From the UK to Canada - but I don't need a job

[jeeves]

Hi all. My boyfriend and I are interested in moving to Canada. He is a qualified Social Worker and will pursue employment in that field. My question is about me, I can do my current (sales) job from anywhere with an internet connection so I wouldn't need to find a job in Canada. Where does that leave me in terms of Visa requirements?

[Bevdeforges]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

I'm hoping someone will drop in who has some experience in this area. My sense is that visa categories haven't quite caught up with the phenomenon of telecommuting over the Internet and you may have some difficulty conveying to the Canadian immigration folks exactly what your working status is.

If you're working for a company that pays you to telecommute, you may want to ask them what, if anything, they will do differently if you move to Canada. There is no point in their paying into the UK national insurance scheme as you won't be able to make use of the benefits - other than perhaps retirement. Do they make the same sorts of payments to the Canadian national insurance schemes? Or are you working as a contractor, paying your own taxes and insurances on your own? That could require a different work status altogether in Canada.
Cheers,
Bev

[oddball]

Originally Posted by jeeves

Hi all. My boyfriend and I are interested in moving to Canada. He is a qualified Social Worker and will pursue employment in that field. My question is about me, I can do my current (sales) job from anywhere with an internet connection so I wouldn't need to find a job in Canada. Where does that leave me in terms of Visa requirements?

The first question is , where does it leave your boyfriend as regards a visa ?
The second question is , does he realise he might possibly be required to take training in his field of expertise .
Concerning yourself,unless you qualify as a common-law wife , you are on your own merits . Colin

[jeeves]

Thanks for the quick replies. I am employed by a UK company and it's a family business so very flexible as to what would need to be done. I guess I would become a self employed contractor and pay the relevant taxes in Canada. Does that make a difference to my visa status? I do expect that the two of us will be making seperate visa applications and this will only happen if my boyfriend is successful in finding employment.