Part-Time Work Rules and Realistic Earnings for ASEAN Students in Canada

Part-time work rules for ASEAN students on a Canadian study permit

Off-campus work is allowed if your study permit includes a condition for it. This applies automatically to full-time students at a designated learning institution (DLI) in an eligible program lasting at least six months and leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate. Your study permit itself states whether off-campus work is authorized, so check the conditions printed on it before starting a job.

On-campus jobs, including working for your own university, a student organization, or a business located on campus, have no hour restriction at all. They sit outside the off-campus cap.

How many hours you are allowed to work off campus

Eligible students work up to 24 hours a week off campus while classes are in regular session, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) . This raised cap took effect on 8 November 2024 and replaced the previous standard limit of 20 hours a week. During scheduled breaks such as winter holidays, spring reading week, and the summer break, there is no cap, so full-time work is open.

Working more than 24 hours a week during term breaches study permit conditions and can affect future immigration applications, including permanent residence, so track hours carefully across more than one off-campus job.

What you realistically earn

Minimum wage is set by each province and territory, not federally, so pay depends heavily on where your school is located.

Rates are published on the Government of Canada minimum wage page and change on different dates in each province, so confirm the current rate before accepting a job offer. Most student earnings stay under Canada's federal basic personal amount, so part-time pay alone rarely triggers meaningful income tax, though filing a tax return every year you study in Canada is still required.

Where ASEAN students find part-time work

Grocery chains, coffee shops, and retail stores are the most common first jobs, alongside on-campus roles in libraries, dining halls, and administrative offices that do not count toward the off-campus cap. Many universities also run co-op and work-integrated learning programs; since April 1, 2026, most mandatory co-op placements no longer need a separate work permit and can run under the study permit itself, as long as the placement is 50% or less of your program length and your institution confirms it's required.

A Social Insurance Number (SIN), applied for through Service Canada after arrival, is required before any employer can legally pay you.

Staying within the rules

Two off-campus jobs still share the same 24-hour cap, applied to total off-campus work rather than per employer. Keep your study permit, enrolment confirmation, and pay stubs organized, since immigration officers request proof of compliance during permanent residence or permit renewal applications.

Social Insurance Number and filing taxes

Apply for a Social Insurance Number in person at a Service Canada office soon after arrival, bringing your study permit and passport. No employer can add you to payroll without one, so treat this as one of your first errands after settling in.

File a Canadian income tax return every year you study and work, even with low earnings, through the Canada Revenue Agency. Filing is how you claim back overpaid tax and access benefits like the GST/HST credit, which many international students qualify for based on income and residency status.

Common employer types for students

Grocery chains, coffee shop chains, and big-box retailers post seasonal and part-time listings that specifically target students around exam periods and holidays. On-campus food services, residence front desks, and teaching or research assistant roles (which follow separate rules from regular off-campus work) are also common starting points at larger universities.

Check your offer letter carefully for whether a role is classified as on-campus or off-campus, since misclassifying a job can lead to accidentally exceeding your 24-hour off-campus limit.

Tips and other extra pay

Tipping is standard in Canadian food service and some retail roles, and many employers pool or split tips among staff. A minimum-wage food service job pays noticeably more in take-home pay once regular tips are added, though tips are not part of the legal minimum wage rate itself and vary by employer and city.

Job Bank, the Government of Canada's job search service, lists part-time openings by city and often shows the employer's listed wage upfront, useful for comparing pay before applying. Your university's career center may also run a separate portal for on-campus and local part-time roles aimed specifically at students.

Renewing eligibility each year

Off-campus work eligibility ties to maintaining full-time enrollment and satisfactory academic progress in your program. Falling below full-time status, for example by dropping a course mid-term, can suspend eligibility to work off campus until enrollment status is restored, so check with your school's international student office before changing your course load. This applies even if the course drop feels minor, since eligibility is checked against your official enrollment record, not your actual weekly workload.