International students worry as 24-hour cap on working looms

• UPDATE | This story has been corrected to note the new federal government rules haven't been implemented as of Sept. 3, 2024. CBC News has also added more clarity about what the rules state when it comes to international students working when class is not in session.

International students in Toronto will be adversely affected by an impending federal rule that will limit them to working 24 hours a week off-campus when school is in session, students and advocates say.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller said last spring the new rules would take effect in September, however a spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said in an email that the federal department is still working toward implementing the regulatory changes this fall. They could not provide a more specific timeline. 

Here are the current rules for international students:

• Students can work off-campus for 20 hours a week while class is in session.
• Students can work full-time during scheduled breaks, such as summer break. This will continue even when the new cap is brought in.

Miller previously said the 24-hour cap will ensure international students can focus on their studies, while having the option to work.

"Students who want to come here have to realize that they can only work 24 hours in order to offset some of their costs or bring the material resources themselves when they come here," Miller said on April 29.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Liberal government temporarily waived the 20-hour cap on work hours for international students to ease labour shortages, but that waiver expired April 30.

While it's unclear when the new rules will take effect, international students who are already struggling with the high cost of living are bracing for another challenge.

Neeva Phatarphekar, an international student in Toronto who was working 40 hours a week until recently, said the cap will make it tougher for international students to cover their expenses. She said she has already cut down on her expenses to cope with the new rule. She was studying for a public relations certificate at York University but will be studying brand management at Seneca College.

"That's going to be hard with the rent in Toronto and the groceries and eating out with friends and travelling. I have to think about all of that," she said. "It's going to be super hard and stressful."

WATCH | Public colleges and universities in Ontario have the most to lose from study permit cap: 

Ontario public colleges driving international student growth

9 months ago

Duration 2:54

Federal study permit documents obtained by CBC News reveal a handful of public colleges and universities in Ontario account for the greatest share of Canada's steep growth in international students — not private colleges. And now those same institutions have the most to lose from a new cap on study permits.

Phatarphekar said she has moved in with two of her friends to an apartment from a townhouse to save on rent and she is cutting down on groceries and eating out. The new rule also means she cannot look for full-time jobs, she said, adding that full-time work gave her financial stability. She said she won't be living as comfortably as before.

"I feel like if I have that financial support, then I'm able to study better because I'm not stressing about how I'm going to pay the rent or how am I going to survive, get food tomorrow," she said.

Deepa Mattoo, executive director and lawyer at the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, which helps international students who have experienced gender-based violence, said international students work because they need to work.

"Not every student can afford to go to school without that extra income. In any structure, you have to have an equity framework," she said.

Prof questions whether 24 hours is right number

But Moshe Lander, economics professor at Concordia University in Montreal, said studying at the post-secondary level takes time and 24 hours is a significant chunk of time taken out of the week that could be used for studying.

"As an instructor, I'm a little doubtful that 24 hours still means that you can focus on your courses, or at least focus well on your courses," he said.

Lander said he's not sure that 24 hours is the right number given the amount of time needed to study.

"What student is not going to choose money over studying? And so, it's just going to make the education at the post-secondary level a little weaker. It devalues the education a little bit, it devalues the degrees a little bit."

In an April 29 news release, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said: "In developing this change, we looked at the needs of students, policies in other countries, as well as research that has shown that academic outcomes suffer the more a student works while studying. It also strikes the appropriate balance so students have the option to work without compromising academic outcomes."

Miller, for his part, said on April 29: "We need to support international students and make sure they're set up for success and that they're here properly studying."