full-time remote work on Student visa

[ignacioDeLaB]

Can an international student under Study permit that allows to work off-campus, is allowed to work remotely full-time (40 hrs/week) for a company outside Canada? Can we work as consultants/service provider (not payroll)? Based on my research this seems possible:

• "Working from home for a company in another country doesn't count as working in Canada. The limitation of 20 hours doesn't apply." sources:
  
  https://twitter.com/x/status/1266384097376600065
  https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...y-residents/foreign-workers/what-is-work.html
• Tax obligations still apply under Canadian laws.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Naturgrl]

Can an international student under Study permit that allows to work off-campus, is allowed to work remotely full-time (40 hrs/week) for a company outside Canada? Can we work as consultants/service provider (not payroll)? Based on my research this seems possible:

• "Working from home for a company in another country doesn't count as working in Canada. The limitation of 20 hours doesn't apply." sources:
  
  https://twitter.com/x/status/1266384097376600065
  https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...y-residents/foreign-workers/what-is-work.html
• Tax obligations still apply under Canadian laws.

Thanks in advance!

Yes you can as long as your employer doesn’t have Canadian offices or clients.

 

[ignacioDeLaB]

Yes you can as long as your employer doesn’t have Canadian offices or clients.

Thanks for the response! I accepted the job. In case I'd need more resources do you offer hourly consultancy?

 

[fatehparminder]

Yes you can as long as your employer doesn’t have Canadian offices or clients.

What if a company has clients and offices throughout the world. I take the view that It is about which location an employee is joined to. Let's suppose I work as a software engineer in an MNC. But I work for an Indian branch. Such cases should not be a problem.

 

[fatehparminder]

Can an international student under Study permit that allows to work off-campus, is allowed to work remotely full-time (40 hrs/week) for a company outside Canada? Can we work as consultants/service provider (not payroll)? Based on my research this seems possible:

• "Working from home for a company in another country doesn't count as working in Canada. The limitation of 20 hours doesn't apply." sources:
  
  https://twitter.com/x/status/1266384097376600065
  https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...y-residents/foreign-workers/what-is-work.html
• Tax obligations still apply under Canadian laws.

Thanks in advance!

Thank you for this valuable information. I was trying to clearing my this same doubt by doing some google. What does this mean "1/2 Working"? I didn't get this could you please tell me?

 

[scylla]

Thank you for this valuable information. I was trying to clearing my this same doubt by doing some google. What does this mean "1/2 Working"? I didn't get this could you please tell me?

The "1/2" means it's one of two tweets on the same topic. It has nothing to do with working or the rules.

 

[YVR123]

What if a company has clients and offices throughout the world. I take the view that It is about which location an employee is joined to. Let's suppose I work as a software engineer in an MNC. But I work for an Indian branch. Such cases should not be a problem.

It would be a problem. That's why knowing the company "doesn’t have Canadian offices or clients. " is important.

 

[Shivani Nimbalkar]

What if a company has clients and offices throughout the world. I take the view that It is about which location an employee is joined to. Let's suppose I work as a software engineer in an MNC. But I work for an Indian branch. Such cases should not be a problem.

Did you work?? I am in similar situation

 

[theonlyone1]

Did you work?? I am in similar situation

I am currently in the same situation and yes we can work full time remotely.

It explicitly says on the "What is work?" page the following:

What kind of activities are not considered to be “work”?

• 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;
• ....

 

[Precious18]

I am currently in the same situation and yes we can work full time remotely.

It explicitly says on the "What is work?" page the following:

What if I work remotely for a company in another province that is now opening a branch in my province, so after a few months I will be moved to that branch. Does that also count.

 

[Naturgrl]

What if I work remotely for a company in another province that is now opening a branch in my province, so after a few months I will be moved to that branch. Does that also count.

So you are a student and the company is in another province so you can work up to 24 hours per week.

 

[Precious18]

So you are a student and the company is in another province so you can work up to 24 hours per week.

O
Thanks wanted to confirm

 

[YVR123]

What if I work remotely for a company in another province that is now opening a branch in my province, so after a few months I will be moved to that branch. Does that also count.

Your situation is very different from OP. You are working for a Canadian employer remotely. So you need to work according to what's allow in your permit.
For students, it's 24 hours per week.

 

[mahimairaja]

Hi, Is this still applicable in 2025?

 

[Naturgrl]

Hi, Is this still applicable in 2025?

Who is your employer, where and does employer have any Canadian offices/clients/employees?