With work hours about to be limited again, international students worry about paying the bills
20 hours aren't enough to cover basic expenses, says business student Ishak Ibtida
The end of 2023 will bring an end to a temporary policy that removed a cap on the number of work hours international students can work while they're enrolled in classes — and some students fear the loss of income will leave them unable to cover their expenses.
On Dec. 31, a temporary federal policy that removed the 20-hour limit on international students' work hours will come to an end. Starting in the new year, international students will again be limited to working only 20 hours per week.
The approaching date is stress-inducing, says Memorial University business student Ishak Ibtida.
"This whole semester I was anxious," Ibtida said.
"I am a student. My main concern should be studying, but right now my main concern is: will I be able to pay rent? Will I be able to pay my groceries when the limit is 20 hours?"
An Immigration Department statement from spokesperson Sofica Lukianenko says the department is evaluating the past year and the impact of the temporary policy on students.
In November 2022 the federal government announced the removal of the cap as a way to help address a Canada-wide labour shortage, allowing them to work more than 20 hours a week.
Ibtida began working full time. He dedicates part of his day to studying and part to working at software company Vish. The schedule fits well with his routine, he said, allowing him time to focus on school and manage his finances.
But if his hours are cut in half, he says, he's worried they won't be enough.
"If I work 20 hours, that's going to be exactly my rent," he said, adding there will be little left over for other expenses, like phone bills and groceries. "I'm working hard to pay my basic stuff."
This concern isn't new to Jawad Chowdhury, the executive director of campaigns for MUN's students' union.
International students working for minimum wage and limited to only 20 hours a week would struggle to afford just their rent, he said.
"So they would need much more support from their parents," Chowdhury said.
"But parents don't plan for inflation, parents don't plan for a pandemic, parents don't plan for a lot of things. So that money may not be ready for many international students, and they may not have the means to support themselves."
Loss of jobs
The switch back to part-time work could mean some international students losing their current full-time positions, says Chowdhury.
"Many international students that have gotten jobs that require them to stay permanent and full time to have a leg up in their career before they graduate, they may lose all those jobs," he said.
Ibtida says he isn't too worried about losing his job but he can understand the employer's perspective. He might no longer be able to work full time but his employer still needs him full time.
"They need me eight hours today," Ibtida said.
Another risk, Chowdhury says, is that students who are losing work hours will have to find a way to generate more income, which could put them at risk of engaging in unsafe and unregulated work.
"They will look for other methods to find work and still stay as full-time students," Chowdhury said.
"And so that will will give rise to under-the-table sort of arrangements, making a very, very bad work experience and exploitative work experience for international students."
Ibtida says that if the government won't subsidize students' expenses, such as tuition fees, it should consider removing the work limit and to let students work enough to cover basic life expenses like rent and groceries.
"It is not enough, in 20 hours. "
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