Studying in Canada will form a great prospective for your future. When you are admitted to a university in Canada, your coursework may come with some mandatory or optional co-op or internship programs. As a student the university wants you to have full exposure to the practical world and co-ops and internships helps you achieve that experience. Sometimes these experiences help you to score some extra credit in your final result; and hence, the importance of a co-op or an internship program in Canada for a student ranks high. When you are an international student studying in Canada, you are going to need a work permit. It is necessary before applying that you gain full knowledge on Canadian government’s policies for foreign students.
Internship Program in Canada helps improve Eligibility criteria for attaining a work permit
As of June 1, 2014, a foreign student can work off-campus without any work permit. However, it must be noted that your work (co-op, internship) permit goes hand in hand with the validity of your study permit. To qualify for the work permit you must be eligible to the following clauses:
- You should possess a valid study permit.
- The employment that you are seeking, whether it’s a co-op or an internship program in Canada, must be an integral part of your coursework in the university in which you are studying in Canada.
- The employment of your choice must be a part of your academic, vocational or professional training program offered and approved by a designated learning institution and certified by a letter from a responsible academic official of the institution.
- The co-op or internship program that you opt for cannot form more than 50% of the total program of study.
- You will not be eligible for any co-op or internship if you are studying French or English as a second language (FSL/ESL).
- And you will not be eligible if you are participating in general interest or preparatory courses.
How to apply for co-op or internship program in Canada
You can either apply online or through offline paperwork. If you want to apply online you should have access to a scanner and a camera, so that you can upload your documents electronically via a computer. You should possess a valid credit card.
If you are thinking of applying through paper, then follow the steps below:
Acquire the application package for Internship Program
You can easily download the application package from online. This package will include an application guide and all the forms that you will have to fill out in order to proceed to the next step.
Complete the application and attach necessary documents for Internship Program
Once you read the guide of the internship program in Canada thoroughly, fill out the application forms and provide the necessary documents as per the guidance. Every candidate must bear in mind while filling out the application forms, that the information they provide must be true and complete. Incomplete applications will not be processed.
Submit your application to Join Internship Program
The downloaded application form contains a mailing address; send your filled-up application form to that address. It is advisable to use a speed post or a trustworthy courier service to mail the forms.