Paid internship in Canada for foreigners
Getting a paid internship in Canada for foreigners is possible, but it will require a lot of research and persistence.
To get a paid internship in Canada as an international student, you’ll need to meet all of the general requirements for getting a work permit in Canada. Most importantly, you’ll need to be enrolled in school and be working towards a degree or post-grad certificate. To prove your financial independence, you’ll need at least CAD $10 000 to support yourself during your internship (or less if your internship is less than six months long), so saving up ahead of time is important. You might also want to look into getting health insurance.
In addition to the general requirements for getting a work permit in Canada, there are additional rules depending on where you’re from and what kind of job offer you have.
- From which country are you applying?
- Do you have a valid job offer?
You need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree to be eligible for an International Co-op Internship permit.
You need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree to be eligible for an International Co-op Internship permit. If you’re a student in your last year of study and will get a degree before the co-op internship starts, you can still apply. If you’re studying at a Canadian educational institution, they must give your course credit after the co-op internship ends.
If you don’t have a degree yet but want to work in Canada, look into other work permits that might be available to you.
Apply for the equivalent Canadian degree from the foreign credential assessment agency in Canada (e.g. World Education Services – WES).
- To be eligible for a bachelor’s degree in Canada, you’ll first need to complete the curriculum requirements at a high school in your home country.
- For a master’s degree, you’ll need to have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from your home country. You will also have to prove your proficiency in English by taking an English language test like IELTS or TOEFL.
- A PhD requires that you first get an appropriate master’s degree.
- Postdoctoral fellowships are typically meant for those who’ve recently completed their PhD and want to further study the subject they’ve been researching during their PhD years.
Get your current degree assessed by the education credentials assessment agency in Canada (e.g. World Education Services – WES).
If you are looking to get a paid internship in Canada for foreigners, the first thing you need to do is assess your post-secondary education. The Government of Canada requires you to get your degree evaluated by a designated Canadian organization that can verify your credentials and offer a Canadian equivalency. The agency will give you an equivalent level of education based on the Canadian standards. In other words, they will convert your foreign credentials into their Canadian counterparts, thereby helping potential employers understand what degree or certification your foreign degree is equivalent to.
There are three bodies that offer this service:
- World Education Services (WES)
- International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS)
- Comparative Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies (CES-UTS)
Get an internship offer from an employer and apply to IRCC (Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada) for an ICP (International Co-op Internship permit).
To get an internship permit, you will need to first get an internship offer from an employer in Canada, and then apply for an International Co-op Internship permit (ICP) with IRCC.
If you already have a Canadian work permit, the process is simpler: once you receive your internship offer, you can ask your employer to draw up a job offer—a document that sets out the terms of your employment. This job offer acts as proof that both parties agree on the terms of employment and binds them legally. Once you have this, you can ask your employer to apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). An LMIA is how most employers in Canada prove they were unable to find someone locally to fill the position. For interns who already have study or work permits, this isn’t necessary because they are not competing against Canadians for those jobs. The company must then post the job ad on Job Bank or other recruitment site and wait 10 days before applying for a LMIA exemption code from Service Canada. After receiving the positive LMIA exemption code from Service Canada, your new employer can begin preparing their application for your ICP with IRCC.
Apply for Social Insurance Number (SIN) at Service Canada if you need one for your job, or if you want to open a bank account or get a credit card in Canada.
Before you can apply for a SIN, you must first have your work permit. Once that is obtained, you can apply for a SIN at any Service Canada Centre in person. For complete information on applying for a Social Insurance Number (SIN), visit the Service Canada website.
Please note that a SIN is not the same as a visa or work permit. A Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN) is required to work in Canada or to receive benefits and services from government programs(see more details). It is also required if you want to open a bank account or get a credit card in Canada.
Find accommodation by researching rentals from local newspapers or apartment rental websites such as kijiji, Craigslist etc.
- Find accommodation by researching rentals from local newspapers or apartment rental websites such as kijiji, Craigslist etc.
- Also check out – Student Accommodation in Canada
- Make sure your chosen apartment is close to your workplace, so that you can save on commuting costs.
- It is important to make sure you have enough space for your belongings. Moving all the way from a different country involves a lot of luggage and big-sized items (for example, appliances), so make sure the place has enough storage and space for these items. One more thing to keep in mind: utilities such as electricity and water are expensive in Canada; so, if possible, choose an apartment with good insulation and energy efficiency standards, so that you can save money on utility bills.
- Apartments which are close to local amenities such as grocery stores, banks, hospitals etc will be easier for you to navigate compared to those which are far away from these facilities.
Move to Canada with all your belongings including electronics, clothes etc. and start living the Canadian life!
The next thing you might want to do is move from your home country to Canada, along with all of your personal belongings. This will include your electronics, clothes, and anything else that is important to you or that you will need for day-to-day life in Canada.
Once in the country, you’ll want to get a cell phone plan and open a bank account. Next, make sure you register for health coverage. After that, get a credit card (see above). You’ll also want to get a driver’s license and insurance if you plan on driving while living in Canada.
Once these things are taken care of, it is time to focus on getting an internship in the field of your choice. Be sure not to forget about taxes!
Getting a paid internship in Canada is not easy, but it’s possible with a lot of research and hard work.
It is not easy to find a paid internship in Canada as a foreigner. There are many requirements and steps that you need to take before you can even start applying for jobs. They are:
- Have a Bachelor’s degree in the field of your choice from your home country.
- Do some research about companies in Canada. You should research Canadian companies that operate in your field and try to find out if they offer internships for international students. If possible, you should try to find an internship offer before applying for an internship permit. You can apply for up to three internships within one application, but you must have an offer from each company confirming that the internship will be paid and related to your field of study or any other requirements listed below*.
- Find out if your degree is equivalent to a Canadian undergraduate degree; this is important because it determines whether or not you’re eligible for an internship permit (if it’s not, then there might be other options available–total time abroad may vary). It also helps with finding work after graduation so keep this in mind when picking up courses! In order to do this, visit the government website linked below: https://www.canada-ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/international-experience-canada#eligibility . After checking eligibility rules based on where you’re from (and following them like any good citizen would), follow these steps:
- Go through all relevant education documents issued by both schools–these include transcripts or marksheets with grades as well as diplomas or degrees obtained during studies