Which nation permits the most hours of labor for foreign students?

Which nation permits the most hours of labor for foreign students

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) declared on April 29 that it will soon let foreign students to work off-campus throughout the academic year for a full day each week.

The IRCC formally declared at a press conference that it will not be continuing the temporary policy, along with this declaration. Under the interim IRCC policy, international students could work as many hours as they wanted during scheduled breaks and while classes were in session.

Fall 2024 will mark the start of the new policy. Prior to the interim policy that was implemented in 2022, overseas students were only allowed to work 20 hours per week.

What is the policy comparison of Canada with other leading nations?
When it comes to work hour policies, Canada is still competitive with other leading foreign student destinations. As per the January 2024 report published by ApplyBoard, the top five nations for foreign students seeking to study abroad in 2023 were as follows. This portion of the article will give a quick summary of each nation’s regulations pertaining to international students’ work hours.

United States (17%)

Students from other countries who possess a valid F-1 student visa are allowed to work 20 hours a week on campus in the United States (US). While school is in session, qualifying off-campus students can work up to 20 hours per week; during the student’s annual break, they can work full-time; and when classes are not in session, they can work part-time.

Britain (11%)

The United Kingdom’s Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) states that international students who are permitted to work must make sure their weekly hours do not exceed 10 or 20.

The UKCISA makes it clear that overseas students are allowed to work full-time during the summer months and advises students to verify any job-related restrictions that [their] university, institution, or school imposes or suggests.

Canada (ten percent)

Reminder: Starting in the fall of 2024, overseas students studying in Canada are eligible for the following work hours allowances:

Work off campus for twenty-four hours a week throughout the academic year
Full-time work within the periods of time designated for academics

France (6%).

As per Campus France, the French government permits international students to labor for up to 964 hours. Calculated to be 21 hours a week, this is the equivalent of 60% of the French legal work year.

The same source also mentions that international students wishing to work at French universities are subject to a different set of regulations. Between September 1st and June 30th, these students are permitted to work a maximum of 670 hours, and between July 1st and August 31st, no more than 300 hours may be worked.

*Once an international student has enrolled in classes at their DLI, they are eligible to work in Canada.

**A degree, diploma, or certificate must be the end result of the overseas student’s study program.