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I am a German citizen with permanent residence and employment in Germany. My parents and my sister and her family live in Canada. My job allows me to work remotely from abroad so in the future I would like come to Canada as a visitor more often and longer. I will be working remotely for my German employer, being payed (and paying taxes) in Germany. I plan approx. 6 week intervals.

CIC website says I can stay for 6 months. Does that mean 6 months straight or summed up over one year or what? Someone told me it's actually 180 days per year - but again: 180 days in one stretch? Or per calendar year? I also heard the version "maximum 182 days within any given 365 day period" and "max 180 days as an average within the past 3 years". But everyone I ask, Canadians or Germans, is just guessing and I cannot find any reliable info on the web.

Does anyone know the exact regulation or can point me to the info on the web?

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  • You're probably right, it is sort of an expat lifestyle I'm planning ... huh - never thought of it that way.
    – Martin
    Commented Jan 17, 2017 at 2:11
  • Can you even use a tourist visa for that? You are working in Canada after all, even if your employer is German.
    – CodesInChaos
    Commented Jan 17, 2017 at 12:11
  • @CodesInChaos At least in the US, you can essentially perform work visa-free (for max 90 days) as part of your employment abroad provided your source of income is not American. You'll then be admitted as a business visitor
    – Crazydre
    Commented Jan 17, 2017 at 19:45

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According to Government of Canada, duration (for a business visitor*) is at the discretion of the border services officer:

A border services officer at the port of entry in Canada will determine how long you can stay in Canada. Most visitors are allowed a six-month stay from the day they entered Canada.

*A business visitor is someone who comes to Canada to take part in international business activities without being part of the Canadian labour market. Business visitors usually stay in Canada for a few days or a few weeks but are able to stay for up to six months.

In case of doubt, that means "six months straight". Each visit is assessed separately.

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  • Thank you very much! So for me, the essence seems to be "Each visit is assessed separately" by a border services officer. So if I carry proof that I have a job and a home in Germany, enough funds for my stay and a return ticket, I should be safe, I assume.
    – Martin
    Commented Jan 16, 2017 at 23:46
  • Probably worth pointing out that if your job allows you to work from within Canada for six months it isn't much of a tie to Germany. Also if you stay longer than six months you should check the tax situation.
    – DJClayworth
    Commented Jan 17, 2017 at 1:27
  • The deal with my employer is, I can work from abroad "half the time" - so no plans to stay longer than a total of 6 months per year and pretty much 6 week visits followed by 6 weeks at home. As I'm still in Germany for at least 182 days per year, I am taxable there (says my tax guy).
    – Martin
    Commented Jan 17, 2017 at 2:05
  • @pnuts, yes it was, sorry, forgot the @ ...
    – Martin
    Commented Jan 17, 2017 at 2:48
  • @Martin you should consider whether you are allowed to support yourself during your visit by working remotely for your German employer during the visit. I know that this is not allowed in the US or the UK, and I therefore expect that if you mention that you'll be doing this you will be denied entry.
    – phoog
    Commented Jan 17, 2017 at 8:37

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