. Note Takers

We often are lazy in taking notes in the class – who would want to match the pace of your instructor and scribble in your notebooks? But hey, note-takers is a real job in Canada! Earn extra money and help the disabled students by writing notes in the lectures and passing on. This job is pretty good-paying, and you can get paid with about $30 per hour!

Post-Graduation Work Permit

Once you complete a Canadian Masters degree, you are all set and eligible to apply for a Canadian Post-graduation Work Permit. This permit consents you to work in Canada for the same duration as the length of your Master’s programme.
On having a minimum of 12 months of full-time skilled professional experience (or part-time work) in Canada, you can even begin an application for immigrating to Canada too! You can immigrate as a skilled worker there under the Canadian Experience Class. But this does not include any work experience you have gained while you were studying.
There are also many other temporary work visas available which are aimed at people in specific domain and professions, which you can apply.