Volunteering and Visas in Canada | How to Avoid Illegal Work

Volunteering is called “volunteer work.” In some cases it is considered to be work, and in other cases it is considered to be purely volunteer activities.

To make sure you don’t end up working illegally because you didn’t have accurate information, let’s talk about volunteer work and visas.

1. When you receive compensation for the activity

2. When the activity is one for which Canadian workers (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) would normally be paid

When you receive compensation for the activity

Most people already understand this point, but you need to be careful: even if you don’t receive a salary, being provided with accommodation or receiving a thank-you payment or similar in exchange is also considered compensation.

When the activity is one for which Canadian workers (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) would normally be paid

Many people are probably not aware of this one. What it means is that you, as a foreign national, must not “take away employment opportunities (jobs) from people in Canada” by providing unpaid labour as a volunteer.

Some people with visitor (tourist) status or students at language schools may think, “I’ll work even without pay, because it will help me build experience!” However, in what are considered workplaces, such as offices, facilities and educational settings, you cannot work without a work permit even if you are not paid. There have been cases where people didn’t know this and ended up working illegally, so please be careful.

So what kinds of volunteering can visitors and language school students do without a work permit?

Activities that fall under the following four categories are considered volunteer activities, and no work permit is required.

Taking part in the activities of a non-profit organization

Not every activity of a non-profit organization necessarily counts as volunteering, but this includes things like beach clean-ups and support for people experiencing homelessness, in which Canadians also take part as volunteers. It must strictly be a one-off activity and must not be the main purpose of your stay in Canada.

Taking part mainly to observe

For example, you can visit a site such as a mine and observe what goes on. You might be able to help out a little, but you must limit yourself to odd jobs that are not directly involved in the main work (in this case, mining).

Helping family or friends during a visit

For example, you can wash the dishes at a home you are visiting without being paid. However, looking after children like a nanny or helping with housework like a housekeeper at the home of family or friends is considered work, so you must not do it.

Helping on a farm for up to one month in exchange for your stay

Short-term farm work of 1 to 4 weeks is not considered “competitive” (work that many Canadians need), so you can help out without pay in exchange for staying on the farm. That said, the key point is that it must be “short-term, 1 to 4 weeks.”

As you can see, people with visitor (tourist) status and language school students cannot do anything other than activities that are clearly considered “Not Work,” like those above, even if they are unpaid and receive no compensation. A Working Holiday visa is a type of work permit, so Working Holiday participants can try all kinds of volunteer work (some activities involving healthcare or children may be restricted).
Also, full-time international students at a college, university or graduate school who hold a study permit can do jobs that count as “Work” off campus for up to 24 hours per week during academic sessions (a limit in place since November 2024; full-time work is allowed during scheduled breaks), so they can take part in a wide range of volunteer activities.
If illegal work is discovered, you may be issued a removal order. Depending on the type of order, you may have to leave Canada within 30 days (departure order), be barred from returning for one year (exclusion order), or be barred from returning without special authorization (deportation order). It may also cause problems with your next visa application or future immigration applications. If you are unsure, be sure to consult an immigration consultant beforehand.

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