International Students

International students CAN work in Engineering Co-op positions - Co-op offers international students an excellent opportunity to gain Canadian work experience. However, you must have the required documentations and approvals to gain legal permission to work off-campus in a Co-op position.

Before International students (with valid study permits) can be eligible to accept/apply for a Co-op position or have acces to OSCARplus Co-op postings and interviews they must:

• Obtain a Co-op work permit that will cover the duration of the work term(s). This permit is different from an off-campus permit as it allows you to work full-time during your Co-op work term
• Bring a copy of the Co-op work permit into the ECCS office.

Please note: NO ACCESS to OSCARplus co-op postings or recruitment activities will be given to students who do not have a valid Co-op work permit on file with ECCS.


How to Apply for a Co-op Work Permit (and study permit extension if necessary):
When you register in Co-op, inform the ECCS staff that you are an international student. You must obtain a letter from the ECCS office that will confirm that your intended work term employment is a requirement of your academic program.  We will prepare this letter for you when you register for Co-op.

• Send this letter with your application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) with the form IMM 1249 “Application to Change Conditions, Extend My Stay, or Remain in Canada”, along with any other required documents. The ECCS office will provide you with the application package. There is no fee for the Co-op work permit.
• If you are applying for a study permit renewal, you will need another IMM 1249 application form. The appropriate fee and supporting documents can be mailed in the same package with your Co-op work permit. You will only need one copy of documents if they are needed for both applications. Please visit the McMaster International Students Services office for more information.

You will receive your Co-op work permit and extended study permit in the mail – usually within 3-6 weeks. During peak times, this process could take longer.

Visit the CIC website for more details and a guide to study permits and work permit information.

When to apply for Co-op Work Permit:
Students should apply for work permits well BEFORE the anticipated start of the work term. You will need to apply once you are ready to start looking for a position. It is advisable to apply for the work permit at the same time that you have signed up for the 1EE0 course. This way, you will have both Co-op program requirements completed together and you can start your job search in earnest. NOTE: Please take notice of the expiry date of your study permit - your co-op work permit will be given the same date. If your study permit is expiring soon, apply for both permits at the same time, or renew your study permit first.

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Once you are offered a Co-op job:

• Obtain a Social Insurance Number (SIN):

  Once you have your work permit, and before you start work, you must obtain a Social Insurance Number or SIN. This is provided by Service Canada and will be given to you the same day you apply for it – you must show your valid Co-op work permit to obtain the SIN. The closest Service Canada office is located 1550 Upper James Street , Floor 1 in downtown Hamilton. Your Co-op employer needs your SIN number before you can start work.

• Maintain UHIP coverage for 8, 12 or 16 month work terms:

  You are also required to have UHIP coverage for the length of time you are out on Co-op. If you have work terms that are outside the summer 4-month work term, ie. start in September or January, you must still have valid UHIP coverage. To obtain UHIP coverage for Co-op work terms beyond the summer term, you will need to do the following:

Please Note: UHIP must be arranged before September - students who have not done this will not be allowed to continue/start with their work term. If your student account is in arrears, you must pay off the outstanding balance first and then deposit funds to pre-pay UHIP.  

Outside Ontario but within Canada, UHIP can be used as health coverage, but you will have to pay medical costs directly and then apply for reimbursement. For work terms OUTSIDE Canada, you must purchase an alternative health insurance plan.

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Summary of Documents needed for International Students

1. Apply for Co-op work permit when you register for Co-op – obtain letter from ECCS office and send with application package. Bring the Co-op Work permit to our office so we can keep a copy for your file.
2. Obtain a SIN number from Service Canada once you get your work permit.
3. Obtain UHIP coverage for work terms that extend beyond 4-month summer.

Other considerations:

Co-op Work Permit Extensions: When you receive your Co-op work permit, please note the expiry date. This date is important as you may need to renew your work permit while you are working. To gain an extension, you must send your application for an extension at the latest on the expiry date of your status, to remain in status, until your work permit is re-issued.This is called “implied status” and you can continue working or studying if you have applied for an extension under the same category, by the original expiry date of your work permit. It is suggested that you send in the application at least 30 days BEFORE the permit expires. Please contact our office for another letter and application package.

SIN Extensions: When you receive your SIN card, it will have an expiry date. This card will need to be updated by Service Canada if your work permit has been extended beyond the original date.

Security Clearance/Background Checks : Some Co-op positions (nuclear or military industry) may require a Security Clearance before you can start your work term. Security checks for International students may take months before clearance is obtained, if you have lived outside of Canada, in the last 5 years. The ECCS office cannot help speed up this process.  Please be aware of this when applying to positions that request Security Clearance or background checks.

Please note: Students that fail to have appropriate work permits or health insurance coverage will not be permitted to start, or continue with, their Co-op work term. NO ACCESS to OSCARplus or Co-op recruitment activities will be given to students who do not have a valid Co-op work permit on file with ECCS.