Part Time Jobs in Canada for International Students in 2025

The article provides complete information about the part-time work options and part-time work rules in Canada. On a Canadian student visa, students have permission to work for 24 hours per week. However, this is the maximum number of hours that students are allowed to work for. Students who are enrolled in difficult or intensive courses are recommended by the universities to work for a maximum of 12 hours a week.

Doing part time jobs in Canada helps international students to cover the expensive living cost of the country. Not only this but getting into part-time employment in Canada will also help you meet new people and build professional ties which could help you in the future when you start looking for a full-time opportunity. According to the rules of IRCC, international students can work up to 24 hours a week on the Canadian student visa. You can work an unlimited number of hours if you’re on a break scheduled by your DLI, such as winter and summer holidays, or a reading week. 

To work part time during your higher studies in Canada, it is important that you are eligible and have the required skills. Students who are enrolled in difficult or intensive courses are recommended by the universities to work for a maximum of 12 hours a week. This is because working for more than this number can affect a student's performance in studies. This article, will help you to understand the information related to part time job opportunities in Canada, how to get it, and more.

Average Salary for Part Time Work in Canada

Usually, for part-time jobs, students are paid by hours. According to Glassdoor, the average salary for part time jobs in Canada is between $40K - $73K/yr. Apart from this, you may receive a cash bonus from your employer and commission based on your performance.

If your aim is only to gain work experience, like helping your professor with research work, then you don’t need a work permit. Make sure that you network well with your professors if you wish to work with them. It will help you enter academia if your chosen career path is research. This kind of work has to be on-campus and will be paid less; you can work beyond the stipulated number of hours. So with just the student visa, you can still engage in academic work on campus.

If an international student wishes to work off-campus, he can apply for an off-campus work permit after completing six months of study. That permit will allow the student to work for a maximum of 24 hours/week off-campus.

Part Time Work for Students in Canada Eligibility

In order to work part-time in Canada as an international student, you need to fulfil certain eligibility criteria. Let us look at the eligibility criteria for part-time work in Canada for international students.

Off-Campus Work in Canada

In order to work part time in Canada as an international student, in off-campus jobs, you need to meet the following eligibility criteria:

• A 9-digit Social Insurance Number provided by the Government of Canada.
• Full-time course in a DLI.
• Post-secondary academic, vocational, or professional training programme. Students in Quebec may be enrolled in a secondary-level vocational training programme.
• The academic programme must be of at least 6 months in duration and must fetch you a degree, diploma, or certificate.
• Your programme must have started (you cannot work before the start of your academic programme).

On-Campus Work in Canada

International students are allowed to work on campus (even without a permit) if they fulfil the following conditions:

• Enrollment in a full-time post-secondary course.
• Possessing a valid study visa.
• Have a Social Insurance Number.

How to Find a Part-time Job in Canada for Indian Students

All colleges and universities in Canada have bulletin boards where on-campus job openings are advertised. There will also be websites carrying information about similar job openings.

You can work in cafes, restaurants and coffee shops; retail stores like clothing or sports goods stores; as a lifeguard or swimming instructor at a college swimming pool or beach; bookstores, libraries etc. If you are multilingual, you can work as a translator. As Canada is a multicultural society, the services of a translator are widely required.

Canada Student Visa and Part-time Work

Students must understand the difference between S-1 and SW-1 Visas.

• S-1 Visa is Study Only Visa
• SW-1 Visa is a Study and Work Visa (given to those who have compulsory work, internship, or co-op program that requires Credits Of Work)
• You can work with S-1 Visa also, for a maximum of 24 hours per week (part-time) during semesters. During the vacation period, full-time work is allowed. Besides, once you find a co-op, you can get your S-1 Visa upgraded to SW-1 Visa without any additional cost

Top Part-time Jobs in Canada for Indian Students

Salary for part-time jobs can vary according to the work they get. The average salary for a part-time job can be CAD 22 per hour, however, students are paid by hours for part-time work which is around CAD 10/hour. Also, wages for part-time work can differ from city to city.

Even though part-time work is a good way to reduce the cost of studying and the cost of living in Canada for Indian students, it is advisable that students apply for scholarships. If the scholarship amount is sufficient, they may not be required to work part-time in Canada and students can focus solely on their academics. For help with university applications, students seeking to study abroad can contact our Shiksha Study Abroad Counsellors. The comments section below allows candidates to contact us as well.