Elimination of Separate Co-op Work Permits for Post-Secondary International Students

Validated finding · five-country-2010-20260922-v118-evidence-presentation-fix

CountryCanada

Operative dateApril 1, 2026

CategoryStudent

Policy toolEligibility

Policy effect

Post-secondary international students no longer need a separate co-op work permit for mandatory, program-integrated work placements. Pending applications for this permit type are automatically withdrawn.

Official source excerpt

Quoted verbatim from the official source below. Ellipses indicate omitted text.

Citizenship Canada is working to streamline its processes and maximize efficiency, while continuing to strengthen the International Student Program and deliver excellent client services. As of April 1, 2026, eligible post-secondary international students no longer need a separate work permit to participate in student work placements required by their program, such as co-op placements and internships. Students may work for employers approved by their designated learning institution as part of their program requirements. This change simplifies the administrative process for students by requiring only … one permit to complete a single study program. It does not increase the number of students who are authorized to work or affect temporary resident volumes; it simply removes an administrative step that is no longer necessary. International students with pending decisions on their co-op work permit applications will not need to take any action. IRCC will withdraw all eligible and active co-op work permit applications. The full eligibility criteria are available on [our website](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/work/intern.html). ## Page details 2026 …

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Elimination of Separate Co-op Work Permits for Post-Secondary International Students. Effective 2026-04-01.Open official source

Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/simplifying-co-op-work-permit-requirement-post-secondary-international-students.html

Review method

Two separate automated exact-claim source reviews

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Elimination of Separate Co-op Work Permits for Post-Secondary International Students

Policy effect

Official source excerpt

Review method

Other Canada changes operative in 2026