Working Online in Canada Without a Permit

[KatZander]

While I had a valid work visa, I had a Patreon account where I raked in some extra monthly revenue. My visa has since expired and I'm waiting on a response to become a permanent resident, so I cannot legally "work" at the moment. Thus, I've put my Patreon on pause.

However, I was digging a little deeper and I was wondering if I can unpause my Patreon. On the canada.ca website, it states the following is not considered "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.
• Long distance (by telephone or Internet) work done by a temporary resident whose employer is outside Canada and who is remunerated from outside Canada.
• Self-employment where the work to be done would have no real impact on the labour market, nor really provide an opportunity for Canadians. Examples include a U.S. farmer crossing the border to work on fields that he owns, or a miner coming to work on his own claim.

I believe that my Patreon work falls into all three categories, considering that:

• I am paid directly by Patreon, which is a company based in the US.
• The "service" I provide through my account on Patreon is very niche erotica.
• My Patreon only rakes in about $7k a year.

Am I right in thinking that I can resume my Patreon stuff, or might my work be considered "work"? I'd love to get an official answer, but I've been calling for weeks only to be told each time "all our agents are busy, goodbye" by the automated service.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

While I had a valid work visa, I had a Patreon account where I raked in some extra monthly revenue. My visa has since expired and I'm waiting on a response to become a permanent resident, so I cannot legally "work" at the moment. Thus, I've put my Patreon on pause.

However, I was digging a little deeper and I was wondering if I can unpause my Patreon. On the canada.ca website, it states the following is not considered "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.
• Long distance (by telephone or Internet) work done by a temporary resident whose employer is outside Canada and who is remunerated from outside Canada.
• Self-employment where the work to be done would have no real impact on the labour market, nor really provide an opportunity for Canadians. Examples include a U.S. farmer crossing the border to work on fields that he owns, or a miner coming to work on his own claim.

I believe that my Patreon work falls into all three categories, considering that:

• I am paid directly by Patreon, which is a company based in the US.
• The "service" I provide through my account on Patreon is very niche erotica.
• My Patreon only rakes in about $7k a year.

Am I right in thinking that I can resume my Patreon stuff, or might my work be considered "work"? I'd love to get an official answer, but I've been calling for weeks only to be told each time "all our agents are busy, goodbye" by the automated service.

As long as none of the customers you do work for are in Canada and you aren't paid in Canada, it's fine.

 

[KatZander]

Well, that's where things get a little complicated, too.

1. On Patreon, you cannot see the location of people who are subscribed to you. Their location is private.
2. Patreon keeps your earnings as site credit. You can request a payout to a PayPal account OR keep the amount "saved up" as site credit and request a payout at a later date. Normally, I would request the payout and then transfer the money from PayPal to my Canadian bank account.

 

[scylla]

Well, that's where things get a little complicated, too.

1. On Patreon, you cannot see the location of people who are subscribed to you. Their location is private.
2. Patreon keeps your earnings as site credit. You can request a payout to a PayPal account OR keep the amount "saved up" as site credit and request a payout at a later date. Normally, I would request the payout and then transfer the money from PayPal to my Canadian bank account.

#1 is the only answer relevant to this discussion. #2 doesn't matter.

Based on your response to question #1, you technically do need a work permit since some of your customers may be Canadian.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Well, that's where things get a little complicated, too.

1. On Patreon, you cannot see the location of people who are subscribed to you. Their location is private.
2. Patreon keeps your earnings as site credit. You can request a payout to a PayPal account OR keep the amount "saved up" as site credit and request a payout at a later date. Normally, I would request the payout and then transfer the money from PayPal to my Canadian bank account.

Agree with above. As you cannot guarantee you will not be doing work for Canadians, you can't continue.