Sudbury international students 'very happy' about lifting of work hours limit

Anjali Aggarwalkeeps busy studying full time at Cambrian College in Sudbury, and working typically 15 to 16 hours perweek at her part time job as a cashier at Walmart.

Soon, Aggarwal hopes her schedule will be much busier. This week the federal government temporarily lifted a rule that limited international students to a maximum of 20 hours of work each week off-campus.

"I don't think there will be even a single student who will not work more than 20 hours," said Aggarwal, who is from India.

"Being an international student, you have to pay for your rent, you have to pay for your groceries. And then also there are some basic necessities in which you have to spend."

The rule change is part of an effort to address labour shortages across the country, and the federal government has said the pilot project will run until the end of 2023.

'Mentally prepared' to juggle more work, students say

Earning Ontario's minimum wage of $15.50 an hour, Aggarwal said it's near impossible to save any money each month.

She rents a shared room in a basement apartment for $400.

"$400 goes for my rent, $400goes for my groceries.And I'm not like doing any outside food or any party or something like that.And this is the only thing which I earn in like [an] entire month," Aggarwal said.

Aggarwal said with the change in rules, she hopes to work about 35 hours a week.

Fellow Cambrian studentNavneet Parmarworks with the college's International Student Services department. He said most students he's spoken with are "very happy" with the change in rules.

"If they're able to make some decent money out of it, they'll be able to live respectfully and with their privacy. Because when you're living in shared spaces and your privacy gets hindered, so then you kind of start getting those mental health issues," Parmar said.

Along with his on-campus job, Parmar, who is also an international student himself, works part time as a taxi driver. He also said he may take on more hours, but said students "have to be cautious" not to overextend themselves.

"Because the primary reason why we are here, is for studies," Parmar said.

Vidhya Mair, another Cambrian international student, knows working more than 20 hours will be a lot to juggle, but it will be worth it to have more financial freedom.

"I'm already mentally prepared for this.That's how I came from India, I was already mentally prepared," Mair said.