Living and studying in Canada can be quite expensive, especially if you’re an international student. Tuition costs are more expensive if you are not from Canada. In fact, the average tuition for international students in Canada is $27,714 per year.
On top of tuition, it can be expensive to live in a large city like Toronto or Vancouver. Because of this, international students may want to look for a part-time job to help pay for school and living costs.
This article covers the best 15+ part-time jobs for international students in Canada, how to apply for them, and the rules and regulations of having a part-time job as an international student living in Canada.
Top Part-Time Jobs for International Students in Canada
Below are 15 of the best part-time jobs for international students in Canada.
On-Campus Work
By working on campus, you can expand your networks, enhance your academic learning, and be more involved in the campus community. Here are a few of the most common types of on-campus work:
Teaching Assistant: If you’re an undergrad or grad student, you may be able to work as a teaching assistant in a subject you perform well at. If you have a good relationship with one professor, it may be worth asking about a TA position.
Average pay: $17.86/hour
Library Attendant: If you spend lots of time in the library and like to read, a library assistant position may be great for you. You’ll be helping the librarians organize library resources and make them available to students. You may also be able to get your schoolwork done in the downtime.
Average pay: $22.41/hour
Administrative Assistant: Many colleges hire student administrative assistants at the beginning of each semester. You’ll be taking phone calls, answering emails, filing papers, and more.
Average pay: $20.45/hour
Campus Ambassador: Student or campus ambassadors spread the word about certain products, services, or clubs around campus. They may also be in charge of conducting campus tours at the beginning of the year. If you’re outgoing, love talking to people, and have extensive knowledge about your school, this may be a great job for you.
Average pay: $18.89/hour
Server/Bartender
A server takes orders, answers questions about the food and menu, takes payments, communicates with the kitchen staff, and brings out customers’ meals. A bartender mixes, garnishes, and serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to customers in a bar or restaurant.
To be a server, you must like talking to people, have extensive knowledge about the restaurant’s menu, and be able to sell menu items. Depending on your province, you may also need certification in responsible beverage service.
The average pay for a server in Canada is $14.85 per hour plus tips.
Bartenders usually need to complete a few courses in mixing drinks and have training on how to make drinks according to company specifications. Depending on your province, you may also need a certification in responsible beverage service.
The average pay for a bartender in Canada is $17.19 per hour, plus tips.
Sales Associate/Cashier
A sales associate greets customers, answers questions, engages customers with merchandise, and overall, provides great customer service. Cashiers ring customers up and collect payment for their purchases. They issue returns, receipts, and keep track of all cash and credit transactions.
Many sales associate and cashier jobs require previous experience, but if you are friendly, have an upbeat attitude, and are helpful, you may get the job, as this is one of the most in-demand jobs in Canada for international students.
The average pay for sales associates and cashiers is $15.88 per hour.
Delivery Driver
If you have a car, bike, or scooter, you can become a delivery driver for companies like Amazon, Uber, SkipTheDishes, Doordash, and more. There is generally no shortage of jobs, and you can easily sign up on the company’s website. You can work as many or as few hours as you want to fit your schedule.
For most delivery driver jobs, if you are over the age of majority, have a vehicle, and a valid driver’s license, you will be eligible to sign up.
Uber drivers make an average of $17.73 per hour, but your pay depends on the company and how many hours you work.
Co-ops and Internships
Most programs offer a paid internship or co-op position. You’ll often need to find the position yourself, but your school can help you. Look on online job boards or contact the company you want to work with directly.
If you’re a hard worker and are a great fit, they may even offer you a full-time job after your internship.
The average pay for an intern in Canada is $18.19 per hour.
Dog Walker/Petsitter
If you love animals, dog walking or pet sitting is an easy part-time job for international students.
It only takes a few hours of your time, and the pay can be flexible, depending on what you’re doing for each client.
All you need to do is show that you’re friendly and capable of taking care of animals. You can find clients by asking around your neighborhood, putting flyers up, or signing up for an app like Rover.
The average pay for a dog walker in Canada is $18.60 per hour.
Non-Profit Charity Fundraiser
Many non-profit organizations are looking for someone to plan and execute their charity fundraising events.
Someone in this role may do various tasks, like participating in fundraising drives, writing grant proposals, and pursuing funding from various sources.
You should have strong project management, organizational, and time management skills, along with being a people person and easily taking initiative.
Non-profit charity fundraisers make an average of $20 per hour in Canada.
Translator
Many international students are bilingual or even trilingual. If you’re fluent in more than one language, you can use your skills to help others by becoming a translator.
You should know the language well enough to speak, read, and write it. You may also be required to write documentation and communicate between people.
You can find translator jobs online, through your school, or even by asking around or putting up flyers.
The average salary for a translator is quite high at $26.98 per hour. This is one of the highest-paying part-time jobs in Canada for international students.
Modelling
If you often get complimented on your looks or have people say you should try modelling, why not give it a shot? This might not be the job for everyone, and it can be difficult to get started, but companies and modelling agencies are always looking for new faces.
Models pose at photo and video shoots, showing off a brand’s product or clothing by wearing or posing with them. You’ll be changing your expressions and posture often to get various looks.
To become a model, you’ll need to gain experience and build a portfolio by doing practice shoots with friends and family. Look for and apply to model agencies once you have a few good sample photos.
Models make an average of $26.96 per hour. It is one of the best part-time jobs in Toronto for international students, as it is a big city with many opportunities.
In-Person Tutor
Tutoring is a common job for international students. Many colleges have peer tutoring programs and encourage international students to apply. If you are great at a particular subject and like teaching others, consider becoming a tutor.
You can apply for a job as a tutor through your school, online, or put up flyers advertising your services.
Tutors make an average of $20.51 per hour, but you can charge your own rates if you go solo.
Online Part-Time Jobs for International Students in Canada
Some of the best jobs for international students in Canada are online. They are easy to apply for, and you can work from almost anywhere on your own schedule.
Proofreading
If you are proficient in English and are good at catching grammar and spelling mistakes, you may want to consider getting a part-time job as a proofreader.
Proofreaders review text before publication to ensure it is free of any grammar, spelling, and structural errors, makes sense, and is formatted correctly. You will typically review websites, books, articles, and more.
Proofreaders make an average of $23.38 per hour in Canada, but you may make less if you’re just starting out.
The Proofread Anywhere Course is one of the best if you want to turn this gig into a part-time or full-time job.
Web Developer/Designer
If you know how to code and enjoy making websites, you could be a part-time web developer or designer. This is a great role for international students as it can be very flexible, especially if you are a freelancer.
Web developers build and maintain websites, ensuring they perform well. You could specialize in front-end development (the visual part of the website) or back-end development (creating the website’s structure and code).
As a web developer, you should know how to code in languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python. You can learn these skills online, practice them, and start creating websites.
You can make an average of $25-$30 per hour as a web developer.
Freelancer
Freelancing opportunities are practically endless. As a freelancer, you work for yourself instead of working for a company or employer.
On websites like Upwork and Freelancer, you can find many different online jobs in categories like admin support, customer service, design & creative, IT & networking, sales & marketing, translation, and writing.
Writing, editing, web development, translation, tutoring, virtual assisting, and more are great part-time jobs for freelancers online.
Depending on what you do as a freelancer, your salary will vary. The average salary for all freelancers across the board is $30 per hour.
Online Tutoring
If you are good at a particular subject and like teaching others, many online tutoring jobs are available for part-time work. You can either be a freelancer or sign up for an agency to teach subjects like English, math, and science.
Some online tutoring companies require a high school diploma and a college degree, while others require a teaching certificate. If you don’t have a degree or certificate, you may still be eligible to apply for certain companies.
Online tutors make an average of $22 per hour.
How To Find a Part-Time Job as an International Student
You can only start working in Canada, both on and off-campus, when you start your study program and if your study permit lists a condition saying that you are allowed to work.
On-Campus Work
If you do not have a work permit, you can still work on campus if you meet all of the following requirements:
- You are a full-time post-secondary student at a public or private school
- You have a valid study permit
- You have a Social Insurance Number
If you were a full-time student but are studying part-time in your final semester, you can still work an unlimited number of hours on campus.
On-campus work means that you can work at all buildings on your school campus. If there are multiple campuses, in most cases, you can only work at the one you’re studying at.
An on-campus employer can be the school, a member of faculty, a student organization, a private business or contractor, or yourself (if you run a business on campus).
You can work as many hours as you want on-campus, in addition to working off-campus, as long as you meet the requirements for working on-campus above.
Off-Campus Work
If you can work during your studies, it will say so on your study permit. Before you start working, both you and your employer must ensure you can work off-campus without a work permit. Check here to see if you need a work permit.
You can work off-campus without a work permit if you meet all of the following requirements:
- You are a full-time student at a designated learning institution
- You are enrolled in a post-secondary academic, professional, or vocational training program
- You’ve started your studies
- Your program is at least six months long, and you will get a degree, certificate, or diploma after graduation
- You have a Social Insurance Number
If you are a part-time student, you can work off-campus if you meet all of the following requirements:
- You meet ALL requirements above, except to be a full-time student.
- You’re studying part-time because you were a full-time student in your program, and you’re now in your last semester, which does not require a full course load.
You can work up to 20 hours per week during regular school semesters at one or more jobs.
During scheduled breaks like summer and winter holidays or reading weeks, you can work overtime or two part-time jobs to add up to a higher number of hours.
There are no set “full-time” work hours. If your program has no scheduled breaks, you can work up to 20 hours per week – no more than this.
You’re responsible for calculating the hours worked off-campus and proving your compliance with your study permit conditions.
If any of the following situations apply to you, you cannot work off-campus without a work permit:
- You only take general interest courses
- You only take courses required to get into a full-time program
- You’re only enrolled in an ESL or FSL program
- Your study permit says you cannot work off-campus while you’re studying
- Your situation changes, and you don’t meet the off-campus work requirements anymore
You need to apply for a work permit if you want to work in Canada, and any of the above apply to you.
After graduation from your study program, you can work full-time if you’re starting a new program or you had already applied for a work permit before your study permit expired.
How to Find a Job
To find on-campus work, you can talk to faculty and go to the school career center to apply for a work-study job that fits your interests. You can also look at flyers and job boards on campus.
To find off-campus work, you can apply for jobs on online job boards.
You can also reach out directly to employers you want to work for or ask school faculty to help you find a job. Another option is to set up a profile and apply for freelance jobs online.
What is the Minimum Wage by Province?
The hourly minimum wage by province is as follows:
| Province | Minimum Wage |
| Alberta | $15.00 |
| British Columbia | $15.65 |
| Manitoba | $13.50 |
| New Brunswick | $13.75 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | $13.70 |
| Northwest Territories | $15.20 |
| Nova Scotia | $13.60 |
| Nunavut | $16.00 |
| Ontario | $15.50 |
| Prince Edward Island | $14.50 |
| Quebec | $14.25 |
| Saskatchewan | $13.00 |
| Yukon | $16.77 |
Benefits of a Part-Time Job for International Students
A few benefits of part-time jobs for immigrants in Canada include:
- International students in Canada can support their education and daily life, as it can be quite expensive to study in Canada.
- Part-time jobs are easy to fit into your academic schedule, as most require little commitment and can be flexible.
- Many positions allow you to expand your network and gain valuable experience, which you will use in your studies, future work, and beyond.
- During scheduled breaks, international students can work full-time hours, allowing them to make more money than usual.
Downsides of Part-Time Jobs for International Students
A few downsides of working part-time while being an international student include:
- Working part-time while studying full-time can be a lot to handle. Studying full-time takes up a lot of your time, so it can be difficult to juggle both.
- Depending on your schedule, you may be tired and worn out, especially by the end of the semester.
- International students in Canada can only work 20 hours per week while school is in session, so they may not make enough money to cover education and other costs.
Jobs for International Students FAQs
A few of the best and easiest jobs for international students in Canada include being a server, sales associate, dog walker, and tutor. If you have a busy schedule and prefer more flexible hours, you could get a job online as a tutor or any kind of freelancer.
Canadian-earned income is always taxable in Canada. As an international student, you are required to file a tax return if you want to claim a refund or if you owe taxes. Whether you are a Canadian resident or not, you should file a tax return if you are employed with a Canadian company.
There is no limit to how much an international student can earn in Canada. Your salary will vary depending on the job. You can earn anywhere from minimum wage to over $30 an hour.
If you’re eligible to work part-time as an international student, many jobs are available in retail, hospitality, freelance, and seasonal work. There are also often many on-campus positions that international students are encouraged to apply for.
If you are a full-time international student, you don’t need a work permit for most part-time jobs. If you meet all of the requirements in the How To Find a Part-Time Job as an International Student section above, you can part-time in Canada without a work permit. However, certain jobs do require a work permit.
Part-time workers are entitled to some benefits based on the percentage of time they work compared to full-time employees. Common benefits for part-time workers include health insurance, retirement plans, and unemployment benefits, but the benefits depend on the job.
International students cannot work more than 40 hours per week. If you work more than 20 hours, you are violating your study permit conditions and may lose your student status for doing this.
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