Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

Make work-hour pilot permanent: student advocates

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 11 Oct, 2022 01:54 PM
  • Make work-hour pilot permanent: student advocates

OTTAWA - A new pilot project to lift the cap on the number of hours international students can work should be made permanent, say advocates who have spent years asking for the change.

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced last Friday the federal government would temporarily remove the 20-hour cap on the number of hours international students can work off-campus to address labour shortages.

The cap will be lifted from Nov. 15 until the end of next year.

The International Sikh Students Association has long been calling for this change, and launched a petition early this year to move that cap from 20 to 30 hours to up the quality of life for students.

Jaspreet Singh, who founded the association, said the government's decision to temporarily lift the cap came as a surprise.

"We were expecting something permanent," he said in an interview. "Not for something in response to a labour shortage, instead of genuine effort to help to improve lives of international students."

The 20-hour cap has never made much sense given most employers in Canada offer eight hour shifts, said Singh, who graduated as an international student two years ago from Sheridan College in the Greater Toronto Area and has since become a permanent resident.

The cap has put stress on students facing ever increasing costs while living in Canada.

"The rent within last five years is almost double," he said. "So everything has gone up."

The government plans to treat the temporary policy as a pilot project, Fraser said at a press conference Friday.

"We’re going to be able to learn some lessons over the course of the next year, and we’re going to be able to determine whether this is the kind of thing we can look at doing over a longer period of time," the minister said.

This is not the first time the cap has been lifted.

In April 2020, the cap was temporarily lifted for international students who served essential roles during the COVID-19 pandemic, including those with jobs in energy, health, finance, food services, transportation and manufacturing.

The exemption for students serving as front-line workers was later ended, and Singh said students are worried the same could happen again if the latest labour shortages are resolved.

NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan is also pushing for a more permanent change.

"This change is absolutely necessary, and is necessary for the students' survival," Kwan said in an interview.

She welcomed the news about the pilot, but worried about the motivations behind it, she said.

When the government changes immigration measures, Kwan said, "it's never really to support the people who need the changes, but rather, it's always driven by the economy, or by industry."

Fraser called the temporary policy a "win-win" for employers and students looking to get more work experience in Canada.

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. group has close encounter with orcas

B.C. group has close encounter with orcas
Van Sittert, who had been seated on a rock above, said she was initially worried for MacNab's safety because of the whales' high-speed approach, but describes the encounter as "easily one of the most exciting moments" of her life.

B.C. group has close encounter with orcas

No relief for Indian students waiting to join Canadian universities, visa delays continue

No relief for Indian students waiting to join Canadian universities, visa delays continue
Currently, more than 230,000 students from India enrolled in post-secondary institutions in Canada, are making a positive contribution to the Canadian economy, including through an estimated $4 billion in tuition fees. India and Canada's strategic partnership is based on a shared commitment to democratic values, pluralism and the rule of law.

No relief for Indian students waiting to join Canadian universities, visa delays continue

Fraser Valley housing market signals further settling as sales continue to stall in response to interest rate rises

Fraser Valley housing market signals further settling as sales continue to stall in response to interest rate rises
The Board received 2,045 new listings in August, a decrease of 14.3 per cent compared to July, and only 2.9 per cent less than August 2021. The month ended with a total active inventory of 5,871, a decrease of 8.5 per cent from last month but up by 44 percent compared to August 2021.

Fraser Valley housing market signals further settling as sales continue to stall in response to interest rate rises

28 year old Shakiel Singh Basra arrested in ongoing gang conflict, facing firearms charges

28 year old Shakiel Singh Basra arrested in ongoing gang conflict, facing firearms charges
“Shakiel Basra has been the subject of several public warnings over many years due to his involvement in criminal activity,” says Constable Sarbjit Sangha, Surrey RCMP Media Relations Officer. “He is now facing new firearms charges in relation to his arrest on August 31.”

28 year old Shakiel Singh Basra arrested in ongoing gang conflict, facing firearms charges

Man in custody after fatal stabbing in Abbotsford

Man in custody after fatal stabbing in Abbotsford
A man was discovered with life-threatening stab wounds and rushed to hospital, where he died of his injuries. A 46-year-old man was arrested at the scene and remains in police custody.

Man in custody after fatal stabbing in Abbotsford

Vancouver home sales down 40% from last year

Vancouver home sales down 40% from last year
The board says sales for the month amounted to 1,870 and came amid a quieter summer season marked by reduced buying and listing activity. Last month’s sales were nearly 30 per cent below the 10-year August average.  

Vancouver home sales down 40% from last year