To apply for a co-op or intern work permit, you must meet the following conditions:
You have a valid study permit.
Your program requires you to work as part of your curriculum to complete your studies in Canada.
You have a letter from your school confirming that work placements are required for all students in your program to complete the degree.
Your co-op or internship placement totals 50% or less of your study program.
Who’s Not Eligible for Co-op Work Permit
:You cannot apply for a co-op work permit if you are enrolled in any of the following types of programs:
English or French as a second language (ESL/FSL) course.
General interest courses.
Courses designed to prepare for another study program.
If you’re not eligible for a co-op work permit but still want to work in Canada, you would need to apply for a regular work permit.
How to Apply:
It depends on whether you already applied for your study permit:
If you have already applied your study permit and you are in Canada, make an online application for your co-op work permit.
If you have already applied your study permit and you are not in Canada
You can start your co-op placement before your study and co-op work permit applications are approved, if your school and employer agree. You can either work remotely for a Canadian company from your home country or work for a company in your home country.
If you haven’t applied for a co-op work permit yet, you can’t apply separately from your study permit. If your study permit is pending, submit a new acceptance letter showing your program includes a mandatory work component. If your study permit is approved but you don’t have a co-op permit, you can complete the placement outside Canada, but not in Canada without a co-op permit.
If you haven’t applied for your study permit yet, you can apply for your co-op work permit at the same time. Your acceptance letter must confirm that a co-op or internship is part of your program. We will process both your study and co-op work permits together.
