+1(514) 937-9445 or Toll-free (Canada & US) +1 (888) 947-9445

International student working full-time from abroad

PedroCoral

Star Member
Oct 23, 2020
72
21
As an international student, I'm studying online and working remotely full-time in my home country. Can I travel to Canada, and still study online and keep working remotely, without affecting my visa?

Regards,
P
 

arhue

Star Member
Aug 17, 2020
172
65
Category........
STUDY
Visa Office......
Ottawa
NOC Code......
2173
I want to know this too(and any implications on study permit/PGWP). What if I don't enter Canada and study/work full-time from my home country? What are the implications on taxes and PGWP? Would I need to file in Canada as well?
 
Last edited:

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
55,588
13,519
As an international student, I'm studying online and working remotely full-time in my home country. Can I travel to Canada, and still study online and keep working remotely, without affecting my visa?

Regards,
P
Yes as long as your employer has no offices or customers in Canada. You'll need to declare your income.
 

arhue

Star Member
Aug 17, 2020
172
65
Category........
STUDY
Visa Office......
Ottawa
NOC Code......
2173
Yes as long as your employer has no offices or customers in Canada. You'll need to declare your income.
The office clause is fine, can you point to the customer clause in the law? Most SaaS companies have tons of customers and I imagine the company I work for may end up having one from Canada. I don't want to be in breach of any terms of my study permit. Also would I need to quit my job by the time my classes begin?
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
55,588
13,519
The office clause is fine, can you point to the customer clause in the law? Most SaaS companies have tons of customers and I imagine the company I work for may end up having one from Canada. I don't want to be in breach of any terms of my study permit. Also would I need to quit my job by the time my classes begin?
You can work 20 hours like any other student and will need to declare your international income. Will try to find the proof. Others are better than me at locating the pages on the government website. While studying in Canada, Canada wants your primarily goal to be studying. Students are able to work 20 hours a week and unless they work solely in a company that has no affiliation with Canada then you can only work 20 hours. Canada knows that larger companies will have ties to Canada which will prevent people from working full-time remotely while going to school. In general Canada will not allow people to work without the proper permit (or follow the limitation of their WP) and compete with the Canadian market on various levels.
 

Blu6zat

Newbie
Nov 25, 2020
6
1
You can work full time remotely if your employer is not based in canada. It does not have anything to do with customers being in Canada or anywhere else.

You should just not be competing with Canada's labour market is what they mean.

Having said that, it should not affect your studies because that might affect your study permit conditions.

Source: IRCC

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/temporary-residents/foreign-workers/what-is-work.html

“Work” is defined in the Regulations as an activity for which wages are paid or commission is earned, or that competes directly with activities of Canadian citizens or permanent residents in the Canadian labour market.

An activity which does not really 'take away' from opportunities for Canadians or permanent residents to gain employment or experience in the workplace is not “work” for the purposes of the definition.

Examples of activities for which a person would not normally be remunerated or which would not compete directly with Canadian citizens or permanent residents in the Canadian labour market and which would normally be part-time or incidental to the reason that the person is in Canada include, but are not limited to:
long distance (by telephone or Internet) work done by a temporary resident whose employer is outside Canada and who is remunerated from outside Canada;

Side note: This is info based on IRCC's website but you should do your own research to come to a conclusion.

Bonus source:
Refer to the 2 replies on this tweet by IRCC. They're not relevant to the original question but might help you make decision!
 
  • Like
Reactions: PedroCoral