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The 20-hour off-campus work cap after October 2022: does it apply to your extended study permit? (historical, temporary policy)

Canada • Study Permit • work 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Documents Needed

  • Original study permit issue date

    Determines whether the temporary lifted-hours exemption applies to your case.

Step-by-Step

This reflects a temporary policy window and is now historical — always verify current off-campus work hour rules on IRCC's website before relying on it. A member whose wife extended her study permit by starting a new course asked whether she was still restricted to 20 hours of off-campus work per week under the rules introduced in October 2022.

What the thread clarified, specific to that policy window:
  1. If your original study permit was issued before 7 October 2022, you were not subject to the 20-hour cap — you could work more than 20 hours off-campus during that temporary policy period.

  2. If your extended study permit was applied for and issued after 7 October 2022, the 20-hour restriction applied to you, even though your original permit predated the exemption.

  3. The key date to check is when your specific permit (including any extension) was issued, not just when you first started studying.


The practical takeaway (historical): during this specific policy window, whether you were capped at 20 hours of off-campus work depended on your permit's issue date relative to 7 October 2022 — but since these hour-limit rules have changed multiple times since, always check the current IRCC policy rather than relying on this specific date threshold.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Tip: This reflects a temporary October 2022 policy window — verify current off-campus work hour rules on IRCC's website.
  • Do: Check your specific permit's (or extension's) issue date against the current policy's effective dates, not just your original study start date.

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