Canada tightens overtime regulations for international students.

International students will only be allowed to work 24 hours per week, instead of the current 40 hours, as Canada tightens a series of policies aimed at reducing immigration.

The information was announced by Immigration Minister Mac Miller on April 30th and will take effect in September. International students currently in Canada can still work up to 40 hours per week until the end of this summer.

Previously, Canada allowed international students to work a maximum of 20 hours per week. However, since the end of 2022, this limit has been raised to alleviate labor shortages and help students cover expenses as prices rise.

Secretary Mac Miller stated that the measure had helped the economy recover from the pandemic, but was no longer necessary.

"Part-time work helps international students gain experience and cover some expenses... But they're here to study, not to work," according to Miller.

In fact, Canada had been considering reducing the working hours for international students to 20 or 30 hours per week since the end of last year. Mr. Miller said the new regulation is reasonable, similar to the UK (20 hours) or Australia (24 hours).

"Over 80% of students are working more than 20 hours. We think it would be too much of a burden to reduce it below that," he said. "If it remains at 30 hours, it will affect the quality of learning and increase the risk of students dropping out."

McGill University campus, Canada. Photo: McGill University Fanpage — McGill University campus, Canada. Photo: *McGill University Fanpage*

To curb the influx of immigrants – which has reached record levels in over six decades – Canada has been tightening regulations for international students since October 2023. The country plans to grant work permits to only 360,000 new international students in 2024, a 35% decrease from last year. Additionally, students in public-private partnership programs or spouses of international university students will no longer be granted work permits.

Along with the US, Canada is one of the two most attractive destinations for international students, with 900,000 students. Approximately 40% are from India, followed by China (12%). The number of Vietnamese students is over 16,000.

Tuition fees for international students in the 2023/24 academic year ranged from approximately CAD 17,000 to CAD 50,000 (VND 304-680 million). According to Shiksha, a consulting organization, international students in Canada often work part-time at fast-food restaurants and retail stores, earning around USD 13-25 per hour.

Doan Hung

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