Getting paid for consulting work in Canada

[morgan22]

I'm an American citizen currently residing in Canada. I'm working on completing my Permanent Residence application, which will be sponsored by my common-law partner. I will start grad school in Canada this September, so I'll likely have a student visa before my PR comes through. My question is about getting paid as a consultant before I have either the student visa or the PR.

I've been volunteering with an organization here that has offered to pay me as a consultant to do a project for the next 3 months. What are the (above the table) options to do this? The organization says that they will sponsor me for a work permit if need be. They also suggested I look into setting up an American company and billing them through that (but would I need a business visa to do this?) Would it be possible to get my student visa earlier and be paid through that? Or could they pay me retroactively later in the year, when I have my student visa?

Any input and ideas are welcome.

 

[computergeek]

I'm an American citizen currently residing in Canada. I'm working on completing my Permanent Residence application, which will be sponsored by my common-law partner. I will start grad school in Canada this September, so I'll likely have a student visa before my PR comes through. My question is about getting paid as a consultant before I have either the student visa or the PR.

I've been volunteering with an organization here that has offered to pay me as a consultant to do a project for the next 3 months. What are the (above the table) options to do this? The organization says that they will sponsor me for a work permit if need be. They also suggested I look into setting up an American company and billing them through that (but would I need a business visa to do this?) Would it be possible to get my student visa earlier and be paid through that? Or could they pay me retroactively later in the year, when I have my student visa?

Any input and ideas are welcome.

You should see if the work qualifies under NAFTA. If so, getting a work permit is trivial to do because it does not require an LMO.

Setting up a US Company to bill them in Canada won't work - you're a permanent establishment IN Canada, so you'd be technically violating the law (though it would get THEM off the hook.)

If you set up a Canadian company, be prepared to pay an accountant a lot of money to file your 5471s (or learn to do it yourself - that's what I've had to do.)

 

[morgan22]

I've just checked the NAFTA Professionals list and I may be able to qualify as a management consultant. Is it possible to apply for the work permit from within Canada?

 

[morgan22]

Also, how much would it cost to apply for the work permit?

 

[computergeek]

I've just checked the NAFTA Professionals list and I may be able to qualify as a management consultant. Is it possible to apply for the work permit from within Canada?

Yes. If you are near a border, you can also drive down and turn around and pick it up (this is referred to as "flag polling"). Inland application seems to take about 1.5-2 months, border takes about 20 minutes. Fastest turn-around inland is for online applications (scan and upload)

The fee is $150, the application is on the website. Note, the inland application is not the same as the border application ("application from outside canada" = "border" and "application to extend, change conditions, etc" is for application inside Canada, because you'd be changing from visitor to worker.) They want two photographs at the border though I've never seen them use both, and usually they don't even use one.

 

[PMM]

Hi

Yes. If you are near a border, you can also drive down and turn around and pick it up (this is referred to as "flag polling"). Inland application seems to take about 1.5-2 months, border takes about 20 minutes. Fastest turn-around inland is for online applications (scan and upload)

The fee is $150, the application is on the website. Note, the inland application is not the same as the border application ("application from outside canada" = "border" and "application to extend, change conditions, etc" is for application inside Canada, because you'd be changing from visitor to worker.) They want two photographs at the border though I've never seen them use both, and usually they don't even use one.

Should note that as a Management Consultant the OP requires 5 years experience to be eligible under NAFTA http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/fw/fw01-eng.pdf page 159

Management Consultant (See
notes below for further details.)
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or equivalent
professional experience as established by statement or
professional credential attesting to five years experience as a
management consultant, or five years experience in a field of expertise.