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Starting April 1, 2026, international students no longer need a separate co-op work permit for mandatory internships. Your study permit now
Canada’s new work permit rules. # Canada Removes Co-Op Work Permit Requirement for International Students, Expanding Work Opportunities for Graduates. ## Highlights: Canada to Simplify Employment Pathways With New Work Rules for International Students and Graduates. Canada officially updated its work permit rules for international students and graduates, simplifying study and employment from April 1, 2026. The new work permit policies remove the requirement for a separate co-op permit for pursuing internships during the study program. The new work permit rules are part of Canada’s broader plans to expand work authorization for foreign nationals in 2026. IRCC announced new work authorization rules for the current year to streamline study and work rights in Canada. Canada Announces New Work Permit Rules for International Graduates. ### Benefits of the Latest Work Access Rules in Canada for Foreign Graduates in 2026. The new work authorization rules from April 1, 2026, reduce duplicate applications for work and study permits to clarify work rights for international students in Canada.
# 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.
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.
As of April 1, 2026, you don't need a co-op work permit for student work placements, such as co-ops or internships, as a post-secondary international student.
As of April 1, 2026, post-secondary international students don't need a co-op work permit for student work placements such as co-op placements
**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.