International students in Canada looking to make some extra spending money may want to consider a side hustle, such as food delivery or website design.
If your study permit conditions allow for it and you meet eligibility criteria, you can engage in a side hustle without needing to get a work permit.
When pursuing a side hustle, it is important to abide by the immigration department’s rules around on and off-campus work, and remote work.
Discover your options to study in Canada
This article will explore side hustle opportunities for international students on and off campus, and remotely for Canadian and foreign employers.
If you are doing any kind of work in Canada—including side hustles and part-time gigs—you must have a Social Insurance Number (SIN), the nine-digit number used for employment and tax reporting.
For detailed information on who is eligible to engage in on-campus, off-campus, or remote employment without a work permit and various stipulations to keep in mind, visit our article on the topic.
On-campus side hustles
As long as you meet all eligibility criteria, you can work unlimited hours on-campus to earn money without applying for a work permit.
On campus side hustles can be through
- The school or one of its faculty members;
- A student organization;
- A private business located on campus;
- A private contractor that provides services on campus; and/or
- Your own business (like a coffee shop), as long as it is physically based on campus.
Some examples of on-campus side hustles include:
Library or front-desk assistant: This usually involves checking books and equipment in and out, shelving items, answering basic questions about where to find things, and helping students use printers or scanners. You may also handle simple admin tasks such as answering phones, monitoring study spaces, and keeping the desk area organized.
Research assistant: As an RA, you might help a professor or lab with tasks like collecting or cleaning data, doing literature searches, summarizing articles, running surveys or experiments, and preparing slides or figures. Depending on the project, you could also assist with basic lab work or interview transcription.
Note-taker or accessibility support assistant: In this role, you attend classes and create clear, organized notes for students who receive accessibility accommodations. Tasks include capturing key lecture points, highlighting important examples, and uploading or submitting your notes on time.
Student union or club assistant: Common duties may include helping a student union or campus club with admin tasks like answering emails, managing membership lists, updating social media, and promoting events. You could also help with setting up and taking down event spaces, selling tickets, and collecting feedback from attendees.
Schedule a Free Work Permit Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm
Off-campus side hustles
During regular academic terms, you can combine your side hustles for up to 24 hours of work per week without a work permit, assuming you meet all eligibility criteria.
During scheduled breaks (like summer break or winter holiday break), you’re allowed to engage full-time in your side hustle(s) with no weekly hour limit.
You must track how many hours you work off campus during regular terms to ensure you remain compliant with your study permit conditions, including any time spent earning wages or collecting a commission (including tasks like being on a call).
Some examples of off-campus side hustles include:
Delivery driver or cyclist: This can involve picking up orders from restaurants, cafés, or grocery stores and delivering them to customers’ homes. You’ll typically use a smartphone app or the business’ system to receive orders, follow navigation directions, and confirm deliveries.
Pet care and dog walking: As a pet sitter or dog walker, you’ll typically be responsible for taking dogs out for regular walks, feeding pets according to their routine, refilling their water, and cleaning up after them. You may be asked to give simple medications, send photo or video updates, stick to specific walking routes, or keep an eye on the house while they’re away.
Mystery shopper or store auditor: You’re paid to visit specific stores or restaurants and rate your experience. This can include checking cleanliness, staff friendliness, product availability, and how quickly you’re served. Afterwards, you fill out a detailed online report or short survey and sometimes take discreet photos of displays or shelves.
Local tutoring (in person): As an in-person tutor, you’ll typically meet students at their home, a library, or another agreed-upon location. Sessions usually involve reviewing class material, explaining concepts step by step, going through practice questions, and preparing the student for quizzes and exams.
Schedule a Free Work Permit Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm
Remote side hustles
As an international student, you may be eligible to engage in a remote side hustle, but whether these hours will count toward the 24-hour off-campus limit is case-dependent.
If you are working for a Canadian employer/company, are servicing Canadian clients, and/or getting paid by a Canadian entity, you can only work up to 24 hours.
If your side hustle is performed from within Canada for a foreign employer (meaning they have no physical or financial ties to Canada), you can work unlimited hours.
Some examples of remote side hustles include:
Virtual assistant for a small business: This may involve duties such as organizing calendars and scheduling meetings, managing an email inbox, data entry, and correspondence with customers.
Customer support: You will generally be replying to customer inquiries about specific services, products, or processes by chat, email, or telephone. This involves first understanding the issue, identifying the best solution, and explaining it clearly.
Platform-based freelancing: On platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, you can sign up as an independent contractor and offer specific services—commonly writing, graphic design, web development, or marketing. Clients either post jobs that you apply to with tailored proposals, or they find you and contact you directly through the platform.
Copywriting: As a remote copywriter, you’d be responsible for developing clear, persuasive written content such as website copy, email campaigns, social media posts, advertisements, and blog articles. This would require you to conduct research, collaborate with clients or internal teams, and possibly review performance metrics.
You can mix remote side hustles done for a foreign employer and a Canadian employer, but the latter must amount to 24 hours or less.
Failing to meet the conditions of your study permit can result in loss of your student status, removal from Canada, and having future study or work permit applications refused.
Discover your options to study in Canada