Procedure

Off-campus work

Foreign students attending a participating institution who meet the requirements can apply for a work permit authorizing them to work off campus during their studies.

Procedure in 4 steps

1. First consult the list of requirements to find out if you are eligible for an Off-Campus Work Permit under this program.

   Check if your institution participates in the program by consulting the list of participating institutions in Québec.

   If you are eligible and your institution participates in the program, find out from your institution’s student services who is acting as your designated institutional representative for this program.

2. Next, you must prepare your application for a work permit.
   
   

   - Unless otherwise indicated by the designated representative, download the work permit application kit from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) site. The Student Guide (IMM5580) included in the kit will let you know, among other things, if you are required to undergo a medical examination.

   - Complete the Application to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada as a Visitor (IMM 1249).

   - Read the obligations related to applying for an Off-Campus Work Permit stipulated in the Student Acknowledgement and Consent form (IMM 5582). Sign in the three places indicated and keep a copy of the signed form for your files.

   - Submit the original copy of the Student Acknowledgement and Consent form, duly signed, to the designated representative of your institution. Complete Section A of the Verification Form (IMM 5581) and ask the representative to complete Section B. Submit a copy to the representative of your institution and keep the original for your files.

   - Pay the application processing fee using one of the following methods:
   Online fee payment
   You can pay the processing fee for your file (C$150) through the CIC Web site, if you have a credit card and access to a printer. You must keep the official receipt that you will print at the end of the transaction and append it to your work permit application.

   Fee payment at a financial institution
   You can also pay your fee in a Canadian financial institution using the original Receipt form (IMM5401). You can obtain this form from the designated representative of your educational institution or by mail by requesting it from the CIC. In this case, plan for a two-week delivery time.

   Indicate the amount paid on the reverse side of the Receipt form (IMM 5401), in the lower portion only (do not complete the top two portions of the form reserved for the financial institution). Complete the Payer Information Section on the reverse side of the form. Keep Copy 1 and append Copy 2 duly completed to your work permit application.

3. Make sure that you have all the necessary documents using the Document Checklist for a Work Permit (IMM 5583). Incomplete applications will be returned with no reimbursement of fees.
   
   Send your application, and all required documents, in a legal size envelope (23 cm x 30.5 cm) with sufficient postage to the Case Processing Centre:
   Citizenship and Immigration Canada – Work Permit
   Case Processing Centre, Unit 777
   Vegreville, Alberta T9C 1X6

4. Upon receipt of your Off-Campus Work Permit, apply for a social insurance number (SIN) card from Human Resources and Social Development Canada by completing the Application for Social Insurance Number. (If you already have a valid SIN card, you do not need to obtain a new one.) Applying for a SIN is free of charge.

   The SIN is mandatory for working in Canada. Your SIN card must be presented to the employer within a maximum of three days following receipt of the card.

   While awaiting receipt of your SIN card, you may commence working.

   If you change educational institutions while participating in this program, do not forget to ask the designated representative of your former institution to transmit to the designated representative of your new institution the notice of transfer of verification (Section C of the form IMM 5581).