Check How Many Hours Pakistani Students Can Work Off Campus in Canada: 24 a Week
Pakistani students in Canada can work off campus 24 hours a week in term and without limit in breaks. See the seven IRCC conditions and check your permit.
Short answer: A Pakistani student in Canada can work off campus up to 24 hours a week while classes are running. During scheduled breaks there is no hour limit. You must be a full-time student at a designated learning institution, hold a study permit with work conditions printed on it, and have a social insurance number (SIN).
A student in Toronto picks up a Saturday shift at a cafe and a Tuesday evening shift at a warehouse. Both jobs count toward one weekly total. Go over it and you risk your study permit, and that matters more than any pay cheque.
We read the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) page on working off campus on 14 October 2026. The page we read was dated 15 April 2026. Rules for study permits change often, so check the page again before you accept a job.
The weekly limit is 24 hours during term
IRCC says you can work off campus up to 24 hours a week during regular terms or semesters. You may combine more than one job to reach that total. Your hours across all employers are added together, so two part-time jobs share the same limit.
The same page says there is no hour limit during scheduled breaks at your school, such as summer, winter or reading week. If your programme has no scheduled breaks, the 24 hour weekly limit applies all year.
IRCC also says work for an employer outside Canada does not count toward the 24 hours, as long as you still meet your study permit conditions. That helps a student who does remote work for a company back home.
You are responsible for tracking your own hours. Self-employed students follow the same rule. Keep pay slips and a simple weekly record, because IRCC can ask you to show them.
Seven conditions must all be true
You can work off campus only if all the listed conditions are met: full-time student status, programme started, eligible programme type, valid permit, a programme of at least six months, work conditions on your permit, and a SIN. Miss one and you should not work.
| Condition | What IRCC says |
|---|---|
| Study status | Full-time at a designated learning institution (part-time only in your final semester, if you needed a lighter load to finish) |
| Programme | Already started, post-secondary academic, vocational or professional |
| Length | At least 6 months, leading to a degree, diploma or certificate |
| Permit | Valid study permit, or you applied to extend it before it expired |
| Work conditions | Printed on your first study permit, or request an amendment, which has no fee |
| SIN | You must have a social insurance number |
Look at your permit today. If it carries no work condition, ask IRCC for an amendment before you apply for any job. IRCC says that request has no fee.
Some students cannot work off campus
IRCC lists three groups who cannot work off campus: students whose permit prohibits it, students taking only English or French language courses, general interest courses or prerequisites, and students on authorised leave or between schools. Check which group you are in.
Language-only students are the group most Pakistani applicants miss. If you enter on a language course and plan to work, you will not qualify. A student who is changing schools and not studying for a while also cannot work in that gap.
For rules on when a work permit holder may also study, see our page on studying up to six months on a work permit. For the full list of documents and funds you need before you travel, see how to apply for a Canada study permit from Pakistan.
How to start a job the safe way
Confirm your status, get a SIN, check your permit conditions, then accept a job and track hours from week one. Do these in order. Starting work before you hold a SIN or before your programme begins can put your status at risk.
- Check that your programme has started and you are enrolled full time.
- Read your study permit and find the work condition.
- Apply for a SIN and keep the number private.
- Agree your weekly hours with the employer in writing, below 24 in term.
- Keep a weekly log and your pay slips for the whole stay.
Beware of anyone who sells a job or a promise of a work permit before you land. Our report on a Karachi Canada work visa scam shows how these offers look. A real job offer for a student does not need an upfront fee.
Work after your programme ends
IRCC says you can work unlimited hours if you applied for a work permit or post-graduation work permit before your study permit expired and await a decision. The same applies if you start a new full-time programme within 150 days.
Both cases carry other conditions on the IRCC page, so read them in full. If you plan to apply for a post-graduation permit, plan the dates early. If your plan is to settle in Canada, see how to check Canada Express Entry eligibility from Pakistan.
We could not check how individual officers treat a student who goes slightly over the limit. IRCC puts the duty to prove compliance on the student, so stay under the cap.
Common questions
How many hours can an international student work in Canada?
Up to 24 hours a week off campus during regular terms, according to IRCC. During scheduled breaks there is no limit. Several jobs share the same 24 hours.
Can I work while waiting for my study permit extension?
Yes, if you applied to extend before your permit expired and you meet the other conditions. IRCC counts a valid permit or a timely extension application as enough.
Do I need a SIN to work?
Yes. IRCC lists a social insurance number as one of the conditions for working off campus. Apply for it after you arrive.
Does remote work for a Pakistani company count?
IRCC says work for an employer outside Canada does not count toward the 24 hour limit if you still meet your study permit conditions.
What if my permit has no work condition?
Ask IRCC to amend it. The page says an amendment request has no fee. Do not start work until the condition appears on your permit.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 14 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read the IRCC page Work off campus as an international student, dated 15 April 2026. We did not read the separate IRCC page on on-campus work, so its rules are not covered here. Always confirm your own permit conditions with IRCC before you work.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
