Yes, it’s possible to work remotely for a Canadian Company from the United States. There are many people who already live in the USA and work for a Canadian company. However there are certain things you need to consider.
Already working for a Canadian company from Canada
In this case, you can check if the company has an office in the United States. For tax and immigration purposes, it might be easier to just to ask them to transfer you to the US. If you are a Canadian Citizen, then you might be eligible to work in the US through the TN-status which allows you to work without requiring immigration petition from your Employer.
If you don’t have Canadian Citizenship but are a US national/permanent resident, that also works well for you as you won’t run into any legal/immigration issues while working in the United States.
If you don’t have the right to reside in the United States then you won’t be able to work remotely for the Canadian Company from the US as you will potentially run into immigration as well as taxation issues.
Potential Tax issues – If you are working directly for the Canadian Company then depending on your situation you might be required to file taxes both in Canada as well as the United States.
Looking to work remotely for a Canadian Company
If you are residing in the United States and plan to work for a Canadian Company and they don’t have a US office; then things can get a little tricky. In case of small companies, they might not be willing to setup an office in the US just to hire a single person as an employee but they might consider having you as a contractor.
In case of working as a remote contractor, you need to be aware that the work you are doing is considered as an export of services (to Canada) and therefore you might be required to do some additional paperwork for the Canadian/US tax agencies.
As a contractor however you would only need to file taxes in the United States. Make sure to check with a tax consultant as situation can vary depending on your citizenship and residence situation.
Other things to consider
One potential issue that a lot of remote workers run into is; getting paid in Canadian Dollars but having to spend US Dollars while living in the US. It is recommended to setup a US bank account, and utilize a money transfer service to convert CAD to USD.
If you would be traveling often between US/Canada then I recommend getting a credit card with 0% international fees which can save you a lot on exchange fees.
Hi Tom,
Are you able to provide some clarification on this? I was looking through the existing links on your website and wanted to confirm.
– I’m a US citizen residing in the US
– I potentially will work for a Canadian company (they have offices in Canada and AUS) as a freelance contractor in the US.
1. Is there anything special required to do this?
2. Would it be easier/more beneficial for me to be freelance for their Canadian or AUS office?
3. What if I freelanced for them in both the US and Canada?
Thank you so much for your help!
Sue
There are no special requirements. You should register yourself as self employed or incorporated to be able to work as a contractor.
It might be more convenient to work for the Canadian office due to timezone, but you might want to ask if the payment terms or nature of the work would be different.
If you are working from both countries then you would need to comply with tax laws in both countries. If its short business visits to the client then those can be managed much easily.
Hello,
I have a friend whose boyfriend is a US citizen and has now been hired by a US company and they are planning to move to California from Canada. She is Canadian and can work remotely. If her company applies for a visa for her to work for them remotely can she move with her boyfriend and continue to work remotely until the visa comes in?
What kind of work is it?
No, the person cannot work remotely till they have obtained right to work in the US.
If it’s a skilled job then your friend might be eligible for TN status.
You will need an offer letter to be apply to get TN status while entering the US.
If a Canadian citizen with a visa to work in the United States wants to do some remote consulting work from the United States for a Canadian company, are there tax implications there?
How are you going to be employed by the Canadian company?
Depending on how it’s setup you might need to pay taxes in both countries or just the US.
Hi there,
I’m currently in the states on a B2 visitor visa as a Canadian Citizen and am looking to work remotely for a Canadian company as I am only authorized to work in Canada at this point in time. What do I need to know about taxes? I also will be a student at a university in the states in September, I will be on F1 student visa status, but can I still work remotely for a Canadian company?
If you are working for a Canadian company and considered Canadian resident for tax purposes then you would just be filing taxes in Canada.
Legally, you can only do limited business on a B1/B2 visa.
If you are going to be on F-1 then it might be better to go with CPT and work with American companies.
At that time as a US resident, you would be filing taxes in the US.
I’m a dual citizen of Canada and the US, and I reside in the US. Can I work remotely for a Canadian company?
Yes you can work with no issues at all.
Hi Tom,
My wife is a Canadian who wants to continue working for a Canadian company remotely in the US as a contractor on a J2 visa. Does she still need an EAD?
Yes she would still need an Employment Authorization Document to be able to work legally in the USA.
I am a Canadian citizen looking to start a small consulting business in the US with a US citizen. I currently reside in Canada and would like to move to the US closer to my business partner.
Is there a way to structure the business in the US to allow me to work there?
Yes it’s possible to structure the business in the US.
What kind of Business is it? You could see if you could apply for a TN visa under the business which would allow you to work in the US.
There are other options as well but that would be situation based.
Hi Tom,
I was recently in Canada on a temporary work visa and have since come back to the US ( I am a citizen) a little early. I continued working remotely and they would like to keep me on once my visa expires in a couple weeks.
What do I need to do? Would they just pay me as a contractor and I can set up an LLC? Do I pay Canadian tax on that income? Will I pay extra US tax on this income as an export of service?
Yes, you can either setup an LLC or work as self employed in the United States.
Generally, You will pay only US taxes on this income and not Canadian taxes.
I am a Canadian Citizen and US Permanent Resident (on a spousal Visa). I am currently contracting my bookkeeping/ accounting services to a Canadian company (providing invoices and getting paid via a payment processor). Is this legal? Do I have to remit any special taxes on my services? Do I only file taxes in the US since I’m a resident and all work is done remotely on US soil?
Yes you are permanent resident of the US and there is no restriction to do work/business while residing there.
No you don’t need to remit additional taxes for your services. Since it would be considered export of services.
As a sole proprietor you would just report income taxes in the US only.
Hi – I am a Canadian working for a Canadian company. My boyfriend lives in the US. When I visit him in the US on occasion, am I able to work remotely from his home?
As of Aug 4 2023, working on B-2 tourist visa is not allowed.
If you are on another visa then it might be possible.