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Working as freelancer for foreign clients while on work permit

galaxys0

Full Member
Aug 15, 2018
24
1
Hello everyone, as I understand, you're permitted to work as a freelancer for foreign clients, as long as you don't compete with Canadian citizens and residents.

From canada.ca:

  • long distance (by telephone or Internet) work done by a temporary resident whose employer is outside Canada and who is remunerated from outside Canada;


What I want to understand is, to do this kind of work to earn extra money on the side, do I have to pay taxes on that income to Canada? Since I can't be self employed, this wouldn't really be possible.. or would it?

I would need to be self employed from my country of citizenship and form my company/self employment there. Also open the bank account where I would be getting paid from international clients there.

I would be happy to pay those taxes to Canada if it would count towards meeting requirements of the minimum income necessary from parents sponsorship along with my Canadian work.
 

scylla

VIP Member
Jun 8, 2010
96,979
22,919
Toronto
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
28-05-2010
AOR Received.
19-08-2010
File Transfer...
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05-10-2010
Hello everyone, as I understand, you're permitted to work as a freelancer for foreign clients, as long as you don't compete with Canadian citizens and residents.

From canada.ca:

  • long distance (by telephone or Internet) work done by a temporary resident whose employer is outside Canada and who is remunerated from outside Canada;


What I want to understand is, to do this kind of work to earn extra money on the side, do I have to pay taxes on that income to Canada? Since I can't be self employed, this wouldn't really be possible.. or would it?

I would need to be self employed from my country of citizenship and form my company/self employment there. Also open the bank account where I would be getting paid from international clients there.

I would be happy to pay those taxes to Canada if it would count towards meeting requirements of the minimum income necessary from parents sponsorship along with my Canadian work.
Yes - you can freelance provided none of your customers / clients are Canadian themselves or are companies with Canadian clients.

Yes - you would need to declare this income in your Canadian tax return.
 

galaxys0

Full Member
Aug 15, 2018
24
1
Yes - you can freelance provided none of your customers / clients are Canadian themselves or are companies with Canadian clients.

Yes - you would need to declare this income in your Canadian tax return.

Thanks for the reply scylla.

Do you know where I can find more information about this?

I am trying to understand how this works without being illegal.
So can I just set up a company elsewhere in the world, open bank account there, and then declare the income I earn from that company (from non-Canadian sources) in my Canadian tax return? And count it towards meeting tax requirements for sponsorship?

So that would be all legal right?