Students

Off-Campus Work

On Friday April 27, 2006 the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced that international students will now have the opportunity to apply for work permits for off-campus work. Follow the links below for information on:

 

Who Can Apply

Students of Niagara College who meet the following requirements are eligible to apply for the off-campus work permit:

  • you must have a valid study permit
  • you must have studied full time for at least six months out of the 12 months before you apply
  • you must maintain satisfactory academic standing (GPA of 60% or better)
  • you must be enrolled in an academic program of study, not ESL
  • you must comply with the conditions of your study permit and your work permit, if applicable. If you fail to do so, you will be found to be in non-compliance and will not be able to re-apply for the program.

How to Apply

Students can download the required forms from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website or pick them up from the International Department. The following forms must be completed and submitted to the International Student Advisor:

Applications for Off Campus Work Permits are now Online!

On February 3, 2009 CIC will launch its Online Application process for the Off-Campus Work Permit Program. To complete an off-campus work permit application online, students must first enroll with MyCIC, a new personalized portal.
You will first need a Government of Canada epass to access MyCIC. Visit CIC Secure Online Services to login to MyCIC or to register for an epass. 
YOU CAN DO THIS TODAY.

Registering for a Government of Canada Epass to access MyCIC:

  • At the Secure Online Services Page you will want to "Register for a Government of Canada Epass"
  • Once your Epass is created, you will be directed to MyCIC.
  • Fill Out your MyCIC Enrollment Information (you will require your Client ID for this)
  • Fill in the email address at which you wish to receive updates from CIC 
  • In the section entitled "What Would you like to do today?" you will find the link to the Off Campus Work Permit Online Application
  • There will be a short questionnaire to streamline you to the application
  • The first part of the application will be your Request for an Eligibility Verification Number (this process now replaces the CIC paper forms IMM 5581 and 5582)

Request for and Eligibility Verification Number (EVN):

  • A list of explanations will appear on the screen about what you may be requesting an EVN for.  For the purpose of a new Off Campus Work Permit application, it will simply be to approve your eligibility.  However, you may also request one in the future if you are transferring institutions  
  • Complete the questions regarding your eligibility to the best of your knowledge.  Carefully review your answers and sign the request
  • Your request for an EVN will be sent to Niagara College and a reference number will be provided
  • This will now show as a Transmitted Request on your MyCIC Home Page
  • You must now wait for Niagara College to review the request and issue an EVN.  This will take approximately 3 business days
  • If your College account is encumbered by an outstanding balance, the file will be referred to the Accounts Officer for review. Before an EVN can be issued in this case, you will be required to pay any outstanding fees on your account or provide proof that you have made payment arrangements
  • Once an EVN has been issued to you, CIC will send you an email telling you to check your Messages area on your MyCIC Homepage
  • Log into MyCIC and the EVN message will be there waiting for you

Submitting an Application for an Off Campus Work Permit Online:

  • To complete you Off Campus Work Permit Application click "Continue the Off Campus Work Permit Process".  You can now begin filling in the application
  • Please remember that you must have a valid study permit to apply!
  • You will require your Passport, EVN, Name of School, and Study Permit for the application
  • If at any time you Exit your application and you are not finished, it will appear in your In Progress area on your MyCIC Homepage
  • If you have been inactive on the application for more than 20 minutes it will timeout and you will need to start again
  • If you are choosing to mail in your supporting documents, at the point in the application where you must select mail or courier, choose courier if you would like to be able to track your application.  Then when you bring your documents and cover letter into your Student Advisor, we can send it by courier for you (there is still a $10 fee for this service).  *See the section below called Regarding the Supporting Documents
  • After saving your file, your Off Campus Work Permit application will appear in the Transmitted area of your MyCIC Home Page

    Regarding payment:
  • There are 2 choices for payment
  • You may choose to pay using a credit card online and this choice will prompt you to enter your credit card information during the application process
  • You may also choose to pay using the Payment Receipt from your Student Advisor.  You will take this to the bank and pay and scan the receipt to be attached to your application.  Please be sure that you have filled out the back of the receipt and scanned the front and back.  

    Regarding the supporting documents:
    When you have finished filling in the application, you will be prompted to choose between scanning your supporting documents or mailing them in.  If you choose to attach them, please pay close attention to the file type and size restrictions.  Attaching them will be faster and is recommended.  If you choose to copy your supporting documents and mail them in, a cover letter with the appropriate address of where to send them will be generated for you to print at the end of the online application.  Please bring this and the documents to your Student Advisor and we can help you send them in. 

There is currently no processing time listed for the Online Off Campus Work Permit Applications.  Although the ultimate goal is to process them even faster than the paper applications, there may be some inconsistencies in the beginning. 

How to Pay

The cost to apply for the off-campus work permit is $150 CDN. Students can either:

  • There are 2 choices for payment
  • You may choose to pay using a credit card online and this choice will prompt you to enter your credit card information during the application process
  • You may also choose to pay using the Payment Receipt (IMM5401) from your Student Advisor.  You will take this to the bank and pay and scan the receipt to be attached to your application.  Please be sure that you have filled out the back of the receipt and scanned the front and back.

Student Responsibilities

  • students must maintain a full time course load
  • students must maintain a grade point average (PGA) of 60%
  • students may work a maximum of 20 hours per week druing regular academic sessions
  • students may wok full time hours during scheduled breaks (summer break, mid term break, Christmas break)

    (Note: Final semester: If you meet all eligibility requirements, with the exception of full-time status, but are in your last semester, you will still be considered to be eligible for the OCWP. Extra time may be necessary to verify with your academic department that you are eligible to graduate at the end of the current semester. Even though you are not in fact in full-time studies, you will still be restricted to working for a maximum of 20 hours per week during this period.)

    Ineligible international students include exchange students, visiting students, students enrolled in English or French second language programs, and students who have received awards from the Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program, the Government of Canada Awards Program or the Canadian International Development Agency.

If at any time you become ineligible for the off-campus work permit, students must:

  • surrender the work permit at the local CIC office
  • inform your employer you are no longer eligible to work

Frequently Asked Questions

Q - If I receive a work permit, how long is it valid for?
A - Your work permit will allow you to work off campus until you complete your studies, as long as you remain in satisfactory academic standing and comply with the conditions of your work permit and your study permit.

Q - Once I apply for the work permit, how long will it take to process my application?
A - Generally, it will take from one month to six weeks. For current processing times, please consult the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.

Q - If I meet the eligibility criteria, can I apply for a job off campus right away, or do I have to wait until I receive my work permit?
A - You can apply for a job right away, but you cannot legally work off campus in Canada until you receive a work permit. If you begin to work off campus before you receive a work permit, you could lose your eligibility to participate in the Off-Campus Work Permit Program.

Q - Are there any restrictions on where I can work or the type of job that I can apply for?
A - You will be able to work anywhere in Canada as long as you remain a full-time student in satisfactory academic standing while classes are in session, and you comply with the conditions of your work permit. In some cases, there may be restrictions on the type of job you can hold. For example, you may be required to undergo a medical examination for some occupations.

Q - Are there any restrictions on how many hours I can work once I receive my work permit?
A - Once you receive your work permit, you can work up to 20 hours per week off campus while classes are in session. You can work full time during scheduled breaks, including summer or winter holidays and reading weeks.
While classes are in session, you must be studying full time and retain satisfactory academic standing in order to keep your work permit.