WORKING IN KINGSTON

•    What is a Social Insurance Number?  Do I need one?
•    What if English is not my native language?
•    Teaching Assistantships and English Language Skills
•    Are there opportunities to work in Queen’s School of Business?
•    Can I work Off-Campus?
•    What about staying to work in Canada after I graduate?
•    Immigrating to Canada as a Skilled Worker

What is a Social Insurance Number?  Do I need one?

Social Insurance Number

The Social Insurance Number (SIN) is a nine-digit number used in the administration of various Canadian government programs. You will require a SIN to work in Canada or to receive government benefits.  As soon as you receive a SIN, please inform Teresa Touchette in the PhD/MSc in Management office. Your nearest Service Canada Centre is at 1300 Bath Road in the Frontenac Mall, Kingston, Ontario.

What if English is not my native language?

English Language Proficiency Tests

At Queen's School of Business, English is the language of instruction and communication. Proficiency in English is, therefore, a prerequisite for admission. Those applicants whose native languages do not include English will be required to obtain satisfactory standing in an English Language Proficiency Test before final acceptance is granted. The following English Language Proficiency tests are accepted by the School of Graduate Studies and Research:

TOEFL    Test of English as a Foreign Language  www.toefl.org

MELAB    Michigan English Language Assessment Battery www.lsa.umich.edu/eli/melab

IELTS    International English Language Testing System   www.ielts.org

Teaching Assistantships and English Language Skills

There is a program to assist graduate students who, over the course of their studies at Queen's, will serve as Teaching Assistants. The program offers specialized workshops as well as a diagnostic assessment for students who were required to take the TOEFL, Michigan or other approved language tests for admission to Queen's University. This is a mandatory assessment. It is not, however, a condition of acceptance into Queen's graduate programs. The diagnostic assessment will determine incoming graduate students' oral proficiency in English. A course entitled English Language Communication Skills for Teaching Purposes has also been developed as part of the program if additional language training is required to carry out the Teaching Assistant functions.

Are there opportunities to work in Queen’s School of Business?


On April 27, 2006, Citizenship and Immigration Canada launched the Off-Campus Employment Program for International Students. This allows eligible students the opportunity to work off-campus during their studies here at Queen's. To work off-campus, you have to apply for a Work Permit. Do not begin to work off campus until you have received your work permit. Even if you work off campus, your studies must remain your primary purpose for being in Canada.

What about staying to work in Canada after I graduate?

Canada welcomes skilled worker immigrants and Citizenship and Immigration Canada have specific policies in place for international students who complete a degree, diploma or certificate program in Canada (does NOT apply to Exchange or School of English/ESL students). These policies allow for up to a maximum of 3 years of work following the completion of an eligible program.

The "Post-Graduation Employment Option" is a "once in a lifetime" opportunity. That means that it can only be used once, even if you complete multiple degrees, diplomas or certificates in Canada.