Complying with immigration regulations while studying

• Full-time registration at Waterloo generally means at least 1.5 academic units per term.
• If you want to stay in Canada to work after completing your degree, then it is important to remain registered full-time. Post-graduation work permit eligibility requires continuous full-time study with the exception of part-time registration in your final academic term.
• A study permit holder in Canada can legally study part-time, however it is important to be aware of the implications on your current and future work eligibility.

• If you hold a valid post-secondary study permit, you can work part-time while you are a full-time student completing a program in Canada as long as the conditions on your study permit do not prevent you from doing so. An additional work permit is not required for this type of work. Undergraduate students are considered enrolled full-time on degree-required co-op work terms.
• If you are registered in part-time studies, you cannot work at all in Canada. If you are a full-time student working part-time, but drop to a part-time course load, you have to stop working right away. An exception is if you are a part-time student in the final term of your degree, you can still work part-time.
• A co-op work permit is required for all work terms that have to be completed in order to obtain your degree.
• Amount of hours you can work:
  • IRCC specifies off campus work hours cannot exceed 20 hours/week.
  • There is no restriction on hours worked on campus.
  • You can work full-time at degree-required co-op jobs with a co-op work permit.

At Waterloo, the following are considered regularly scheduled breaks for all full-time students, and therefore full-time work is allowed during these periods. The specific dates of these periods are stated on the Registrar’s Office website.

• Fall Reading Week
• Winter Reading Week
• Breaks between terms (the day after the final examination period or co-op work term period ends to the day before classes or co-op work term officially starts)

When you're enrolled in a degree program at Waterloo, an off term is described as a term where you are not on a study term or co-op work term. IRCC does not always describe this as a regularly scheduled break. IRCC explains on their website that if a student creates their own break, it is considered a leave from studies rather than a break, and the student is not eligible to work on or off campus in Canada during that break. This is the case even if a program sequence change is approved by the University. Unauthorized work is taken seriously by IRCC.

The IRCC regulations state that study permit holders need to be actively pursuing studies while in Canada. An irregular term off could impact a study permit extension or post-graduation work permit application due to not complying with study permit conditions. 

If you take a leave from studies, you may not have coverage under the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP). It is important to check with Student Financial Services whether you will be covered. Also, a leave from studies should not exceed 150 days. If the leave is going to be longer than 150 days, you'll have to either apply for visitor status in Canada or leave Canada until you're ready to study again.

Are you in a regular program?

Spring term is your regularly scheduled break. To work during spring term, you will need to be registered full-time in the terms before and after (winter and fall). While full-time or part-time study is allowed while working in spring terms, it is recommended to either register full-time or completely take the term off as to not negatively impact your eligibility for the post-graduation work permit.

Are you in a co-op program?

Due to the structure of the study/work sequences, you do not have regularly scheduled breaks (off terms) unless you are in a program that has the first spring term off. In that case, the above explanation for regular program students would apply to your first spring term only.

• The IRCC website has a thorough explanation of the eligibility requirements you need to work in Canada after completing your degree.
• At Waterloo, official completion of degree requirements is whichever comes first in your individual situation:
  • Standings and official grades are available in Quest; or
  • You receive an official completion of studies letter from the Student Service Centre; or
  • You receive an official transcript stating degree awarded from the Student Service Centre.
• Information on the post-graduation work permit can be found on our work permit page.