Work As A Co–Op Student Or Intern

Work as a co–op student or intern

Some programs include work experience as part of their curriculum. You may apply for a co-op or intern work permit if:

• you have a valid study permit,
• working is a key part of your study program in Canada,
• you have a letter from your school that confirms all students in your program need to complete work placements to get their degree,
• your co-op or internship is 50 per cent or less of the total program of study.

You aren’t eligible for a co-op work permit if you are studying:

• English or French as a second language (ESL/FSL), or
• general interest courses or courses to prepare for another study program.

In these cases, you need to get a valid work permit to work in Canada.

Applying with your study permit

Your acceptance letter must confirm that a co-op or internship placement is part of your program’s curriculum. You then only need to apply for a study permit and we will process the work permit as part of your application.

Applying after you started studying

There are two ways you can apply if you are in Canada and want to apply for a co-op work permit:

Apply online

To apply online you must have:

• access to a scanner or digital camera to make electronic copies of your documents for uploading, and
• a valid credit card to pay with.