As of April 1, 2026, post-secondary students are no longer required to hold a co-op work permit to participate in student work placements such as practicums, clinicals, and co-ops. Practicum work authorization is now included in the on-campus work authorization condition on your study permit.
You can participate in work placements that are part of your study program if you meet all the following requirements:
- You have one of the following conditions printed on your initial study permit that say you’re allowed to work on campus:
- “May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f), (v) or (w). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria.”
- “This permit does not authorize the holder to engage in off campus employment in Canada. May accept employment only on campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria.”
- You have full-time enrolment, unless it’s your final term in the program (part-time enrolment is allowed in the final term of the program).
- The work placement is a requirement for your study program, confirmed in the Work Placement Confirmation Letter listed below.
- You have a valid study permit that lists NorQuest College as your DLI, or you applied to extend your NorQuest study permit before it expired.
- Your study permit should not have any restrictions on working in the Health or Child Care sector if that’s your program’s work placement sector.
- Your study program is at least 6 months and leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate.
- The work placement of your study program totals 50% or less of your study program.
Review the list below to find your starting term and program.
Winter 2027
- Addictions Recovery Practitioner
- Early Learning And Child Care
- Early Learning And Child Care Diploma
- Health Care Aide
- Interdisciplinary Therapy Assistant
- Machine Learning Analyst
- Mental Health Recovery Practitioner
- Pharmacy Technician
- Practical Nurse
- Practical Nurse Diploma For Internationally Educated Nurses
- Settlement Studies
- Therapeutic Recreation
Spring 2026
Fall 2026
- Addictions Recovery Practitioner
- Child And Youth Care
- Content Creator
- Disability Studies
- Early Learning And Child Care
- Early Learning And Child Care Diploma
- Educational Assistant
- Health Care Aide
- Interdisciplinary Therapy Assistant
- Machine Learning Analyst
- Mental Health And Addiction Support Worker
- Mental Health Recovery Practitioner
- Pharmacy Technician
- Practical Nurse
- Practical Nurse Diploma For Internationally Educated Nurses
- Settlement Studies
- Social Work
- Therapeutic Recreation
Download the letter and submit it along with your study permit application to confirm for IRCC that your program includes a mandatory work placement.
Immigration Medical Exam
If your work placement is in a Health or Childcare sector, you are required to complete an upfront immigration medical exam (IME) to obtain a study permit without restrictions related to taking jobs in these sectors.
Even if an immigration medical exam was not required from you in your IRCC checklist for application to enter Canada based on your country of citizenship, you still need to complete one due to the field of work. Failure to do so will prevent you from beginning your practicum.
You must submit the result of your upfront IME performed by an IRCC-authorized Panel Physician to IRCC when you apply for your initial study permit, study permit extension, and future post-graduation work permit. Validity of IME is 1 year, however, you may qualify for a temporary IME exemption for up to 5 years.
If you did not complete an IME before applying for your study permit and your current study permit includes conditions that restrict you from working in your field of study, you must complete an IME and apply for a study permit extension to have those conditions removed.
For example, if your program includes mandatory practicums in healthcare or childcare and your study permit states, “Not authorized to work in healthcare or childcare,” you will need to change your study permit conditions before participating in your placement.
If you did complete a valid IME before applying for your study permit, but restrictions related to healthcare or childcare employment were added to your study permit in error, you must apply to have your study permit amended.
Please email international@norquest.ca for further instructions.
Refer to medical exams for visitors, students, and workers for more information.
Submitting your study permit for verification
If you have “Study Permit Verification” checklist item in your MyQuest Account - Student Center – To Do List, you need to submit your study permit (and co-op work permit, if you have one) for verification by sending a scanned copy to international@norquest.ca before the deadline indicated in your To Do List. NorQuest International does not collect students’ IME test results.
Learn more about co-op work permit application guidelines.