Ottawa is reviewing a proposal to allow international students to work more than 20 hours per week off campus. This comes after a request made last November and a recent 30-day review by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Previously, students could work up to 24 hours during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this was reduced to 20 hours in April. The IRCC aims to balance students’ need for supplementary income and maintaining academic standards. The proposed increase could benefit nearly 297,000 students and help address labour shortages in low-wage industries.