Studying in Canada and Temporary Work in Canada

Canadian academic institutions welcome foreign students, provided they meet the requirements as such. Foreign students must meet the following requirements in order to be issued a student authorization:

• Present a letter of acceptance from the institute that they wish to study at in Canada, with proof of what the tuition fees, that the course is more than 6 months in length, is for at least 20 hours per week and that the student has been tentatively registered.
• Evidence that the student has enough funds to pay the fees and support themselves during their studies or a Sworn Statutory Declaration from a friend or relative in Canada confirming that he/she will be paying for these expenses accompanied by proof of the Canadian's status in Canada, or letter and bank statements;
• Satisfy the Immigration Officer that they are planning to return to their home country at the end of their studies;
• Pass a medical exam;
• A valid passport and return airline ticket.

Some foreign students in Canada are permitted to work part time while they are studying.  This depends on the region of Canada they are studying in and what field they wish to work in.  Requirements vary.

Temporary Work in Canada

If you are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada you are not permitted to work in Canada without an employment authorization. People that are already in Canada as refugee claimants or in an accepted sponsorship application are permitted to apply for and obtain employment authorizations.

Foreign Workers may apply for employment authorizations from a Canadian Embassy or Consulate if they obtain a Foreign Worker Validation from an employer in Canada. These validations are only issued to Canadian employers to issue to foreign workers if they have proven that the foreign worker has a special skill or knowledge to offer Canada and that the employer has not been able to fill this special position.

Validations are not obtained easily and are only for certain special positions.

There are some cases that are exempt from the need for the validation, (e.g. clergyman or religious workers, certain temporary consultants) or applicants of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) or General Agreement of Trades and Services, (GATS), Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement, or spouses of Foreign Students or Foreign Worker Validation holders.

Canada is now offering facilitated processing of employment authorizations without Foreign Worker Validation for Software Specialists and other Information Technology workers. Live-In Caregivers, such as domestic workers to need a specific Validation that their prospective employer may obtain from Human Resources in Canada, however the Live-In Caregiver must meet many requirements before obtaining his/her employment authorization.