This policy change poses a considerable financial burden on Indian students, who now face the challenge of balancing their education with limited work opportunities, making it harder to afford their stay in Canada
Indian students in Canada, the largest group of international students in the country, are expected to face significant financial challenges due to a new federal rule limiting them to 24 hours of off-campus work per week. This new regulation, set to take effect this week, represents a major shift from the previous pandemic-era policy, where Canada had lifted the cap on work hours to address a labor shortage.
While the new cap allows for four additional hours per week compared to the pre-pandemic limit of 20 hours, many students who have been accustomed to working without restrictions find the new limitation challenging.
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Moreover, Indian students play a vital role in helping the Canadian government maintain the minimum wage, which was recently raised to CAD 17.36 per hour in May
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Despite this increase, the 24-hour work limit is expected to strain students’ budgets, especially in high-cost cities like Toronto, where living expenses are steep
Although there are no restrictions on work hours during school breaks, such as summer and winter vacations, the regular academic term will now see stricter controls on how much students can work.
In 2022, out of 550,000 international students in Canada, 226,000 were from India. Indian students, many of whom also reside in Canada on student visas, significantly contribute to the economy by taking on gig work. Off-campus jobs are crucial for these students as they help cover essential expenses such as groceries and accommodation. However, with most part-time shifts being eight hours long, the new rule restricts students to just three shifts per week, making it increasingly difficult for them to manage their finances.
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