WORK ON CAMPUS
On January 24, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced additional groups of students who are now required to have a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) when applying for a study permit. Some highlights of the expanded PAL requirement are:
- These changes will apply to study permit applications that are submitted on or after January 22, 2025. They will apply to both in-Canada study permit extensions and outside Canada study permit applications.
- Master’s and PhD students are required to have a valid PAL.
- Students are exempt from submitting a PAL if they are extending their study permits within Canada at the same designated learning institution and same level of study as their current study permit.
For more information about who will be exempt from a PAL, review IRCC’s website here.
If you need a PAL for your study permit application, please review our FAQ page here on how to obtain a PAL from SFU. We will continue to update our webpages and online resources to reflect the expanded PAL requirements. Thank you for your patience.
You may work on campus without a work permit if you meet both of the following requirements:
- you hold a valid study permit that includes a condition stating you may work on campus
- you are enrolled as a full-time student
Exception: If you are studying part-time in your final term of study, you may be eligible to work on campus in that term provided that you meet the specific criteria outlined by IRCC. To review the criteria for working on campus if you are studying part-time in your final term, please visit the IRCC website here.
Please refer to our enrollment requirements for international students to see how SFU defines full-time enrollment.
“On campus” is defined by IRCC as employment facilities within the boundaries of the campus. SFU students are permitted to work at any of the three SFU campuses (Burnaby, Vancouver or Surrey). Your employer may be SFU (temporary assignments), a faculty member, the Student Society, yourself (e.g. private tutoring), or a private business or private contractor providing services to the institution on the campus.
You may also encounter the term “Work Study” - these positions are restricted to students who have demonstrated financial need (see the Financial Aid website for details). Not all on-campus jobs are Work Study.
Get help with the job search process
If you are seeking a job on campus, SFU Career and Volunteer Services offers a variety of resources and services to assist you, including job postings, resume help, advice on the job search and interview process, and more.