Special program for foreign self-employed workers
All over the world, our times are good for telecommuting and freelancers. With the Covid19 pandemic, more and more workers have opted, by choice or by obligation, for remote work. Today, digital nomadism is much more than a fad that is all the rage on Instagram, it has become a real career plan, a way of life. A growing number of self-employed entrepreneurs with an entrepreneurial spirit are indeed deciding to create their own jobs and settle elsewhere, in regions that inspire them. But before they leave everything to get started, they need to know that you can’t just settle down to work without a minimum of legwork, planning and permissions.
Digital nomad: a life project
Being self-employed abroad is not tourism. It’s work. Even remotely, there is work to be done, messages to be answered, customers to be satisfied, financial and tax requirements. This is why it is better to be seriously organized before you start.
Some places are better than others to settle down and work. There is the climate, of course, but also the comfort, the quality of the internet and telephone connections, the proximity to major centers, the professional networking opportunities, the ease of integration …
Many freelancers dream of moving to countries like Canada. You can do it right away … but only for a few months. Indeed, from the moment a foreign worker visiting Canada works a few hours a week remotely for an employer outside Canada, without having any links with Canadian companies or clients and while continuing to receive his salary at home. stranger, he can do it. However, he must leave Canada before his visitor status expires. On the other hand, if the activity of the foreign worker competes with the Canadian market, he no longer has the right to exercise it without a work permit.
Canada opens its arms to self-employed workers
Canada offers attractive options for self-employed workers who wish to immigrate.
Quebec’s self-employed workers program, for example, allows qualified immigrants to obtain permanent residence. This little-known program is aimed at applicants who are creating their own job or starting their own business.
Some important elements to know in order to qualify for the self-employed worker program.
- Applicant must make a deposit of CAN $ 50,000 or more if based in Montreal or at least CAN $ 25,000 for areas outside of Montreal.
- Before arriving, the candidate, alone or with their spouse, must demonstrate that they have assets of at least $ 100,000 (this includes investments, real estate, business, etc.)
- A minimum of two years of experience as a self-employed person is required. However, these two years do not have to be consecutive. You have to be able to prove that you work as a self-employed person using invoices, tax returns or any other document.
- The candidate must finally be able to demonstrate his ability to become an accomplished self-employed worker, to manage his work, to provide his own equipment, to plan his contracts and to generate sufficient income or, at least, to be able to prove that he will be able to assume possible losses.
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