Can you work before your study program officially starts in Canada?

Whether you can work in the gap before your program's official start date depends on which permit you hold.

Study permit holders: you cannot legally work — even part-time — until you have actually started your program as a full-time student. Being enrolled isn't enough; the CIC/IRCC rule ties your work eligibility to your active full-time student status, which only begins on your program's start date.

Work permit holders (e.g., accompanying spouse/partner on their own open work permit): you're generally free to start work anytime once your permit is valid, since your right to work isn't tied to the study program's start date.

Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) holders whose partner is the student: eligibility to start work is tied to your own SOWP being issued and valid — check the validity start date on your own permit rather than the student's program dates.

Takeaway: don't start any job on a study permit before your program officially begins — confirm your own permit type and its specific validity/start conditions before accepting work.