Advice needed: visitors working remotely in Canada

[spacecad]

Hi all

I have found posts on this forum about visitors being allowed to work remotely from Canada for their non-Canadian companies. I have read through FW01-eng.pdf on the CIC website, however, it doesn't specify whether a person in my situation is allowed to work remotely from Canada.

To save a lot of writing I'll explain my situation in bullet points:

- I am a self-employed web developer based in New Zealand.
- I lived in Canada for two years in the past.
- I have a contract with a Canadian company to do web development for them.
- The Canadian company pay me in Canadian dollars into my New Zealand bank account.
- I pay New Zealand taxes on the money I earn regardless of where the money originated from.
- I am going to visit friends in Canada for a few months and wish to continue my remote working contract while in Canada for the Canadian company. If allowed, I will still be paid into my New Zealand bank account and pay New Zealand taxes.

If anyone has any insight into whether I will legally be allowed to work remotely in Canada, as a self-employed New Zealander who happens to fulfill a contract for a Canadian company, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance

 

[scylla]

You would be fine working remotely from Canada as a visitor if your employer was NOT a Canadian company and if that company had no Canadian clients. Since the company is Canadian, you need a work permit to legally work for them while physically in Canada.

 

[txboyscout]

Hi all

I have found posts on this forum about visitors being allowed to work remotely from Canada for their non-Canadian companies. I have read through FW01-eng.pdf on the CIC website, however, it doesn't specify whether a person in my situation is allowed to work remotely from Canada.

To save a lot of writing I'll explain my situation in bullet points:

- I am a self-employed web developer based in New Zealand.
- I lived in Canada for two years in the past.
- I have a contract with a Canadian company to do web development for them.
- The Canadian company pay me in Canadian dollars into my New Zealand bank account.
- I pay New Zealand taxes on the money I earn regardless of where the money originated from.
- I am going to visit friends in Canada for a few months and wish to continue my remote working contract while in Canada for the Canadian company. If allowed, I will still be paid into my New Zealand bank account and pay New Zealand taxes.

If anyone has any insight into whether I will legally be allowed to work remotely in Canada, as a self-employed New Zealander who happens to fulfill a contract for a Canadian company, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance

As pointed out, your employer is Canadian so you cannot work on a visit visa, you will have to get a WP

 

[spacecad]

Thanks for your responses. Because I am self-employed I am my own employer (I pay for my own equipment, healthcare etc and pay my own taxes), but I happen to have a Canadian client. If I have a Canadian client does the same rule still apply that I cannot work remotely from Canada?

Thanks again for all your help.

 

[Jalex23]

Thanks for your responses. Because I am self-employed I am my own employer (I pay for my own equipment, healthcare etc and pay my own taxes), but I happen to have a Canadian client. If I have a Canadian client does the same rule still apply that I cannot work remotely from Canada?

Thanks again for all your help.

Of course, you are taking money from a Canadian client on Canadian soil.

 

[scylla]

Thanks for your responses. Because I am self-employed I am my own employer (I pay for my own equipment, healthcare etc and pay my own taxes), but I happen to have a Canadian client. If I have a Canadian client does the same rule still apply that I cannot work remotely from Canada?

Thanks again for all your help.

Correct - you cannot work remotely in Canada without a work permit (which you won't be able to obtain as a self-employer person).

 

[spacecad]

Thanks for the clarification, scylla