Unpaid sabbatical - need a work permit?

[sliceoftoast]

I'm a scientist planning on going to Canada for 6 months on sabbatical starting in November. I'll continue to be employed and paid by the organisation I work for in the US and I won't receive any kind of benefits from the Canadian institution I'll be visiting. Do you know whether I'll be able to enter Canada as a visitor, or will I need a work permit? I'm British, if that makes any difference.

By the way, it's totally maddening that I haven't been able to figure this out from the embassy or CIC websites or been able to find a useful phone number or email address to ask this simple question. UGH.

Thanks so much if you can help!

 

[Leon]

How about the institution you will be visiting? Would they not know if you need a work permit?

In the foreign worker manual at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english//resources/manuals/fw/fw01-eng.pdf you can find a clause about visiting professors on page 77:

Visiting professors
Visiting professors may be issued work permits pursuant to R205(b), C22. They are people
working for a period of not more than two academic years to take a position with a post
secondary institution and who retain their position abroad. Visiting professors may also include
those on sabbatical who are doing collaborative research with a Canadian post-secondary
institution

It would probably be best that you make an enquiry to the Canadian Embassy in London, see http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/united_kingdom-royaume_uni/visas/enquiry-how_demande-comment.aspx for their contact info.

 

[sliceoftoast]

Thanks for the link, that looks like it might answer some questions. I'll go and do some digging.

The institution I'm visiting says all immigration issues will have to be worked out on my end. I found the web form at the UK embassy and filled it in, but I'm not sure they'll think my question is "eligible", and the automatic reply says they'll answer within 28 days