Co-op refers to courses attached to Canadian schools that involve a work (internship) period. Given it’s offered in private colleges, public colleges, and universities, a certain level of language proficiency is often required for enrolment. This time, I’ll share my experience with Co-op at a private college.
As it involves a work period, students typically receive both a student visa and a work visa. The full-time work phase starts after completing classroom sessions during the internship period. Since you’ll be a full-time student at the college or university, part-time work for up to 20 hours a week is allowed.
Co-op courses usually have a similar length for both classroom and internship periods, or the internship period may be slightly shorter. For instance, in the Professional Customer Service Certificate course I took, it consisted of 4 months of classroom learning, 1 month of vacation, and 4 months of internship, totalling a 8-month course.
However, possessing a work visa doesn’t mean you can work anywhere. Internships must relate to your field of study, and there’s a required number of work hours to be completed during the internship period. Continuing to work after fulfilling these hours while the visa remains valid isn’t recommended. If you plan to keep working, a quick switch to another visa (like a working holiday visa or an employer-specific work visa) is necessary. Otherwise, unintentional illegal stay and employment might occur. *Based on personal experience.
The specific regulations can vary among schools, and visa issues are quite critical and sensitive. Hence, it’s advisable to be cautious when seeking confirmation from an education agent or inquiring with the school.
The best thing about Co-op studies is that there’s no age limit, and you can obtain an Open Work Permit. Working Holiday visas have an age limit (up to 31 years old), so the absence of that restriction is a significant attraction.
By the way, I’m often asked about my visa status while working at a language school. Initially, I worked on Co-op, then changed to a Working Holiday visa, and currently, I’m staying on a Young Professional visa. I’ll share more about my visa experiences later.
- Visa History
- August 2021 – November 2021: Student Visa (Language School)
- November 2021 – August 2022: Student Visa + Work Visa (Co-op)
- September 2022 – September 2023: Working Holiday Visa
- September 2023 – September 2024: Young Professional Visa (RO Issued)
Moreover, even though it’s an internship, in British Columbia, where Vancouver is located, it’s required by the provincial regulations to be paid to be recognized as Co-op. In Ontario, where Toronto is situated, internships, paid or unpaid, are allowed. This might become one factor in choosing a study destination.
There are various Co-op courses available at private colleges. The school I attended offered courses in Customer Service, Business Management, Supply Chain Management, Commerce Marketing, Hospitality, and more. The Digital Marketing course seems to be gaining popularity recently.
The main reason I chose Customer Service was that it had the shortest duration, just 8 months. Initially, I didn’t plan on staying in Canada to pursue permanent residency, so I wanted to experience a long-term overseas study, improve my English a bit, and then return to Japan to build my career. But somehow, life took a turn, and now, I’m applying for permanent residency. Life really is unpredictable.