Permanent Residency while working remotely from US?

[djohns]

Hello! I'm a US citizen, and work for a small US employer. According to the CIC website, I have enough points for immigration... but only if I answer the "have a job offer in Canada" question with "yes." The problem is, I _like_ my job and want to continue working for them for a while. They would allow me to work remotely from Canada; however, since the CIC doesn't explicitly describe that case, I'm thinking about calling them. I figured I'd drop a line here, however, and see if anyone had any insight.

(1) Can I initiate the immigration process while working remotely for a company in the US?
(2) If I work remotely from Canada for a total of 2 years (appropriately spaced to avoid overstaying my visitor visa) am I then eligible to apply for Permanent Residency?

 

[Leon]

1) If there is an immigration class you qualify under, then yes but if you are in the situation that you need a job offer to qualify, you must actually have a job offer. Working remotely from Canada for a company in the US will not help you there.

2) There is no immigration class for people who stay in Canada as visitors for 2 years.

What you could do is go as a visitor, work remotely for your employer in the US and also look for a job offer in Canada at the same time that will allow you to apply for your immigration.

 

[alexchristi]

Hello! I'm a US citizen, and work for a small US employer. According to the CIC website, I have enough points for immigration... but only if I answer the "have a job offer in Canada" question with "yes." The problem is, I _like_ my job and want to continue working for them for a while. They would allow me to work remotely from Canada; however, since the CIC doesn't explicitly describe that case, I'm thinking about calling them. I figured I'd drop a line here, however, and see if anyone had any insight.

(1) Can I initiate the immigration process while working remotely for a company in the US?
(2) If I work remotely from Canada for a total of 2 years (appropriately spaced to avoid overstaying my visitor visa) am I then eligible to apply for Permanent Residency?

the Q to which you answer "yes" refers to a job offer from a canadian employer with approvals from Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC).