4 Revised Requirements for International Students in Canada

On December 7, 2023, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Marc Miller announced four new measures to better protect international students.

• Starting from January 1, 2024, new study permit applicants will have to prove they have enough funds to cover their living expenses, tuition fees, and travel costs. The minimum amount for living expenses will be $20,635, which is 75% of the low-income cut-off (LICO) for a single person.

• If you are an international student in Canada or have applied for a study permit by December 7, 2023, you can work more than 20 hours per week off campus until April 30, 2024. IRCC is exploring ways to make this policy more flexible in the future, such as allowing international students to work off-campus for 30 hours per week during the academic term.

• The policy that allows international students to include online learning in their post-graduation work permit eligibility will end on September 1, 2024. Students who start their study program before this date can still benefit from this policy, but only if online learning is less than half of their program. Students who start their study program on or after this date will not be able to use online learning for their work permit eligibility.

• Post-graduation work permit holders whose permits expire by December 31, 2023, can still apply for an extra 18-month work permit. This is a temporary policy that will not be renewed.

Need help? – Contact us