Where you can
work in Canada

Co-op jobs

Co-op jobs

Co-op students have access to a variety of co-op positions posted on our co-op job board.

Want to join co-op? Find out how to apply to your co-op program and learn how co-op can help you.

Co-op exchanges

Co-op exchanges

UVic has co-op exchange agreements with 16 institutions in 10 countries. We place UVic co-op students in work terms in our partner institutions’ countries, while their co-op students come and work here in Canada. You'll find several options listed below.

1. Our co-op exchange partners

   UVic Co-op and Career has exchange agreements with the following countries. Contact our international coordinator if you'd like to learn how to arrange an exchange opportunity.

   • Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University, Germany
   • Brunel University, UK
   • City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
   • EDHEC Business School, France*
   • Johannes Kepler University, Austria*
   • Leipzig Graduate School of Management, Germany*
   • Nanyang Technological University, Singapore*
   • National Sun Yat-Sen University, Taiwan*
   • National Taiwan University, Taiwan*
   • Rouen Business School, France*
   • Swinburne University, Australia
   • University of Economics, Prague, Czechoslovakia*
   • University of Mannheim, Germany*
   • University of Surrey, UK
   • University of Waikato, New Zealand
   • Victoria University, Australia

2. CAN-EU Co-op

   We’ve teamed up with the University of Waterloo and two European universities to launch the CAN-EU exchange program.

   Through this program, UVic and Waterloo co-op students can travel to the FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences in Austria and the Baden-Wuerttemberg Co-operative State University in Germany. At the same time, their students will come to Canada for academic or co-op work terms through UVic and Waterloo.

   If you’re a business or engineering co-op student, you can apply for a $4,500 grant to help cover costs for work terms arranged through this program.

   Are you a co-op student from FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences or the Baden-Wurttemberg Co-operative State University? Contact your co-op coordinator or international office to learn more about CAN-EU.

Information for students looking for exchanges in Canada

Information for students looking for exchanges in Canada

Are you a student at one of UVic Co-op's partner institutions? Interested in pursuing a co-op work term exchange in Canada? Contact your institution’s co-op coordinator or international office.

If you’re eligible for a co-op exchange, your coordinator will direct you to complete and submit the International Co-op Exchange Application Form. Your coordinator will then send this form to UVic Co-op for further approval.

If you’re accepted into the UVic Co-op Program, we’ll send you an acceptance letter. We’ll also connect you with a UVic co-op coordinator, who will help you find a co-op job in Canada.

Other job options

Other job options

If you’re not registered in the UVic Co-op Program, you can still look for a full-time, part-time or casual job on Career Services’ online job board, which is open to all UVic students and graduates. To learn more about these jobs, check out our Working in Canada page.

Work permit
information

What's required

What's required

As an international student, you must have a Canadian work permit before you can accept a co-op job in Canada. You’ll need to apply for your work permit through Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

To obtain a work permit, you must:

• hold a valid study permit
• be currently registered as a full-time student
• have been registered as a full-time student for at least 6 out of the last 12 months
• have maintained satisfactory academic standing in your program of study
• have a social insurance number

It will take 8 to 12 weeks to receive your work permit. Make sure your study permit is valid for the entire length of your work term.

Who can help you secure work documents?

Who can help you secure work documents?

Your co-op office will guide you about how to apply for a co-op work permit when you are accepted into the co-op program. The first step in this process involves submitting the Request for Work Authorization form to your co-op office.

Once your co-op office receives this form, the staff will facilitate receipt of a letter of enrolment that you will need for your co-op work permit application.

UVic’s International and Exchange Student Services (IESS) office can help you apply for a study permit, an off-campus work permit and a social insurance number. They also offer conversation cafés, workshops and programs to help you adapt to life at UVic and in Victoria. Contact IESS at iess@uvic.ca or 250-721-6361.

Where can you work without a work permit?

Where can you work without a work permit?

You’ll need a work permit to accept any off-campus job. However, you may not need a work permit to work on campus (for a faculty member, department or student organization). You can learn more about work permits at Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Working in Canada
after graduation

Working in Canada after graduation

Several government programs can connect you with job opportunities in Canada after you’ve earned your degree.

• Post-Graduation Work Permit program: This program lets you work in Canada for up to three years after your university graduation, depending on the length of your academic program.
• British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP): If you want to become a permanent resident of Canada, you’ve completed an eligible degree or diploma, and a BC employer has offered you an ongoing job, you can apply to the BC PNP. They’ll speed up your application process for permanent residence in Canada. If you’re accepted, you can work in Canada while your permanent resident visa application is being processed. You can only apply to the BC PNP if you already have a job offer and the support of your employer.
• Canadian Experience Class: If you’re an international student who has graduated in Canada and you have qualifying work experience, you can apply to become a permanent resident of Canada through the Canadian Experience Class. See the Canadian Experience Class site for guides, information and forms.

Extra
resources

Extra resources

• UVic's International and Exchange Student Services (IESS) offers a variety of programs and events for international students, including orientation sessions, buddy programs, social mixers and conversation cafés.
• UVic's Office of International Affairs provides several funding options for international students.
• UVic's Student Awards and Financial Aid office offers more resources to help you pay for your education.
• International Scholarships database is a list of grants, scholarships, loan programs and other resources to help you work and study abroad.