Twenty hours not enough

International students struggle with tight work restrictions

 By STEVEN CHANG

International students must not work over 20 hours a week while studying.

Many students find it is not enough to support themselves and end-up working under the table.

International students that were interviewed by The Voice who work over their 20 hours limit weren’t willing to speak out due to the risk of getting fired and potentially losing their status in Canada.

It is a requirement for international students to have a minimum of $10,000 in their bank account to receive a monthly’s Guaranteed Investment Certificate.

“International students are only getting about $670 every month from GIC, which is a tight budget to live off. Naturally, there is a tendency to work overtime even though they’re not allowed to,” said Kane Lillywhite, who works at a financial institution at Langara.

International students often encounter difficulties with affordability living in Vancouver. Sayem Behl is a secondyear computer science student at Langara, who knows many students from India that are currently working over the limit but won’t reveal their identity, due to concerns that if revealed they would are not physically separated, its just paint and only some people are willing to ride on them, along Marine Drive so there are so many places where we just don’t have proper bike lanes,” Teschke said. no longer be able to stay in Canada.

Small businesses in South Vancouver are better served by walking, transit, and cycling because drivers often choose bigger box stores. It’s tiresome to bike long distances and as a result riders often choose to go on a short journey to nearby shops but will purchase less than those who drove.

According to Rob Nijjar, executive director of the South Hill Business Association, “the number of bicycle lanes in the city is calculated partially by request. If demand is low, fewer lanes may amount to the same level of public service."

According to Nijjar efforts have been made by the city of Vancouver and the South Hill Business Association in expanding South Vancouver’s biking network. “Installation of bike racks has been happening for years people on Fraser. On the street you will see there are bike racks, as we work with the city, that’s what our business association does to improve our area,” Nijjar said.

Behl said, “I am lucky that I have a good employer at my software company. But if you ask anybody whether they’re working for more than 20 hours, they won’t tell you anything.”

Student’s Union, Navjot Warring, is an international student and thinks students are working part-time jobs according to their needs.

“I live with my uncle, so rent isn’t an issue. But other students are working so they can afford a car. Some students are working to put less burden on their parents back home," Warring said.

The Vice President at the Langara

Student loans are often important to international students at Langara since they pay $590 per credit while domestic students pay between $99.42 and $129.31 per credit according to the Langara website.