Our office and phonelines will be closed until 1:30pm on May 6th, 2026 due to a staff event.
ISS is now located in Brown Bldg., Suite 4100.
ISS is open Mondays to Fridays, 10am - 4pm both in-person and virtually.
As of April 1, 2026, students no longer require a co-op work permit in order to complete a student work placement required by their program.
- Immigration Canada (IRCC) has removed the requirement to hold a valid co-op work permit to participate in work that is a mandatory part of your program – now called a student work placement.
- Student work placements are mandatory work experiences that you must do in order to complete your program. They include: mandatory co-ops, internships, practicums, clinicals, stages, and mentorship programs in Canada.
- IRCC will therefore no longer be issuing co-op work permits to students whose program includes a student work placement. Instead, students whose program includes a mandatory work component can do so as per the on-campus work regulations using just their study permit.
Am I eligible to participate in a student work placement?
To be eligible to participate in a student work placement under this policy, you must meet all of the conditions below:
- Hold a valid study permit that includes a condition authorizing you to work on-campus;
- May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f), (v) or (w). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria.
- Be required to do a student work placement in order to complete your program;
- Have a letter from McGill confirming that a student work placement is a requirement of your program (if requested by Immigration Canada);
- Be enrolled full-time at McGill; and
- The student work placement makes up no more than 50% of your program length.
How many hours can I work?
- As long as you meet the on-campus work requirements, there are no limits on the weekly number of hours you can work at your student work placement under this policy – though the work placement cannot total more than 50% of your program.
- In addition, if you meet the off-campus work requirements, you may also work up to a maximum of 24 hours per week off-campus in a job that is not a mandatory part of your program.
New Students:
When your study permit is issued to you, make sure it includes a condition authorizing you to work on-campus. Normally, study permits include the condition below:
May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f), (v) or (w). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria.
If the condition does not appear, ask the border officer if they can add this condition to your permit. If you are unable to resolve the issue at your Port of Entry, contact us for guidance after your entry to Canada.
Current Students:
If your study permit was issued to you without a condition authorizing you to work on-campus, you will need to request to amend your study permit. You can ask IRCC to add both the on-campus and off-campus work conditions to your new study permit.
What if I already have a co-op work permit?
If you already have a valid co-op work permit, there is no action for you to take.
What if I my co-op work application is still processing?
New Students:
Given the timing of this announcement, you may have included a Co-op Work Permit letter from McGill within your study permit application as part of the co-op work permit application process.
- If you have already applied for a co-op work permit, there is no action for you to take. Immigration Canada may send you a letter which explains that you don’t need a co-op work permit to participate in a student work permit any longer, but even if they do not, you no longer need to have a co-op work permit.
- If your co-op work permit has already been approved and your Port of Entry Letter of Introduction (approval letter) issued, there is no action for you to take. The border officer will likely not issue you a co-op work permit when you enter Canada as it is no longer needed.
- If you already have a valid co-op work permit, there is no action for you to take.
Current Students:
If you have already applied for a co-op work permit but don’t need one with the new requirements:
- You can submit a Web Form requesting to withdraw your application; OR
- You can wait for IRCC to withdraw your application and send you a letter which explains that you don’t need a co-op work permit to participate in a student work placement any longer.
I haven’t applied for my first study permit. What should I include in my application?
Despite this new change in policy, the current check your eligibility questionnaire still asks students whether work is an essential component of their studies and the document checklist still includes a space to upload evidence of this work requirement (for students with a mandatory work placement).
If your program includes a student work placement (i.e., a mandatory co-op, internship, practicum, stage, etc.),
- In the check your eligibility questionnaire, answer Yes to the question that asks, “Is work an essential component of your studies?”
- Upload your co-op work permit letter from your department/faculty > in the Evidence of Work Requirement in Study section of your Document Checklist.
I am currently studying and about to extend my study permit. What should I include in my application?
Despite this new change in policy, the current check your eligibility questionnaire still asks students whether they want to apply for a co-op work permit and the document checklist still includes a space to upload evidence of this work requirement (for students with a mandatory work placement).
If your program includes a student work placement (i.e., a mandatory co-op, internship, practicum, stage, etc.),
- In the check your eligibility questionnaire, answer No to the question that asks, “Do you also want to apply for a Co-Op Work Permit?”
- If your student work placement is in a job in which public health must be protected, do an upfront medical exam and answer Yes to the question that asks “Have you had a medical exam performed by an IRCC authorized panel physician (doctor) within the last 12 months?”
- In your document checklist,
- (If applicable) In the “Proof of upfront medical exam” section, upload proof of your upfront medical
- In the “Client Information” section, upload as:
- one pdf of a cover letter briefly explaining that you must complete a student work placement in order to complete your program and that you are not applying for a co-op work permit due to IRCC’s removal of the co-op work permit requirement for students who require a work placement to complete their program and
- a letter from your department or faculty confirming that your program includes a mandatory student work placement that totals 50% or less of your study program.
Do I need to do an immigration medical exam?
If your student work placement is in a job in which public health must be protected,
- You must have included proof of a valid immigration medical exam with the study permit application associated with your current study permit and
- Your study permit must not include any conditions prohibiting you from working in a job in which public health must be protected.
Examples of programs that require students to do an immigration medical exam to participate in their student work placement include, but are not limited to:
- Bachelor of Education
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
New Students:
You can do your medical exam before or after you submit your study permit application:
- Medical exam BEFORE you apply for your study permit (upfront medical exam– recommended): To avoid study permit processing delays, do a medical exam before you submit your application (also called an upfront medical exam) and upload proof of the medical exam in your document checklist.
- Medical exam AFTER you apply for your study permit: If you are unable to do an upfront medical exam, IRCC will send you instructions on how to complete a medical exam after you apply. To receive these instructions, you must indicate in your study permit application that you require a medical exam and that you have not done one within the past year.
Current Students:
If your student work placement is in a job in which public health must be protected and you did not include proof of a medical exam with the study permit application associated with your current study permit:
- Do an upfront medical exam and
- Submit an application to change the conditions of your current study permit.
How do I get a Social Insurance Number (SIN)?
- Most work in Canada will require you to have a Social Insurance Number (SIN).
- See our website for instructions on how to apply for your SIN if you don’t already have one.