Working off-campus

What is considered off-campus work?

Off-campus work is work that takes place on any location outside the boundaries of UBC Okanagan. University-related work at facilities owned, operated, or affiliated with UBC located off-campus might be considered on-campus work in some cases.

Volunteer positions and internships (paid or unpaid) may be considered work by IRCC. For example, if you volunteer for a job that is normally performed by paid employees (photocopying, customer service, etc.), it is considered work regardless of whether you are paid or not. If your volunteer position or internship is considered work, you must have the appropriate work authorization before you start.

It is important to review the meaning of work according to the IRCC definition to determine what is considered work.

Make sure you’re eligible to work off-campus

You may work off-campus starting the first day of the term you begin studies at UBC if you meet all of the following requirements:

• You have a valid study permit, or you have applied to extend your study permit and have maintained status;
• You are enrolled a full-time for immigration purposes during academic terms international student in a degree, diploma, or  certificate program, or a full-time exchange program student at UBC., or you are eligible to work during a scheduled break 
• Your study permit includes conditions allowing you to work on campus, such as “May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria, per paragraph R186(f), (v), or (w) and must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria”
• You have a valid Social Insurance Number, or you had a SIN and are on maintained status.

You should also consider the following:

• If you plan to work in jobs which require a medical exam, such as working with children or in health-care settings, you must have taken a medical exam and have the right conditions on your study permit before starting.
• If work is required for your program, you must have applied for a co-op work permit and received it before starting your position, be eligible to work while you are waiting, or be eligible for the temporary exemption from the co-op work permit. Review the co-op page for details.
• If you are doing volunteer or unpaid work, this might still be considered work in Canada, and would count towards the 20 hours of work you are permitted to do off-campus (or more if eligible for the temporary off-campus work policies).
• If you are enrolled in a UBC graduate program or the Diploma in Accounting, you must be enrolled full-time in the summer session to be eligible to work on or off campus

Note: International visiting, unclassified and Visiting International Research Students (VIRS) are not eligible to work off campus but you might be eligible for on-campus work.

Full time has many definitions at UBC. Visit UBC’s definitions for immigration purposes.

How many hours can you work off-campus per week?

Under normal circumstances, you can work up to a maximum of 20 hours a week for all positions combined (paid or unpaid) during regular academic terms.

Undergraduate programs

Your regular academic terms are:

• Winter Term 1 (September to December)
• Winter Term 2 (January to April)

You have scheduled breaks during the summer session (May to August), breaks between terms, and during midterm breaks. Taking courses during the summer scheduled break does not impact your ability to work.

If you are not enrolled full-time in the terms before or after the summer scheduled break, you cannot work at all during the summer. Exceptions are if you enroll full-time in the summer session or if the summer session is your final academic term, in which case you can work up to 20 hours a week off campus (or more if eligible for the temporary off-campus work policies).

Graduate programs

Your regular academic terms are:

• Winter Term 1 (September to December)
• Winter Term 2 (January to April)
• Summer session (May to August)

You are considered to have an ongoing, full-time relationship with the university throughout the year. The summer session is not a scheduled break—you must be enrolled full-time to work, and you cannot work more than 20 hours per week off campus during the summer (or more if eligible for the temporary off-campus work policies).

You have scheduled breaks during breaks between terms and during Midterm breaks.

You cannot work during scheduled breaks, and can only work during academic terms if you are enrolled full-time.

EXCHANGE STUDENTS

You cannot work during scheduled breaks, and can only work during academic terms if you are enrolled full-time.

Undergraduate Degree, Certificate, diploma, or dap  STUDENTS

If you are an undergraduate, certificate, diploma, or DAP student with fewer than 9 credits in your final term to finish your program requirements, you are considered full-time and can work.

If you are in your final term, regardless of when the final term occurs, you may continue to work off-campus until your Letter of Completion becomes available.

After you have finished your last program requirement, be sure to check every day if your Letter of Completion has become available. Starting from the day after your Letter of Completion becomes available, you must stop working until you meet additional requirements to resume working, such as one of the following:

• You apply for the Post-Graduation Work Permit and meet the requirements to work after submitting your application.
• You have received a letter of acceptance for another program and meet the requirements to work up to 150 days between programs.

Contact International Student Advising to discuss your options if you have not received your letter of acceptance for your next program yet, or if you have more than 150 days between programs.

EXCHANGE STUDENTS

If you plan to work on-campus

If you plan to work off-campus during your Co-op/Internship

You must have a co-op work permit if work is required for your program, even if you are eligible to work off campus. You might be eligible to work after you applied for the co-op work permit while you are waiting, or be eligible for the temporary exemption from the co-op work permit. Review the co-op page for details.

If you have a co-op work permit and you’re enrolled in a co-op position, internship, or practicum course, you can also work off campus for up to 20 hours per week (or more if eligible for the temporary off-campus work policies) at the same time, if eligible. Your co-op work permit can only be used for program-required work, and cannot be used to work additional hours off campus.

If you are completing your UBC academic program

You may work full-time once your letter of completion becomes available if you meet the following:

1. You have a valid study permit and have applied for a work permit (such as a post-graduation work permit) within 90 days of completing your program at UBC.
2. You have an official letter of acceptance in a new eligible academic program and you have a valid study permit or applied to extend your study permit before your old study permit expired. You may work full-time for 150 consecutive days from the date the letter of completion becomes available until the new program begins or the end of the 150 days, whichever comes first.

Important: An eligible academic program refers to a program offered by a post-secondary Designated Learning Institution as per IRCC’s website.

Important: Your study permit will automatically become invalid within 90 days of completing your first program, regardless of the expiry date on your current study permit. If you plan to pursue further studies, you must extend your study permit before it becomes invalid from within Canada. Learn more about study permit extensions.

The information on this page may change

The immigration information on this page has been reviewed and endorsed by Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) or Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs) in compliance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations. However, this is not a legal document and information may change without notice. Always refer to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the most up-to-date information.