Canada Summer Jobs 2027: An Employer's Guide to Eligibility, the Wage Subsidy and the December 3 Deadline

Canada Summer Jobs 2027 is open now. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is accepting applications from October 27, 2026 to December 3, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time, for summer jobs that run between April 19 and August 28, 2027. If you want to hire a student or young person next summer and have part of the wage covered, this is the window.

Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) is a wage subsidy, not a grant. It reimburses part of the wages you pay a youth employee. Not-for-profits can receive up to 100% of the provincial or territorial adult minimum hourly wage plus mandatory employment-related costs. Public employers and private employers with 50 or fewer full-time employees can receive up to 50% of the minimum hourly wage.

Two eligibility rules are worth checking before anything else: the requirement to have been in operation for at least 2 years by December 31, 2026, and the need for a CRA payroll deductions account. This guide covers who can apply, which youth and jobs qualify, how the subsidy works, how to write a stronger application and common mistakes to avoid.

Canada Summer Jobs 2027 at a glance

ESDC is clear that applications typically exceed available funding. Not every eligible project is funded, funded organizations may receive less funding or fewer weeks than they asked for, and past funding is no guarantee of funding in a later year.

Who can apply: employer eligibility

CSJ 2027 is open to not-for-profit, public and private sector employers. These are the tests from ESDC's who can apply page and the CSJ 2027 backgrounder.

The 2-year operating test and its exemption

Your organization must have been in operation for at least 2 years by December 31, 2026. An organization that began operating partway through 2025, for example, will not meet this test for CSJ 2027 unless it qualifies for the exemption below, however strong the job is.

There is one exemption. An organization that has not reached 2 years can still apply if it met all the conditions of its CSJ 2026 funding agreement and received reimbursement for at least one CSJ-funded job under CSJ 2026. Both parts matter: having a CSJ 2026 agreement is not enough on its own if no reimbursement was received or the conditions were not met.

CRA business number and payroll account

The organization must be registered with the CRA and have its own valid CRA business number. It must also have a CRA payroll deductions program account before it hires youth. GCOS, the recommended application system, uses the organization's CRA RP (payroll) business number, so in practice the payroll account is something to sort out before you apply, not after you are approved. A sole proprietor who has never run payroll, or an organization using a related company's number, should fix this first.

Canada Summer Jobs for small business: the 50 full-time employee limit

Private sector employers must have 50 or fewer full-time employees across Canada when they apply. For this count, full-time means 30 or more hours a week. Count every location in Canada, not just the site where the summer job will be. The limit applies to private employers; not-for-profits and public employers are not subject to it.

Who is not eligible

• Federal and provincial government departments and agencies
• Members of Parliament and Senators, or their immediate family
• Organizations engaged in partisan political activity
• Organizations whose activities infringe, undermine, weaken or restrict the exercise of human rights legally protected in Canada

Which youth qualify

CSJ 2027 eligibility for the young person you hire has four parts. The youth must be:

• Between 15 and 30 years old at the start of their summer job
• A Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, for the duration of employment
• Legally entitled to work in Canada, including holding a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment
• Not an international student: international students are not eligible

The criteria do not require the youth to be a student; international students are the only student group excluded. If you are specifically hiring post-secondary co-op or work-integrated learning students, the Student Work Placement Program is a different wage subsidy built for that situation and is worth comparing.

Extra funding may be available to accommodate youth with disabilities. If you plan to hire a youth who needs accommodations, say so in the application.

What jobs qualify, and what does not

Every CSJ 2027 job must meet these conditions:

• Full-time: a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 40 hours a week
• In Canada: the work is performed in Canada
• Length: 6 to 16 consecutive weeks
• Dates: between April 19, 2027 and August 28, 2027

These activities are not eligible:

• Work outside Canada, including teleworking from outside Canada
• Personal services to the employer
• Partisan political activities
• Fundraising activities to cover the youth's salary
• Projects that discriminate on prohibited grounds or promote intolerance or prejudice
• Projects that actively work to weaken or limit a woman's access to sexual and reproductive health services

How the wage subsidy works

CSJ reimburses part of the youth's wages. The level depends on your sector:

• Not-for-profit employers: up to 100% of the provincial or territorial adult minimum hourly wage, plus mandatory employment-related costs (MERCs), plus an advance payment
• Public and private sector employers: up to 50% of the provincial or territorial adult minimum hourly wage, plus an advance payment. MERCs are not eligible for reimbursement

MERCs are the employer's share of legally required payroll costs: Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan or Quebec Pension Plan contributions, vacation pay, and workers' compensation where applicable.

Note that the subsidy is expressed as a share of the minimum hourly wage, not of what you actually pay. ESDC encourages employers to pay above minimum wage, but anything above the subsidized amount is your cost.

The illustration is our reading of the published percentages, not a quote. The amount you receive is set in your funding agreement, and ESDC may approve fewer weeks or less funding than you requested.

How to write a stronger application

Because demand typically exceeds funding, eligibility only gets you into the pool. ESDC's stated program objectives are to provide quality work experiences, support skill development, and respond to national and local priorities for youth facing barriers. Build the application around those three points.

Align with the national priorities

The 2027 national priorities are:

• Construction
• Environmental and climate-related activities
• Developing digital skills or gaining exposure to artificial intelligence
• Not-for-profit organizations supporting underserved and equity-deserving communities

If a job fits a priority, make the connection specific in the duties: what the youth will build, measure, install or deliver. Do not stretch a job to fit a priority it does not match. If your summer role is mostly digital work, also read our Digital Skills for Youth guide, since that is a separate federal youth program you may be able to consider alongside CSJ.

Check your local priorities

Local priorities are set for each constituency by Members of Parliament and are published on the CSJ website. Look up the priorities for the constituency where the job is located and address them directly where they fit.

Show supervision and mentoring

ESDC encourages, but does not require, a supervision plan and a mentoring plan. Name who will supervise the youth, how often they will meet, how the youth will be trained, and who they go to with questions. A job description that reads as a list of tasks with no one responsible for the youth is weaker than one that shows how the work experience will be managed.

Describe the quality of the work experience

Spell out the skills the youth will gain and how. ESDC also encourages employers to pay above minimum wage and to retain youth after the job ends. If either applies to you, say so plainly.

Be realistic about funded weeks

Funded organizations may receive fewer weeks or less funding than requested. Plan the job so it still works if you are approved for fewer weeks, and decide in advance whether you would run the role at your own cost for the balance.

What to prepare

Before you start the application, have these ready:

• Your CRA business number, and confirmation that your payroll deductions (RP) account is active
• The date your organization began operating, to confirm the 2-year test, or the details of your CSJ 2026 agreement and reimbursement if you rely on the exemption
• Your full-time headcount across Canada, counting staff working 30 or more hours a week, if you are a private employer
• A job description for each position: duties, hours per week, number of weeks, start and end dates within April 19 to August 28, 2027, and the work location in Canada
• Your wage per hour for each position
• A supervision plan and a mentoring plan for each position (encouraged by ESDC, not required)
• How each job connects to the national priorities and to your constituency's local priorities
• Any accommodations you expect to need if you plan to hire youth with disabilities
• GCOS access: register and verify your organization's identity early so you can use all GCOS features

A realistic timeline to December 3

As of October 28, the Canada Summer Jobs deadline is about five weeks away. A workable plan:

• Week 1: confirm the 2-year test or the CSJ 2026 exemption, confirm your CRA business number and payroll account, and count full-time staff if you are a private employer
• Week 1 to 2: register in GCOS and complete identity verification; look up your constituency's local priorities
• Week 2 to 3: draft job descriptions, supervision and mentoring plans, and the priority alignment for each position
• Week 4: review hours, weeks and dates against the program rules, then submit through GCOS and keep your confirmation number
• Week 5: buffer for missing information or technical problems before December 3 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time

Eastern employers should note that 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time is 2:59 a.m. Eastern on December 4, but do not plan to use those hours. If you are mailing a paper form, it must be postmarked on or before December 3, 2026. If you are delivering it in person, it must be received by the Service Canada office before its close of business on December 3, 2026.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying when the organization will not have 2 years of operations by December 31, 2026 and does not meet both parts of the CSJ 2026 exemption
• Having no CRA payroll deductions account, or applying under a related company's business number instead of your own
• Counting only one location when testing the 50 full-time employee limit
• Designing jobs under 30 hours a week, or planning weeks of fewer than 30 hours without an exception approved in advance
• Job dates outside April 19 to August 28, 2027, or fewer than 6 or more than 16 consecutive weeks
• Planning for a youth to work remotely from outside Canada
• Jobs that amount to personal services to the employer
• Hiring an international student, or a youth who will be over 30 at the start of the job
• Budgeting as a private employer as if MERCs will be reimbursed
• Assuming you will be funded for every week requested
• Sending the application by email or fax, which ESDC will not consider

How to apply

ESDC recommends applying online through GCOS. Starting in 2028, GCOS will be the only online platform for CSJ.

1. Register for GCOS, using your organization's CRA RP (payroll) business number, and verify your identity to access all GCOS features.
2. Under "Open Call for Proposals", select the call CFP-CSJ/AP-ÉEC-2026-307.
3. Complete and submit the application before December 3, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
4. Keep the confirmation number that appears on screen and is sent by email.

Two other methods are available:

• Online fillable form: completed and submitted in your browser using the "Submit to Service Canada" button. The session expires after 1 hour of inactivity, so draft long answers elsewhere first. This option will no longer be available starting with CSJ 2028.
• Paper form EMP5396A: by mail, postmarked on or before December 3, 2026, or in person at a Service Canada office before its close of business on December 3, 2026.

Not sure CSJ is the right fit, or want to see what else you qualify for? Use our Grant Finder to look at other programs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Canada Summer Jobs 2027 deadline?

Applications are accepted from October 27, 2026 to December 3, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Paper applications sent by mail must be postmarked on or before December 3, 2026, and in-person applications must be received before the Service Canada office's close of business that day.

Is Canada Summer Jobs a grant?

No. It is a wage subsidy that reimburses part of the wages you pay a youth employee. Not-for-profits can receive up to 100% of the provincial or territorial adult minimum hourly wage plus mandatory employment-related costs. Public and private employers can receive up to 50% of the minimum hourly wage.

Can a small business apply for Canada Summer Jobs?

Yes, if it has 50 or fewer full-time employees across Canada when it applies, where full-time means 30 or more hours a week. It must also have its own CRA business number, a CRA payroll deductions account before hiring, and at least 2 years of operations by December 31, 2026 unless it qualifies for the CSJ 2026 exemption.

What if my organization has been operating for less than 2 years?

You can still apply if you met all the conditions of your CSJ 2026 funding agreement and received reimbursement for at least one CSJ-funded job under CSJ 2026. Otherwise you must have been in operation for at least 2 years by December 31, 2026.

Who can I hire under CSJ 2027?

Youth who are 15 to 30 years old at the start of the job, who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents or persons with refugee protection conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and who are legally entitled to work in Canada with a valid Social Insurance Number. International students are not eligible.

How long can a CSJ job last?

Between 6 and 16 consecutive weeks, at 30 to 40 hours a week, between April 19, 2027 and August 28, 2027. Wages for weeks with fewer than 30 hours may be ineligible unless an exception is approved in advance.

Do private employers get mandatory employment-related costs reimbursed?

No. MERCs, such as the employer's share of EI, CPP or QPP, vacation pay and workers' compensation, are reimbursed for not-for-profit employers only. Public and private employers receive up to 50% of the minimum hourly wage plus an advance payment.

Will I get funding for all the weeks I ask for?

Not necessarily. ESDC says applications typically exceed available funding, not all eligible projects are funded, and funded organizations may receive less funding or fewer weeks than requested.