This is one of the more welcome policy simplifications I've seen from IRCC in a while. As of April 1, 2026, eligible post-secondary international students no longer need to apply for, or hold, a separate co-op work permit just to complete a mandatory work placement that's part of their program, think co-ops, internships, or practicums.
If you're a study permit holder, this means one less application, one less processing wait, and one less thing standing between you and a placement your school requires. You can now complete that placement using your existing, valid study permit, as long as you meet the conditions below.
Who actually qualifies
- You hold a valid study permit with conditions that allow you to work on or off campus.
- You're a full-time student at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI), in a post-secondary academic, vocational, or professional program that's at least six months long and leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate.
- Your DLI has confirmed, in writing, that the work placement is a mandatory part of your program.
- The work placement makes up 50% or less of your total program length.
If you already had a co-op work permit
Nothing changes for you, it remains valid. If you had a co-op work permit application pending as of April 1, 2026, IRCC automatically withdrew it, since it's no longer needed.
The part I'd flag for students is that "eligible" is doing a lot of work in that eligibility list, particularly the DLI confirmation letter and the 50% threshold. Those are the two details that most often trip people up. If you're not sure whether your specific program and placement structure qualifies, it's worth having someone check before you start the placement rather than after. Our study permit and temporary residence services cover exactly this kind of question, or you can book a consultation and we'll walk through your program details together.