self-employed: working while waiting

[jackgrump]

Hello,

Where do you turn when you want to ask for permission to work, self-employed, while you await PR status? Is there an agency, phone number? Any tips?

I'm sitting here in Quebec, waiting for the birth of my son, trying to arrange the papers for my Family Class application, and I'm told I cannot work. I have a good job as a translator with US clients (i.e., no competition with Canadian workers), and would love to both spend all the money I make into the Canadian economy, and also to keep my wife and child from being completely dependent on the welfare state. Seems like it would be a win for everybody, but I'm not finding any help anywhere!

Thanks for any and all responses!

 

[screech339]

Hello,

Where do you turn when you want to ask for permission to work, self-employed, while you await PR status? Is there an agency, phone number? Any tips?

I'm sitting here in Quebec, waiting for the birth of my son, trying to arrange the papers for my Family Class application, and I'm told I cannot work. I have a good job as a translator with US clients (i.e., no competition with Canadian workers), and would love to both spend all the money I make into the Canadian economy, and also to keep my wife and child from being completely dependent on the welfare state. Seems like it would be a win for everybody, but I'm not finding any help anywhere!

Thanks for any and all responses!

If you submitted your application inland and you submitted your OWP with your application, you cannot legally work for anyone until you get your OWP. You cannot even work as a translator for US clients unless the paycheques come from outside Canada, otherwise you are working illegally. You would have to file US income tax if you are getting paid from US clients. I am sure IRS would be interested in you.

Screech339

 

[jackgrump]

Thanks for the reply!

Exactly - all the income comes from outside Canada, and I pay US taxes (as a US resident until I get PR in Canada - which is at least two years from now!). In other words, I'm a little machine for bringing US cash into the Canadian economy, and I don't compete with any Canadians.

And it will be an outland application, too ... so I'm technically a tourist/visitor in Canada.

Any ideas who I can talk to? I get the impression there's simply nobody who cares / nobody's job is to care about this kind of issue. I'd so love to find a phone number, or even just an NGO ... or something!

 

[sounion]

Not sure you need to contact anyone. You can just work for US clients with their paychecks coming to you from the US and no one will show up and deport you or anything.

What do you need to speak to someone about? Perhaps I am not understanding.

 

[scylla]

Not sure you need to contact anyone. You can just work for US clients with their paychecks coming to you from the US and no one will show up and deport you or anything.

Agreed. As long as all of the clients and payments are located outside of Canada - there's no issue.

 

[jackgrump]

ah, great!

At the border, they were really direct about saying that I can't work, even just for myself. Hopefully they were somehow only talking about income originating from Canada, though.

 

[screech339]

ah, great!

At the border, they were really direct about saying that I can't work, even just for myself. Hopefully they were somehow only talking about income originating from Canada, though.

You can work for anyone/company so long as the paycheques comes from outside Canada and that they don't report to Canada Revenue Agency.

Screech339

 

[jomz]

Hello,

...and also to keep my wife and child from being completely dependent on the welfare state. Seems like it would be a win for everybody, but I'm not finding any help anywhere!

Thanks for any and all responses!

I am unsure what your wife's status is but if your wife is currently on social assistance I do not think that she can sponsor you. If she is living off savings that's a different story. Maybe other senior members can shed some light on this for you as well.

 

[sounion]

I am unsure what your wife's status is but if your wife is currently on social assistance I do not think that she can sponsor you. If she is living off savings that's a different story. Maybe other senior members can shed some light on this for you as well.

this is a good point jomz. CIC will NOT allow her to sponsor you if she is on welfare. She will be required to show her income (even if it is 0$ she can sponsor you - so long as she isn't collecting). EI is fine though.

 

[screech339]

I am unsure what your wife's status is but if your wife is currently on social assistance I do not think that she can sponsor you. If she is living off savings that's a different story. Maybe other senior members can shed some light on this for you as well.

While it is a good point to make. CIC will not allow you to sponsor anyone if the sponor is currently on social assistance. However OP mentioned that his paycheque is preventing his wife and child from going on welfare. So she can legally sponsor him for PR.

Screech339