International Students

On-campus Work

IMPORTANT
This website has no legal value; it’s simply a summary of the procedures in effect, compiled to the best of our knowledge on the date it was prepared. This information is subject to change without notice. The laws and regulations of Québec and Canada, as well as the information found on the MIFI and IRCC websites take precedence over this website.
Updated: 2022-02-17

International students enrolled at Polytechnique Montréal are permitted to work on the Université de Montréal campus (Polytechnique, HEC and Université de Montréal) , even if the job is not related to their studies. No work permit (WP) is required, under what is known as a “work permit exemption.” However, students must comply with certain conditions applicable to on-campus work.

 

What is considered on-Campus Work?

Your study permit (SP) authorizes you to work on the university campus, which includes Polytechnique Montréal, Université de Montréal, HEC Montréal and CEPSUM. Note that “on-campus” work is limited to work performed in Montréal. Therefore, taking a job at the Université de Montréal campus in Longueuil, Laval or any other city would be governed by the rules applicable to off-campus work.

The employer may be the academic institution, a faculty, a student association or a private company. Working on campus as a self-employed person also satisfies the conditions of on-campus work.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) specifies that:

“Students may work on campus as teaching or research assistants and may be located at a library, hospital, or research facility affiliated with the institution but located outside the physical boundaries of the institution's campus. This is allowed provided that the work is strictly related to the student's research grant.”

Source: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/tools/temp/students/work-on-campus.asp

Conditions

To be eligible to work on campus, you must:

  • Hold a valid study permit;
  • Be enrolled in full-time study during the regular academic year:
    • For course-based programs (BEng, DESS, MEng): Fall and winter sessions;
    • For researched-based programs (MASc, PhD): Full-time study in all sessions;
  • Work in a job that meets the criteria for on-campus work.

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations do not set a maximum number of hours that students can work on campus per week.

Because of the first point, exchange students who come to Polytechnique for a single session and who do not have a study permit are not eligible for on-campus work.

In order to work on campus, you will need a social insurance number (SIN) prior to starting work.

Where to apply for on-campus work?

We do not have a list of the jobs available on campus. We advise students to prepare a cover letter and resume, and to apply for jobs in person at the various departments on campus. Some prospective employers include the Cafeteria, library, COOP, IT Department, Student Services, etc. Graduate students can inquire within their faculties for opportunities to monitor exams or for teaching assistantships.

Note that an intermediate to advanced knowledge of French is necessary for most on-campus employment opportunities.