April 28, 2006

It seemed it took forever - but foreign students attending Canadian post-secondary institutions will be able to work off campus. In fact, "full-time students can start applying for the off-campus job permits that would allow them to work up to 20 hours during the school year and full-time during the summer months."

Citizenship and Immigration Minister Monte Solberg announced on Thursday April 27th, that it was time to "give more than 100,000 international students the same opportunity as Canadians". This is also good news for Canadian post-secondary institutions in that it provides an added incentive for students to consider Canada as a destination for study abroad.

Other levels of government celebrated the announcement. Chris Bentley, Ontario's Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, said "off-campus work permits have been a longj-time coming." And George Soule, national chairman of the Canadian Federation of Students, said the announcement provides international students a "more complete experience" when they study in Canada."

For more detail from the Globe and Mail (dated April 28, 2006) click on
www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060428.wxstudents28/BNStory/National/home" TARGET="_blank

Or go to the Citizenship and Immigration website: Media Release
www.cic.gc.ca/english/press/06/0601-e.html