Canadian Foreign Buyer Ban: From which date do we calculate the 183-day work permit validity?
The Canadian Foreign Buyer Ban (Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act) requires eligible foreign citizens holding a work permit to have at least 183 days of validity remaining on their permit as of the "date of purchase."
Most people assume the "date of purchase" refers to the Closing Date (when the title is officially transferred). However, using the closing date as the benchmark would create significant uncertainty—especially for pre-construction buyers, as the exact completion date is often unpredictable. Buyers of resale homes would face similar uncertainty.
The Act itself defines a "purchase" as: the acquisition, with or without conditions, of a legal or equitable interest or a real right in a residential property. In other words, the moment a Purchase and Sale Agreement is signed—even if it contains conditions—both parties become bound by the contract, and the buyer acquires equitable rights (equitable interest). Therefore, the act of signing the contract is considered the "purchase," and the contract signing date constitutes the "date of purchase."
From this date, you should have at least 183 days of validity on your work permit to be exempted from the Foreign Buyer Ban.
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