Part-Time Job Options in Canada for International Students

When you are studying abroad, you are obviously burdened with high tuition fees or even leisure activities that just might cost you too much. The best way to ease the burden or help you pay off your tuition is to work part-time, be it on-campus or off-campus.

In a country like Canada, where foreign students need to pay a fee ranging somewhere between $9,341 and $37,700, you might want to work part-time for the sake of covering not just tuition fees, but also daily expenses, or simply just for extra allowances. 

The Government of Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) is an initiative to help young students make an easy transition into the labour market. Under this are programs including Skills Work, Summer Work Experience and Career Focus that aim at helping international students in their part-time job hunt.

Student Work Options in Canada

As an international student, you can choose between working on- and off-campus. However, you would have to follow the below-mentioned conditions:

• Full-time (40 hours/week) during holidays

• Part-time (up to 20 hours/week) during semesters

• An internship or volunteering

Part-Time Job Regulations For International Students In Canada

Find out what are the part-time job regulations prescribed by the Canadian government for international students in the country:

Working Part-time Off-campus:

You can work off-campus in Canada only if you are:

• A student at a designated learning institution (DLI) and in the last semester or you were a full-time student up until last semester

• Enrolled in a secondary-level vocational training program or a post-secondary academic, vocational or professional training program

• Enrolled in a program that is at least 6 months long or leads to a diploma, certificate or a degree

• Holder of a Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Working Part-time On-campus:

You can work off-campus in Canada only if you are:

• A student at a public post-secondary college or university, private college-level school in Quebec, or a Canadian private school that legally grants degrees.

• Holder of a valid study permit, and

• Holder of a Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Top 10 Part-time Job Options for International Students in Canada and their Salaries

Here is the list of the top 10 part-time job options for international students in Canada along with their approximate respective salaries:

Also Read: When is the Right Time to Start Planning Higher Education Abroad?

To give you a better understanding of the most-rewarding job options for international students in Canada, find the same in detail:

Bookkeeper: A bookkeeper is usually responsible for conducting daily banking activities, recording transactions such as purchases, sales revenue, invoices, payments and expenses, producing various financial reports, processing payments and reconciling reports to third-party records. A good bookkeeper should have a strong sense of time management and organisational skills and mathematical knowledge.

Sales Assistant: A sales assistant is reliable support for any sales team in any organisation. His/her primary role is to increase the sales volume and maintain in regular contact with significant customers. A sales assistant would be responsible for working with the sales team to monitor active purchases and making sure that the orders are delivered on time. Besides good communication skills, a sales assistant should also be computer literate and have good product knowledge.

Customer Service Assistant: The activities of a customer service assistant include answering customer enquiries, giving information and helping to solve customer problems, selling products and taking orders, arranging services for customers, processing complaints and so on. While anybody can pursue this role, make sure you have extremely good communication skills in order to be a right fit for the job.

Office Assistant: All in all, the duties of an office assistant are to oversee clerical tasks, maintaining the files, welcoming visitors to the office, taking and delivering messages, keeping an inventory of office supplies, answering phones, scheduling meetings and more. 

Cook: Well, the role of a cook is one of the most popular part-time job options for international students in Canada. Duties of a cook include preparing  food, adhering to the menu, and following food health and safety procedures. If you think you have a way with food, then becoming a cook in a foreign country can be quite rewarding. 

Programme Facilitator: With the primary responsibility to execute programme projects, initiatives, curricula, etc., a programme facilitator directly reports to the programme director or the programme manager. The programme may incorporate workshops and/or training, community service endeavours, outings/ field trip exposures/ tours, projects and presentations and more. 

Uber Driver: This job role comes with dependency on certain factors such as the province of study, your vehicle and your travelling history. Meet the minimum age requirements and you are all set to drive an Uber in Canada as an international student. 

Nanny: One of the easiest jobs to find in Canada as an international student is the job of a nanny. If you like children, then this job is certainly for you. The major responsibilities of a nanny include taking care of the children, planning their daily schedule, taking them to and from school and other activities, cleaning, laundry, among other things.

Server/ Bartender: While bartenders have to do everything with mixing and serving alcoholic beverages, servers or waiters have to serve both food and beverages. Bartender jobs are mostly on offer in the Canadian cities of Ontario, Vancouver and Toronto. 

Dog Walker: Also known as a pet sitter, dog walkers are indeed in demand in Canada. They walk dogs of their clients, provide them with food and water and are also responsible for taking the pet to a veterinarian whenever required. 

Also Read: 5 Best Countries for Indian Students to Study MBA Abroad

How to Find a Part-time Job in Canada?

Now the question is how do you find these part-time jobs in Canada? Here is how you can find both/ either of on-campus and off-campus part-time jobs:

• On-campus: On-campus part-time job advertisements can usually be easily found on campus, on notice boards or the official website of the university.

• Off-campus: You can first get a Social Insurance Number, which will make you eligible for off-campus jobs and give you access to various national programmes. Also, you can build your own professional network by joining a student association or committee, doing volunteer work and participating in business meetings, or more.

Top Cities in Canada to Study and Work for International Students

Given below are the top six cities in Canada that welcome international students and offer them a pool of innovative part-time job opportunities:

• Toronto

• Vancouver

• Montreal

• Burnaby

• Quebec

• Ottawa

Top Universities In Canada For You

Here is the list of the top-ranked Canadian universities, curated on the basis of THE World University Rankings 2021:

While this article talks about only the top 10 part-time job options in Canada for an international student, the country has a lot more to offer, about which you can learn by reaching out to us at 785 9990 990 or writing to us at abroad@collegedekho.com.

Stay tuned!