International students pursuing study programs in Canada that require a co-op internship program or work placement may apply for a co-op work permit.
Students > International students > Working in Canada > Applying for a work co-op permit (internship or project). # Doing an internship or a project for an organization. Before starting an internship or a project, make sure you meet the requirements set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that apply to your situation. You no longer need to apply for a work permit if you meet the requirements for a project or internship. ### Doing a project for an organization. The supervised project, the integration project (in French), the consulting field project and the intervention project (in French) are considered work placements, according to IRCC. * Your study permit **authorizes you to work on campus**;. * Your study permit is valid for the entire duration of the project;. ### Doing a for-credit internship. They are therefore considered off-campus work, and as a result, you must **comply with the conditions established for this purpose**.
# Guide 5580 - Applying for a Work Permit - Student Guide - paper application. ## You’re seeing the instructions to apply on paper. You can only apply on paper if you can’t apply online, including for reasons of a disability, or if you’re travelling with an identity or travel document that was issued to a refugee, a stateless person or a non-citizen. * has information you must know before you submit your application, **and**. The **forms** are designed with questions that will help the processing of your application. You may need to give your biometrics for this permit. If you need to give biometrics, pay the biometrics fee **when you apply**. If you want a visa or permit for **longer than 10 years from the last date you gave your biometrics**, you can choose to give your biometrics again when you apply. The guide also provides information on your status as an international student in Canada and the conditions and requirements of work permits.
# Work in a student work placement. ## Changes to co-op work permit requirements for post-secondary international students. As of April 1, 2026, as a post-secondary international student, you don’t need a co-op work permit for student work placements, such as co ops or internships. **Secondary students** still need a co-op work permit to participate in student work placements. To be eligible for a student work placement, the work placement must be required to complete your study program. You can participate in student work placements as a **post-secondary student** if you meet **all** of the following conditions:. If you’re an international student at a DLI at the secondary level, you need a co-op work permit to participate in student work placements. You can apply for a co-op work permit if you meet all of the following conditions:. If you’re not eligible to participate in a student work placement but you want to work in Canada, you need to apply for a work permit.
# Canada Internship Visa Requirements. To do an internship in Canada, you’ll need to obtain an internship visa, called the International Co-op work permit. Canada has a bilateral youth mobility agreement with approximately 35 countries, allowing you to do an internship in Canada as part of your studies back home. This specific internship work permit category is called International Co-op or internship visa, and belongs to the commonly known program International Experience Canada (IEC). There is one general requirement: you must be registered as a student outside of Canada for the duration of the internship. In order to apply for an international co-op work permit, you will need to be able to prove the following:. Check the table below to see if your country is participating in the International Experience Canada program. If your country does not have access to the International Co-Op work permit category, you could be eligible to apply under the Working Holiday category.
**On this page:** Am I eligible to participate in a student work placement? As of April 1, 2026, students no longer require a co-op work permit in order to complete a student work placement required by their program. * Immigration Canada (IRCC) has removed the requirement to hold a valid co-op work permit to participate in work that is a mandatory part of your program – now called a student work placement. * IRCC will therefore **no longer be issuing co-op work permits** to students whose program includes a student work placement. Immigration Canada may send you a letter which explains that you don’t need a co-op work permit to participate in a student work permit any longer, but even if they do not, you no longer need to have a co-op work permit. * You can wait for IRCC to withdraw your application and send you a letter which explains that you don’t need a co-op work permit to participate in a student work placement any longer.
This gives you the opportunity to continue to register for an internship in Canada in 2019 with the Working Holiday Visa.**. Visa applications must be sent to the Canadian embassy in a good time as there is only a limited number available. All programs have an age limit of 18 to 35 years, with the exception of a work permit. **Internship Co-op Visa:** A 12-month work permit for students and trainees who want to do a study or training-related internship in Canada and already have an internship in Canada. The Working Holiday Visa is the easiest way to travel to Canada for an internship. The advantage of this type of visa is that the employer can be chosen freely and that one can also work on the side. To get a Working Holiday Visa you have to. If it is worth the company to pay the fee for you, then as an applicant in the "International Co-op (Internship)" category you must have the following requirements:.
## Canada in Italy, Albania, Malta and San Marino's post. ### **Canada in Italy, Albania, Malta and San Marino**. Want to do an internship in Canada? You’re going to need a work permit, even if your internship is unpaid and for a short period. If you hold a French passport, apply in the #IEC International Co-op (Internship) category: bit.ly/4bs7VPM. Group of six young professionals collaborating over documents and coffee at an outdoor wooden table in a sunlit garden setting.