“Our living expenses are really high in Canada” cap on work hours leaves them open to exploitation and struggling to afford to live amid spiralling costs.

Canada: The work permit law that allows foreign students to work in Canada indefinitely will end soon. Last year, Canada temporarily lifted limits on the number of hours international students are allowed to work to address the country's labor shortage, but the law expires on Dec. 31, 2023.

IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) is in the process of evaluating the impact of the policy, including how many students have taken advantage of it, and will notify new developments as they become public, IRCC said.

In November last year, an order was issued to allow foreign students to work off-campus for more than 20 hours a week. According to the order, this law will be implemented from November 15, 2022 to December 31, 2023. It is implemented based on the merit of the students. Foreign students are generally permitted to work up to 20 hours per week by undertaking more than one job for the duration of their studies.

Students can only work in Canada when they start their studies and are not allowed to work before the start of their studies. The limit of working up to 20 hours was increased to 20 hours in November last year.

Canada's changing law, limiting work hours leaves them open to exploitation and struggling to make ends meet amid rising costs.

However, international students want to continue working longer hours. Now, our cost of living in Canada is very high and it is very difficult for them to manage,” said the students. Students say that some students have taken up higher positions such as supervisors and will have to resign if they cannot work full-time.

Critics of the government's decision to waive working hours have previously argued that students should focus on their courses and that unlimited work rights encourage "non-genuine" students to apply.

Essentially, removing the 20-hour work limit “probably increased the cost of living,” which students could not have foreseen. Students want international students to be treated like domestic students. All students should be given the choice of how to balance work with study.

There are also concerns that work hour limits leave students vulnerable to exploitation, as some are forced to choose between continuing to work longer hours, working illegally, for unscrupulous employers, or simply being unable to afford to stay in Canada.

An IRCC spokesperson said, “The temporary removal of the 20-hour limit for on-campus work helps address the labor shortage in Canada and provides students with the opportunity to gain full workplace experience while studying. "IRCC continues to engage with provinces, territories and stakeholders to ensure Canada is well positioned to attract and retain international students who make significant contributions to our communities economically, socially and culturally."

Australia also temporarily lifted the limit on the number of hours international students were allowed to work, but reinstated it in July 2023, leaving some students unable to manage the rising costs.