You can live here and work remotely for a company in another country, for as long as 12 months. While you’re here, you can start an application to immigrate.
Canada does not have anything official for digital nomads: a more formal kind of visitor’s visa allows you to work for a remote employer for up to a year. It used to be six months, but that was increased.
You’re going to be here longer than 180 days, so you will need to pay for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). That’s the official name for the category that visitor’s visas fall into. Applying is done by filling out a web form, providing information and paying the fee with a debit or credit card.
https://ircc.canada.ca/english/information/applications/visa.asp
The requirements for a visitor visa includes:
•Valid passport.
•Proof you work with a foreign employer.
•Proof of financial support (ie, pay or bank records).
•Purpose of visit documentation.
•Evidence of intent to return to home country, like an airline ticket or having a home in the US.
•Have a valid health insurance policy covering your entire stay in Canada.
•A possible medical examination.
•A possible background check.
You should get a detailed letter from your employer saying what you’re going to be doing, and saying that no Canadian work will be done.
A visitor’s visa is a “single-entry” visa. There is also a “multiple-entry” Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), which you can pre-request.
This uses the same process as getting a single-entry visa: you say you’re a digital nomad, that you’ll be visiting regularly, and that you want a multiple-entry visa. That seems to go in the “purpose of my visit” and “other” fields of an Application for Temporary Resident Visa (IMM 5257) form.
These typically are valid for up to 10 years, and allow you to cross back and forth. You still have to meet the requirements and stay for a limited time per visit, but these make it clearer to the immigration officers when they find you entering Canada repeatedly.
Each time you enter Canada, you’ll need to show customs your visa, say that you’re a digital nomad and answer their follow-up questions, so they know you’re legit.
By the way, if you’re thinking of leaving, pulling a u-turn in the middle of the Ambassador bridge and coming back, don’t. That’s just a tiny bit suspicious (:-)). Instead, consider being a “snowbird”: live in Canada in the summer and somewhere warm in the winter.
•https://leglobal.law/countries/canada/canada-remote-work-faq/
•https://moving2canada.com/immigration/digital-nomad-in-canada/
•https://www.ircc.canada.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=417
•Instructions given to immigration officers: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/service-delivery/digital-nomads.html
•Processing times: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html
From inside Canada, you can apply to stay longer, which is called “applying for a visitor record”.
•https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/extend-stay.html
•https://www.immigrationphysicianottawa.ca/site/blog-ottawa/2025/07/17/how-extend-visitor-visa-canada
You can extend a TRV, but only for a good reason. The common reasons for requesting an extension are:
•getting more time in Canada for family reasons,
•ongoing medical treatment,
•waiting for pending immigration applications,
•being a spouse or partner of a Canadian or permanent resident, but not yet eligible for an open work permit, and
•to stay in a lawful status while planning the next immigration step.
You should:
•Apply at least 30 days before your status expires
•Demonstrate "intent to leave" — this is critical and often the reason for refusals
•Maintain strong ties to your home country
•Provide detailed financial information and a letter of explanation.
Many other countries have digital nomad visas: more information is at Wikipedia, in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_nomad
There are at least two books about being a nomad:
The Digital Nomad Handbook by Lonely Planet, as an a eBook is available from Kobo at https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-digital-nomad-handbook?sId=1a9f88fe-7812-4629-82cd-d4a4dda709d9&ssId=OK6scrhYzg1HX1yjSsmKI&cPos=1
Amazon has that and Digital Nomads For Dummies (English Edition), in several formats.
This is a live document. These links will change. Always refer to the government pages for current rules. And please file an issue at https://codeberg.org/tokugawa-behr/Fleeing-to-Canada/issues so I’ll know what needs updating.
You can live here and work remotely for reasonable periods, and get an application for permanent resident started while you’re doing that.