While a visitor, is it illegal to babysit or do non-paid work ?

[Subbanator]

When I come to Canada as a visitor while waiting for our sponsorship application to be approved, I know I will be bored out of my mind. Plus it would be really helpful to generate some income, however small. I know I cannot officially work as a visitor and I do not want to break any laws whatsoever, but would casual babysitting be illegal then? I guess so, because technically I would be taking away work from a citizen?

Alternatively, can you take on a non-paid job such as an internship?

 

[scylla]

Yes - it's illegal.

 

[Subbanator]

Both or just the babysitting?

 

[rhcohen2014]

both - an internship is generally real work that a company doesn't want to pay someone for. ANY job that a person can receive compensation for is considered work, and a visitor can NOT legally work while in canada. That means babysitting and "internships" are out because tehcnically you are taking that opportunity away from a canadian who can do the job just as well.

This also applies to volunteering: I can NOT volunteer to work in an office and do office work because more likely than not, that company/organization would pay a canadian to do that job if i was not there. I CAN go and play with puppies at a shelter or serve food at a soup kitchen, because normally these are not jobs that canadians are paid to do.

ANY position that a company would pay someone to do is considered work, no matter if money is being exchanged or not. It's about the "work" being done, not the amount of compensation being received. Kid you not, i've decided not to "volunteer" for the local farmer's market, because volunteers receive free veggies, and i don't want it to look like i'm getting compensated for work performed. Since i intend to continue to cross the border while i wait for my application to approve, i feel like it's better to be safe than sorry!

 

[Subbanator]

Thank you, that makes it very clear.

 

[keesio]

rhcohen2014 explained it perfectly (it should be FAQ-ed somewhere).

Really the only "volunteer" work you can do is in a place/position where they only use volunteers for the task. Basically a purely volunteer-only position that would never get filled by a paid worker.

 

[Rob_TO]

Speaking of babysitting: http://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2014/07/04/ottawas_slow_gears_force_nanny_into_desperate_work_and_deportation.html

Ottawa has deemed the Filipino nanny guilty of “misrepresentation” in her permanent resident application because she worked under the table briefly as a babysitter to survive and support her children back in Manila, while waiting for a new “open” work permit to arrive during an immigration backlog in 2009 and 2010.

 

[azarme09]

You can do volunteer work that is LISTED as volunteer work. I volunteer at three very prominent locations and one of them is under the local government. You can't offer to volunteer for an otherwise paid position but you can apply for volunteer opportunities.

 

[rhcohen2014]

You can do volunteer work that is LISTED as volunteer work. I volunteer at three very prominent locations and one of them is under the local government. You can't offer to volunteer for an otherwise paid position but you can apply for volunteer opportunities.

i'm curious then... If the farmer's market advertises opportunities for volunteers, and classifies you as a volunteer through registration, does it matter if they give you free vegetables in exchange for your time?

 

[azarme09]

i'm curious then... If the farmer's market advertises opportunities for volunteers, and classifies you as a volunteer through registration, does it matter if they give you free vegetables in exchange for your time?

I'm sure that can't be considered payment as it is a "gift." The place where I volunteer give me TTC tokens for my travel & I get discounts to certain ticketed events.

 

[rhcohen2014]

I'm sure that can't be considered payment as it is a "gift." The place where I volunteer give me TTC tokens for my travel & I get discounts to certain ticketed events.

cool, thanks! opens the door to possibilities now!

 

[canvis2006]

I'm very sure that many of the visa-exempt visitors arriving in Canada for summer are working on cash jobs, e.g. construction, landscaping, etc
There is no way/resources to catch them, nobody cares really. A 6-month entry is really enough for some to make enough cash to take back home for the rest of the year
This would also include those who have visas and come as visitors.

Nobody really monitors the visitors as to what they;re doing...just don't get caught. CIC/CBSA does not have enough resources for this.

 

[Rob_TO]

I'm very sure that many of the visa-exempt visitors arriving in Canada for summer are working on cash jobs, e.g. construction, landscaping, etc
There is no way/resources to catch them, nobody cares really. A 6-month entry is really enough for some to make enough cash to take back home for the rest of the year
This would also include those who have visas and come as visitors.

Nobody really monitors the visitors as to what they;re doing...just don't get caught. CIC/CBSA does not have enough resources for this.

One of the most common ways CIC or CBSA finds out about people working illegally, is from tips.

So the best piece of advice anyone can get if they insist on working in a cash job while a visitor here, is don't tell anybody, not even your closest friends. All it takes is 1 person to have a grudge against you for whatever reason and send a tip to CIC you are working illegally, and you are screwed.

 

[keesio]

One of the most common ways CIC or CBSA finds out about people working illegally, is from tips.

So the best piece of advice anyone can get if they insist on working in a cash job while a visitor here, is don't tell anybody, not even your closest friends. All it takes is 1 person to have a grudge against you for whatever reason and send a tip to CIC you are working illegally, and you are screwed.

Yeah this has happened before. There was a case where one guy was caught working illegally and deported. But before he was kicked out, he blew the whistle on his "employer" and the employer and the others who were also working under the table got busted.

 

[Subbanator]

I will definitely stick to strictly volunteer positions... thanks everyone.