(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

International students should be allowed to work more hours as local companies, particularly in the hospitality industry struggles to find workers, according to one Kamloops city councillor.

"We're a hub for international students," Coun. Bill Sarai told iNFOnews.ca. "They're a major part of our workforce everywhere you go in Kamloops."

International students are restricted to 20 hours of work per week with their visas dependent on their grade scores, he said.

He proposed a motion to Kamloops city council on Tuesday, Aug. 17, that would see the city write a letter urging the federal government to increase that limit to 30 hours per week.

READ MORE: 'Deeply harmful': Kamloops MP horrified to learn military vet offered assistance in dying

"It's unfortunate the cost of living has gone up everywhere," Sarai said. "Do you want to see our international students suffering and leaving, not fulfilling their education?"

While he said its important to support international students living in Kamloops, his main concern was for the hospitality industry, as businesses struggle to find employees.

He's heard support from both the B.C. Hotel Association and the B.C. Alliance of Beverage Licensees.

"I think it's a great idea. A lot of international students have as much time as (domestic) students that don't have an hourly cap," Al Deacon, owner of Fox 'N Hounds pub in Kamloops and liquor store association member, told iNFOnews.ca.

He said he has openings for ten new employees now. Some employees that are international students are also set to cut their hours once the school year starts in September.

"COVID is far from over if you're in the hospitality industry," Deacon said.

READ MORE: Why was there no Amber Alert in Kamloops abduction?

He hopes that by increasing the hourly limit for international students, he'll be able to hire on more employees and return business hours to normal. His pub currently closes two hours earlier each night than it once did because of a staff shortage.

City council hasn't sent the letters Sarai proposed, but he's asking for one to be sent to Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and another to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser.

A letter to Joly's ministry would ask the federal government to increase the hourly limit for international students without changing the requirement for them to maintain their grades in order to stay in Canada.

The second letter to Fraser's ministry would support a motion from Surrey South Liberal MP, and Sarai's brother, Randeep Sarai. The motion proposes expansions to various immigration schemes aimed at bringing skilled workers into Canada.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2022