jonathan1981

My wife and I lodged a PR application from the UK earlier this year, and we are now considering moving to Canada together (once she has been approved as a sponsor) and waiting for my application to be approved in Canada.

I am currently self-employed and can work remotely. I would like to know if it is possible for me to legally continue my self-employment work whilst in Canada?

Former Lancastrian

Yes providing you have no Canadian clients.

christmasoompa

Hi, welcome to BE.

You can see what's allowed here - https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...t-is-work.html

As said above, as long as you're only earning money from the UK/anywhere but Canada, and aren't therefore taking potential earnings away from Canadians, it's fine to work remotely.

HTH and good luck.

jonathan1981

Thanks for the advice both. To clarify, would that mean that I would enter Canada on a Visitor visa?

christmasoompa

Yes. So you won't be able to get healthcare and will need to make sure you have insurance to cover that, you won't be able to switch your driving licence etc. But you can at least enter and work as long as you don't have Canadian clients.

HTH, good luck.

Will_PA

I switched my driving licence while on a visitor visa (while awaiting PR / OWP). You have to after 2 months or something (in Ontario).

Siouxie

If the OP asks for a Visitor Record (as opposed to the usual stamp in the passport) on arrival at the PoE, they should be able to exchange their drivers licence in Ontario - and some other Provinces.

https://drivetest.ca/licences/id-documents.html

jonathan1981

Thanks for the advice all.

I've read that it's best not to immigrate until the sponsor has been approved as an applicant. We lodged our application in July and still can't link the application to the online account (presumably because of COVID delays), so i'm wondering if it is possible to immigrate before the sponsor has been approved?

christmasoompa

We wouldn't recommend it - https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Spous...d:_Dual_Intent Could you enter Canada at the moment given the restrictions on visitors due to Covid?

If you applied in July, then hopefully it won't be long until you get SA.

Good luck.

Siouxie

Might be worth checking on Ecas too - put in your receipt number and make sure you are choosing the country of birth (i.e. England / Wales / Ireland / Scotland) and not a generic UK https://services3.cic.gc.ca/ecas/security.do?lang=en

Linking to MyCIC can be tricky - we've a wiki bit about it;
https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Spous...ll_about_MyCIC

unobscure

Has there been an update on processing? Last I heard was an announcement by Immigration that they were not processing any applications that arrived after Feb this year. Has that now changed?

Siouxie

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...tml#processing
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...ck-status.html
https://services3.cic.gc.ca/ecas/sec...p=ecas&lang=en

unobscure

Thanks but those links don't answer the question. Those pages all existed before an immigration dept spokesperson went on radio and announced that they weren't currently processing any applications that were received after Feb. Those pages stayed up after the announcement so it would seem their existence has no baring on whether or not new applications are being processed.

I am not particularly worried about the delay; They will get to it when they get to it. I just wondered if there had been a subsequent announcement.

Update: I assume that this post Spousal Applications being sped up I have just seen does answer my question, or at least indicates that the backlog will go down faster and that they will then start processing the stalled post Feb applications.

Siouxie

There is nothing showing on the Official website to state they curtailed processing..... some VACS were closed for a while, and they stopped biometric testing.. perhaps this is what he meant..

If you go to othe official website you should be able to find pertinent information (for this, you could look under COVID on the following link (or check 'announcements') https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...dates.html#tbl

To put your mind at ease, yes they are continuing with applications, as always: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...residence.html

If you have other questions do start your own thread, as answers to one person' questions won't necessarily apply to you (such as the OP applying under Express Entry Self Employment and the link you gave, showing something aimed at Spousal applications)

jonathan1981

Thank you for all of the information. ​​Good to know that the number of applications being processed is increasing.

I've tried linking the application via both Ecas and MyCIC, but no luck yet. I don't have an application number or UCI yet (as far as i'm aware) so have been trying to do it on MyCIC with Family Name, Given Name and Date of Birth.