Fredericton for International Students: Housing, Work, Health and the First Winter

Three schools, one small city

Fredericton is New Brunswick's capital, but it is small by Canadian standards, with a population of roughly 65,000. That is good news for a newcomer: it is walkable, friendly, and you will start recognizing faces within weeks. Three post-secondary institutions anchor student life here.

• University of New Brunswick (UNB) is the largest, a research university on a hill overlooking downtown, with the widest range of undergraduate and graduate programs.
• St. Thomas University (STU) sits right beside UNB and shares the hill. It is a small liberal-arts university, so classes are intimate and professors will know your name.
• New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) has a Fredericton campus focused on applied, career-ready diplomas and trades.

All three enrol international students and all three have a dedicated international student office. That office is your single most useful resource in your first year: they help with permits, health plans, orientation and the small emergencies that come up. Save their email and their hours before classes start. For the wider picture of settling in, our Moving to Fredericton hub covers the basics for every newcomer, not just students.

Study permit, the PAL and the cap

Your study permit is the document that lets you study in Canada. Since 2024, Canada has run an annual cap on new study-permit applications, and most applicants now need a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from the province before IRCC will process the application. The PAL confirms you count against New Brunswick's allocation under the national cap. Each year IRCC publishes updated provincial and territorial allocations, so the number of spots is not fixed forever.

What this means in practice: apply early, and make sure your school issues you a PAL if your program requires one before you submit to IRCC. Master's and doctoral students and some other groups may be exempt, but do not assume, confirm with your school's international office and with IRCC. Keep your permit, your PAL, and your letter of acceptance together, both on paper and as photos on your phone.

Working off campus: verify the current hour cap

Most study permits let you work off campus without a separate work permit, as long as you are a full-time student in an eligible program at a designated learning institution and your permit says you are allowed to work. During your regular class terms there is a weekly cap on off-campus hours. As of 2026 that cap has been set at 24 hours per week during academic terms, with full-time hours allowed during scheduled breaks such as winter and summer holidays.

Here is the honest, important part: this number has changed before and can change again. It moved from 20 to a temporary lift to a fixed 24-hour cap, and future governments can adjust it. So do not take a friend's word, a Reddit post, or even this paragraph as final.

• Confirm the current weekly cap directly with IRCC before you accept shifts, so you never accidentally overwork and put your permit at risk.
• A "scheduled break" must actually be in your school's academic calendar, and you must be enrolled before and after it, to work full-time hours.
• You need a SIN to work legally (see the next section).

On-campus jobs and co-op or internship placements have their own rules, ask your international office. For local part-time roles, our services hub points to the kinds of employers students often start with.

Health coverage: your plan plus NB Medicare

You have two layers of health coverage to think about, and you want both sorted in your first weeks.

Your university or college plan. UNB, STU and NBCC students are enrolled in a student health plan (often through the students' union) that covers things like doctor visits, some prescriptions, dental and vision, and, importantly for newcomers, medical insurance during your studies. Check whether you are auto-enrolled and how to add a spouse or child if they came with you.

New Brunswick Medicare. New Brunswick extends its public health card (Medicare) to international students who are here on a valid study permit for a full year of study, which is a real advantage compared with some other provinces. Medicare covers medically necessary doctor and hospital care. You apply through the provincial government (GNB) with your study permit, proof of enrolment and proof of a New Brunswick address. Coverage and eligibility conditions can change, so confirm the current rules on the GNB Medicare pages before you count on it.

SIN and a Canadian bank account

Two pieces of admin unlock almost everything else: a Social Insurance Number and a bank account.

Social Insurance Number (SIN). You need a SIN to work in Canada and to be paid legally. It is free. You apply through Service Canada, either online or in person, using your study permit (your permit must state that you are allowed to work). There is a Service Canada Centre in Fredericton. Never pay anyone to get you a SIN, and never share your SIN casually, it is a sensitive number.

Bank account. Canada's big banks (RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC) and local credit unions all offer newcomer and student chequing accounts, usually with no monthly fee while you are a student. To open one, bring your passport, study permit and proof of your Fredericton address. Ask specifically for:

• A no-fee student account and a debit card.
• A way to build credit history (a student credit card with a small limit is the usual first step).
• Clarity on international transfer fees, since sending and receiving money from home adds up.

Set up your bank account before your first paycheque or tuition instalment so nothing bounces.

Finding housing in a tight market (and avoiding scams)

Be honest with yourself before you arrive: Fredericton's rental market is tight, vacancy is low and rents have risen. Residence is the simplest first-year option, guaranteed roof, on the bus route, and a built-in community, so if you are unsure, start there and look for off-campus housing once you know the city.

When you do rent privately, the biggest danger is the deposit scam. It follows a pattern: a too-good listing, a landlord who is conveniently "out of the country," a refusal to let you view the unit, and pressure to send a deposit by e-transfer or wire to "hold" it. Protect yourself:

• Never send money for a place you (or a trusted person in Fredericton) have not seen in person. No exceptions.
• Be suspicious of prices far below the market and of any landlord who will not meet or video-call.
• Get a written lease and understand New Brunswick's rules on damage deposits, which are capped and must be handled a specific way, before you hand over money.
• Use your school's off-campus housing office and student groups, which often flag known scam listings.

Start your search early, expect to share to keep costs down, and budget for heat and electricity on top of rent, winter heating in an older building is not cheap.

Groceries, halal and international food, and the market

Fredericton punches above its weight for food. For everyday groceries you have the big chains (Superstore, Sobeys, Costco on the north side) plus discount options like No Frills and Giant Tiger. For the ingredients that make home cooking feel like home, the city has grown a solid set of international and South Asian, Middle Eastern, East Asian and African grocery stores, several near campus and downtown, where you will find halal meat, spices, rice in big bags, fresh naan, and specialty produce. Ask your international office or student WhatsApp group for the current favourites, they open and change often.

The heart of local food, though, is the Fredericton Boyce Farmers Market on George Street, open Saturday mornings year-round. It is more than shopping: it is where the city gathers. You will find local produce, meat and eggs, baking, prepared food from many cultures, coffee and a genuinely warm crowd. Going on a Saturday morning is one of the fastest ways to feel like you live here rather than just study here.

For more on eating around town, see our guides hub.

Getting around and surviving your first winter

Getting around. Fredericton Transit runs city buses that connect the university hill, downtown and the main residential and shopping areas. Fares are modest and there are discounted passes, check the City of Fredericton fares page for current prices and whether your student union offers a bus pass deal. The city is compact and reasonably walkable, and it has good multi-use trails along the river, so many students manage without a car. Winter reduces walking comfort, so learn your bus route before the snow arrives.

Your first New Brunswick winter. This is the thing that surprises newcomers most, and the thing that is most survivable with a little preparation. Winter here is real: cold, snowy, and long, roughly November into April, with stretches well below freezing. What actually matters:

• Proper boots and a real winter coat. Waterproof, insulated boots with grip, and a coat rated for cold, not a fashion jacket. This is not optional.
• Layers, plus a hat, gloves and a scarf. Most heat is lost from your head and hands.
• Watch for ice. Walk flat-footed, take small steps, and give yourself extra time.
• Vitamin D and light. Short, dark days are hard on your mood, get outside in daylight when you can, and stay connected to people.