Indian students in Canada, who form the largest group of international students, are expected to face significant financial challenges due to a new federal rule limiting them to 24 hours of off-campus work per week. The new rule comes into force this week and is a major change from the pandemic times when Canada lifted the cap on work hours of international students to ease a labour shortage.
The cap is being brought back but with a four-hour increase from the previous limit of 20 hours per week. The pandemic-time work-hour waiver expired on April 30.
Though there is a four-hour extension per week, international students, who have been working without any work limits since the pandemic, find the cap prohibitive.
There are no restrictions on work hours during school breaks, such as summer or winter breaks, in Canada for international students.
In 2022, 2.26 lakh of 5.5 lakh international students in Canada were from India, with 3.2 lakh Indians staying in Canada on student visas and contributing to the economy as gig workers.
Off-campus jobs help Indian students with paying for their groceries and accommodation.
With most standard work shifts being 8 hours long, the new rule means students can only work up to three part-time shifts per week, making it difficult for them to cover their expenses.
However, the 24-hour limit is expected to make it challenging for them to afford living costs in high-