During your studies

IRCC currently states that eligible students may work up to 24 hours per week off campus during regular academic terms. Exceeding the limit can violate study-permit conditions and affect future applications.

IRCC says you should apply to extend your study permit at least 30 days before it expires. If your passport expires soon, renew the passport first when possible, because IRCC will not issue a study permit beyond your passport validity.

UAlberta notes that part-time study or withdrawals during regular terms can affect Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility, except in limited situations such as a final term. Speak with your faculty and ISVS before changing registration.

Many international students should file an income tax and benefit return, even with little or no employment income, because filing can establish tax records and may allow the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to determine eligibility for credits or benefits such as the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, which replaced the GST/HST credit in July 2026. Tax residency and eligibility depend on your situation, so use CRA guidance or a qualified tax clinic rather than guessing from social media.

Usually yes, unless the work is a required part of your degree. During regular terms you can work up to 24 hours a week off campus, and all your off-campus work counts together toward that number. The U of A says an internship you take by choice, rather than for your degree, counts as off-campus work. FIRST Jobs hires students as contractors, and IRCC says self-employed students have to track their own hours and be able to prove they stayed within the limit. Mitacs pays interns through the university, but neither Mitacs nor the U of A says how that counts, so ask ISVS before you accept one.

Yes, if you have a professor to supervise you and an organization to work with. Mitacs Accelerate funds research projects between a U of A professor and a partner in Canada, such as a company, non-profit, hospital, city or Indigenous government. International students with a study permit can apply, and so can undergraduates, graduate students and recent graduates, although the university looks at recent graduates case by case. Each internship unit lasts four to six months and is worth $15,000. The partner pays half and Mitacs pays the other half. You receive at least $10,000 as a stipend or salary, and up to $5,000 can go to research costs. There is no deadline, so you can apply at any point in the year.