Viral video highlights job crisis for international students in Canada

The video, posted by York University graduate student Mohammad Nishat, has been viewed by nearly 1.6 million people on Instagram, showing more than 100 international students lining up outside a job fair at Tim Hortons.

The accounting student, originally from India, said PIE News that he had been looking for a part-time job for two months, although he had recently reduced the intensity of his search to concentrate on his studies.

“Canada, especially Toronto, is an expensive place. The cost of living here is very high and ever since I moved to Canada from India, it has been very difficult for me to manage my expenses,” Nishat said.

Nishat explained that even with the fixed-interest GIC he invested before coming to Canada, he does not have enough money to live on and does not want to place an additional financial burden on his family.

The video has attracted more than 900 comments, with students sharing their frustrations with the job market, including one Instagram user who said she had been looking for a job for ten months.

However, immigration consultant Earl Blaney told PIE he does not believe finding a job in the hospitality sector has become significantly more difficult for international students.

“Yes, things are getting very expensive, there is an additional volume of international students applying for these jobs and there might also be more Canadians applying for these jobs, but I don’t think it’s a material factor.

“In these types of jobs – at Tim Hortons and fast food chains – an employer will favour a foreign national nine times out of 10 because their ability to retain them is much greater than that of a Canadian who would leave their position in two months,” Blaney said.

In December 2023, the government increased the cost of living threshold that students must meet to obtain a study permit, in an effort to prevent students from finding they don’t have enough money to support themselves once they arrive in Canada.

Currently, international students are allowed to work 20 hours per week in Canada, although the government has said that number will be increased to 24 hours per week in the fall.

“Working off campus allows international students to gain work experience and offset some of their expenses… However, those who come to Canada as students must first and foremost be here to study, not to work. We will continue to work to protect the integrity of our student program,” said Immigration Minister Marc Miller.

In the UK, students are also allowed to work 20 hours per week. In Australia, they are allowed to work 48 hours per fortnight.

I think 20 hours per week is enough for students who want to maintain a healthy balance between work and studies.

Mohammed Nishat

“I think 20 hours a week is enough for students who want to maintain a healthy balance between work and studies, but there should be conditions under which we should get the full 20 hours a week,” Nishat said.

“A number of students who have secured employment often complain that they can only work 10 to 12 hours per week, which has a direct impact on their income and savings,” he added.

Labour force participation of international students in Canada increased from 7% in 2000 to 57% in 2018, according to a 2022 report from Statistics Canada.

This trend was most pronounced in the accommodation and food services sector, where international students accounted for 4.6% of workers and 2.5% of employment income in the sector in 2018.

For Blaney, the demand for employment among international students is not only driven by financial imperatives, but also by the desire to stay in Canada after graduation.

“The main problem here, historically and now, has been finding skilled employment after graduation that allows students to earn points toward permanent settlement in Canada.

“Determining where this option exists and is easily achievable is something that all international students are interested in, which puts Tim Hortons at the top of the application list because their training is such that after six months you are eligible for a supervisory position which qualifies you for permanent residency points,” Blaney explained.

In 2023, Canada recorded the fastest population growth in 67 years, with the population surpassing 40 million for the first time, which the government says is largely due to temporary immigration.

The Canadian government then introduced a cap in 2024 to limit the “unsustainable growth” in the number of international students, blamed for the housing shortage.

Despite his financial difficulties, Nishat said he hopes to stay in Canada after graduation.

“I come from a very humble family and a marginalized region of India, so it is very necessary for me to have a stable career and work experience here in Canada.

“My family, especially my older brother, put a lot of resources at my disposal so that I could study in the best places and work among the best people and get exposure that many people back home didn’t have,” he said.