The PGWPP allows post-graduate students who have studied at a participating Canadian university/college to gain Canadian work experience. Work experience gained through the PGWPP will ultimately help students qualify for permanent residence in Canada through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Duration - A post-graduation work permit can’t be valid for longer than the student’s course of study. For example, if your post-graduate course was of two years’ duration, then the work permit granted to you will also be for two years.
The study program must be a minimum of eight months in length.
Applying for Post-Graduation Work Permit
Indian students are used to the concept of campus placements and on-campus recruitment for getting jobs. There is no concept of placements in Canada. Most Canadian universities have a cell called a Career Services Center, which helps you get jobs and helps you prepare for interviews. The on-campus recruitment is always driven by student interest. Companies that recruit through the University do not offer a job directly. What they offer is an internship or co-op. Companies like to see your work for a few months before they hire you full time.
In a Cooperative program, a period of study alternates with work. The Student Co-op program is a formally structured program where the intent is to recruit students, while still in school, to fill permanent positions upon graduation. Co-op programs are generally undertaken at colleges and universities. Indian students who wish to participate in a co-op or internship program must apply for a work permit as well as a study permit.
By working while studying in Canada, you get a great job experience especially if you have plans of applying for PR (permanent residence) ultimately.
On the Canadian Student Visa, you have the permission of working for 20 hours/week of a paid job. However this is the maximum number of hours, and you are free to work for a lesser number of hours. Usually, those students enrolled in difficult or intensive courses are recommended by the universities to work for a maximum of 12 hours a week. This is because working for more than this number can affect a student's performance in studies. So you can reduce the number of working hours if you feel you are unable to maintain a work-study-life balance.
Usually, for part-time jobs, students are paid by hours. The rate of pay is around $10 an hour, on average. If your aim is only to gain work experience, like helping your professor with research work, then you don’t need a work permit. This kind of work has to be on-campus and will be paid less; you can work beyond the stipulated number of hours. So with just the student visa, you can still engage in academic work on-campus.
If an international student wishes to work off-campus, he can apply for an off-campus work permit after completing six months of study. That permit will allow the student to work for a maximum of 20 hours/week off-campus.
All colleges and universities have bulletin boards where on-campus job openings are advertised. There will also be websites carrying information about similar job openings.
You can work in cafes, restaurants and coffee shops; retail stores like clothing or sports goods stores; lifeguard or swimming instructor at a college swimming pool or beach; bookstores, library etc. If you are multilingual, you can work as a translator. As Canada is a multicultural society, the services of a translator are widely required.
Salary for part-time jobs can vary according to the work they get. Like the average salary for a part-time job can CAD 22 per hour, however, students are paid by hours for part-time work which is around CAD 10/hour. Also, wages for part-time work can differ from city to city.