(Ottawa) Companies that employ foreign students will soon be able to offer them more shifts. Immigration Secretary Sean Fraser announced Friday morning that the 20-hour limit that this group of workers can work will be temporarily lifted.
Posted at 10:52 am
Foreign students can currently work off-campus for a maximum of 20 hours during their studies. The lifting of that work-time cap is effective from November 15 through the end of 2023. “That means 500,000 students who are already here have the opportunity to work more if they choose to,” Mr. Fraser said.
This new measure is intended in particular to counteract the current labor shortage and help companies to recover from the pandemic. “We are struggling with a massive labor shortage across the country. Our employers are struggling to find and retain the labor force they need during this period of economic recovery and growth, and immigration has a role to play in meeting that need,” the minister said.
Mr Fraser argued that this could help entrepreneurs, particularly as the holiday season approaches.
The Liberal also pointed out that the workplace is an inclusive place for foreign students. He nuanced that the goal isn’t for students to prioritize work at the expense of their studies, but that it can be a great opportunity to gain work experience.
During his press conference, Mr. Fraser mentioned Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) pilot project, which aims to automate the processing of applications for study permit extensions. Those motions already have a high approval rating of 96% this year and 97% last year, but Minister Fraser said Canada “can do better”.
He specified that no renewal requests are automatically rejected and that more complex files are analyzed by agents.
Currently, the pilot is limited to a small group of people, but if successful, it could be expanded to reduce application processing times.