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Work related travel outside Canada

shannon388

Hero Member
Dec 15, 2017
328
48
Hello, I got invited to apply for PGP this year. I haven't applied yet, but will be in Canada when I'll apply.

I am a PR, who travels a lot for work related purposes (I can get letters from both my department chair, and the receiving institution), including internationally, for some ~3 months per year. Travel is an integral part of my job -- I have many collaborative projects in the US -- and although not "required" in the strict sense (as for e.g. truck drivers), not travelling internationally for long would easily lead to unsatisfactory performances (since it leads to halting most of my projects). My job in Canada is a permanent one, i.e. with no explicit end date, but subject to performance review, and unsatisfactory performances can lead to troubles. I also maintain a (rented) principal residence in Canada.

How much time are we generally allowed to travel internationally for work and still being considered "residing in Canada"?

Thanks!
 

Scarpetta

Star Member
Apr 28, 2021
135
46
Category........
FAM
I think you'll probably need to hear from more senior members as I don't know the specifics of the PGP, but I have been in this situation in the past in terms of being a foreign national residing abroad and traveling a lot for work. As long as you maintain a legal address, pay your taxes (which also means you spend over 183 days a year in Canada) - your legal residence is in Canada. The UK's indefinite leave to remain (=Canadian PR) has a rule of not more than 180 days outside in a consecutive 12-months period. If you can't find more specific information in the Canadian PR guidelines, maybe you could use this number as sort of a rule-of-thumb.
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
15,224
7,750
How much time are we generally allowed to travel internationally for work and still being considered "residing in Canada"?
The stricter interpretation of the rule is being resident in Canada - which one could go on about for some time.

But short form, if you are lving in Canada in all senses, working in Canada, and only leaving for shorter periods (eg a few weeks or less than a month at a time) and it's not more than 3 months total a year, AND you clearly have no fixed residence or destination other than Canada, probably will have no problem. Clear business trips eg to USA and Europe pretty obviously not issues.

to the extent there is a pattern to cases where issues, it's those applying from abroad or spending a lot of time (months, continuous) in their home country.

None of tht's a guarantee though but if as you described above (and not eg all those institutions are in home city where parents live and home etc), probably ok.
 

shannon388

Hero Member
Dec 15, 2017
328
48
I think you'll probably need to hear from more senior members as I don't know the specifics of the PGP, but I have been in this situation in the past in terms of being a foreign national residing abroad and traveling a lot for work. As long as you maintain a legal address, pay your taxes (which also means you spend over 183 days a year in Canada) - your legal residence is in Canada. The UK's indefinite leave to remain (=Canadian PR) has a rule of not more than 180 days outside in a consecutive 12-months period. If you can't find more specific information in the Canadian PR guidelines, maybe you could use this number as sort of a rule-of-thumb.
Thanks a lot for the info!
 
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shannon388

Hero Member
Dec 15, 2017
328
48
The stricter interpretation of the rule is being resident in Canada - which one could go on about for some time.

But short form, if you are lving in Canada in all senses, working in Canada, and only leaving for shorter periods (eg a few weeks or less than a month at a time) and it's not more than 3 months total a year, AND you clearly have no fixed residence or destination other than Canada, probably will have no problem. Clear business trips eg to USA and Europe pretty obviously not issues.

to the extent there is a pattern to cases where issues, it's those applying from abroad or spending a lot of time (months, continuous) in their home country.

None of tht's a guarantee though but if as you described above (and not eg all those institutions are in home city where parents live and home etc), probably ok.
Thanks a lot for the clarification. Yes, my trips are for business (can get letters from my supervisor/employer and the host institution to prove this). I don't have a place in the US, and my destinations are mostly scattered across the US (FL, VA, IN). My parents are in Italy, and I visit them 3 weeks per year. My home country should be Italy (born in China, but left for Italy at the age of 5, and lived in Italy until 26).

Could you advise if my situation could look a bit more complicated, at least in "appearance" (I understand there could be some subjective judgment here), and what I should do to avoid (potential) issues, if any? Details: my wife is in Miami (I didn't use her status to apply for the Green card, even though I am eligible to, as I plan to stay in Canada long term), she has a house there bought before we got married, with only her name on the ownership, and one of the institutions I visit on business trips is in Miami (I have longstanding joint projects there, from before marriage). My business trips to Miami amount to 3-4 weeks per year. Also, my trips in the US are not broken by returning to Canada (I use the weekends to travel within the US, it makes much more sense than going back to Canada and then to the US again -- I work at a university, so travel is concentrated in months without teaching) so I might stay in the US, but in different states, for 1-2 months in a row.

Thanks!
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
15,224
7,750
Could you advise if my situation could look a bit more complicated, at least in "appearance" (I understand there could be some subjective judgment here), and what I should do to avoid (potential) issues, if any?
I don't really think anyone can give you advice, it's up to you. The obvious complicated points are when you stay longer in one other country/locale esp where your spouse is (as actually living most of the time separate from one's spouse is ... well, not within the usual expectation).

As you noted, it's open to subjective judgment and doesn't mean there's anything 'wrong' with it per se. Perhaps not of interest to anyone at all.

Note though that the issue (from high-level public policy perspective) is allowing someone to sponsor parents on basis of 20-year financial commitment ... and them leaving Canada and that financial commitment being essentially useless.
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
52,959
12,758
Thanks a lot for the clarification. Yes, my trips are for business (can get letters from my supervisor/employer and the host institution to prove this). I don't have a place in the US, and my destinations are mostly scattered across the US (FL, VA, IN). My parents are in Italy, and I visit them 3 weeks per year. My home country should be Italy (born in China, but left for Italy at the age of 5, and lived in Italy until 26).

Could you advise if my situation could look a bit more complicated, at least in "appearance" (I understand there could be some subjective judgment here), and what I should do to avoid (potential) issues, if any? Details: my wife is in Miami (I didn't use her status to apply for the Green card, even though I am eligible to, as I plan to stay in Canada long term), she has a house there bought before we got married, with only her name on the ownership, and one of the institutions I visit on business trips is in Miami (I have longstanding joint projects there, from before marriage). My business trips to Miami amount to 3-4 weeks per year. Also, my trips in the US are not broken by returning to Canada (I use the weekends to travel within the US, it makes much more sense than going back to Canada and then to the US again -- I work at a university, so travel is concentrated in months without teaching) so I might stay in the US, but in different states, for 1-2 months in a row.

Thanks!
Have you been working for a Canadian employer for the past 3 years or a US university? Having a spouse not living in Canada also creates concerns about whether you live in Canada or the US.
 

shannon388

Hero Member
Dec 15, 2017
328
48
Have you been working for a Canadian employer for the past 3 years or a US university? Having a spouse not living in Canada also creates concerns about whether you live in Canada or the US.
I worked in a Canadian university (full time, continuously) for the past 3 years.

My wife works in a university in Miami. This situation -- spouses working at different universities located far apart -- is actually quite common in academia (the so-called "two-body problem" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-body_problem_(career))