Working Over Winter Break on a Study Permit

The week your last exam ends, a manager asks the question: "Can you work all of December?" If you are an international student, the answer is often yes, because many students on a study permit may work more than the usual weekly limit during a scheduled break. But "often" is not "always", so this checklist helps you confirm it for yourself before you say yes.

1. Confirm your winter break counts as a scheduled break

The extra hours are tied to a regular scheduled break in your school's academic calendar, not to a week you simply have no classes. A gap between your own exams and the end of the term is usually not the same thing as the official break.

• Find the dates in your school's published academic calendar and write them down.
• Check that you are still a full-time student in the program that is named on your permit.
• If anything is unclear, ask your school's international student office. They answer this question all the time.

2. Know the day the break ends

This is where people get caught. Classes may start on a Monday in January while your last "break" shift is on the Sunday evening. The limit comes back as soon as the term does, so the first week of classes is a normal, limited week again.

Put the first day of classes in your calendar now, and tell your manager that your availability changes on that date. Managers plan around dates they know about.

3. Plan your hours before you say yes

Being allowed to work full time does not mean you should work every hour offered. Exams, travel and rest are real. Decide on a number first, then agree to it.

1. List the days you cannot work (travel, family, an exam retake).
2. Choose a weekly target you can keep up for the whole break.
3. Say it to your manager as a plain offer: "I can do up to 35 hours a week from December 15 to January 3."

If you work at more than one place, add the hours together. The limits apply to you, not to each employer. Our guide to keeping track of your study-permit hours shows the habit that makes this easy.

4. Understand what a big week looks like on your pay

Here is an example, with made-up numbers, of a heavy break week. Suppose a student works 48 hours at $18 an hour. Rates differ by job, and this is only for illustration.

• First 44 hours: 44 × $18 = $792
• Overtime: in Ontario, the usual rule is time and a half after 44 hours in a week. That is 4 × $27 = $108
• Gross pay for the week: $792 + $108 = $900
• Vacation pay at 4% of that: $36 (many Ontario workers get 4%, though it depends on how long you have worked for the employer)

Gross is before deductions. CPP, EI and income tax come off after that, as our post on what comes off your paycheque in Ontario explains. Some jobs average hours over several weeks or have special agreements, so check the details with the Employment Standards Act guide on ontario.ca.

5. Check holiday shifts

Christmas Day and Boxing Day are public holidays in Ontario, and the pay rules for working on one depend on your job. Ask before the shift how it will be paid, and keep a note of your hours so you can compare them with your pay stub.

6. Keep a record you can show

Log each shift the day you work it, with your real start and finish times. If anyone ever asks about your hours, a clean record is the best thing you can have. It also helps you spot a pay cheque that comes up short: our first pay stub checklist walks through it line by line.

How CampusWage helps

CampusWage, a free shift and wage tracker for students, lets you mark which jobs are off campus, adds up your off-campus hours for the week against the study-permit limit, and warns you when you are close to it. It also shows what each shift pays after unpaid breaks and overtime, so a heavy December does not turn into a surprise in January. You still need to check your own permit and the dates of your break.

Questions people ask

Can I work full time in the days between my last exam and the official break?

Not necessarily. The extra hours are linked to the scheduled break in your school's calendar. If you are unsure, ask your international student office before you work those days.

What if my break is only two weeks?

The same idea applies to the length of the break that your school has scheduled. Plan your hours for those dates, and go back to the regular weekly limit when classes start.

Do I need a new permit to work more over the break?

Often the permission is already part of the conditions on your study permit, but conditions differ. Read yours, and check with IRCC if it is not clear.

Do on-campus jobs count toward the limit?

Work on campus is generally treated separately from the off-campus limit. Check your permit's conditions and the IRCC page to be sure for your situation.

This is general information, not tax, legal or immigration advice. Rules and amounts change, and your own study permit conditions apply. Check IRCC, the Canada Revenue Agency and ontario.ca for the current rules.