Co-Op Or Intern Work
If the study program includes work experience as an essential part of the academic program, international students have the option to work as co-op students or interns. Even if the student has a study permit, they have to apply for a co-op permit that is restricted to the workplace as instructed by the educational institute and the educational institute acts as an employer in this scenario.
There are some requirements which the international students have to fulfill in order to be eligible under this program. They must:
- Have a valid study permit.
- Require work experience which is essential part of their academic program.
- Have a letter from the Designated Learning Institution (DLI)school that confirms all students in the study program need to complete work placements to graduate.
- Have a program in which co-op or internship is 50 percent or less of the total program of study.
However, a co-op work permit is not valid if the international students are studying the following:
- English or French as a second language (ESL/FSL).
- General interest courses.
- Pre-requisite courses to prepare for another study program.
In the above cases, a proper work permit is required.
The applicants also have to note that the work experience that they accumulate under this program will not be eligible under any immigration application in Canada in the future.
