Find your country
Menu
Home / Guides / Foreigners

Online jobs for foreigners: what to check first

Two questions decide this: what does your visa allow, and where do you live?

✓ Checked 5 Nov 2026 · Next check 5 Feb 2027
A hand putting a passport into a bag

Where you live decides

Programs look at where you live, not at your passport. Tax rules can look at both, so check yours. Prolific says it plainly: eligibility is based on where you currently live, not your nationality. See our country guides for what is open where.

What your visa allows

CountryWhat we readStatus
UK, Student visaYou may be able to work, depending on your course and whether it is term-timeRead on gov.uk
USA, student visasAt most 20 hours a week on campus in term, say 2 university offices. One adds that freelance work needs permission firstFrom universities: the official page refused us
Canada, study permitsUp to 24 hours a week off campus in term, in total across jobs, say 3 sourcesThe official page refused us

Working online for a client abroad can still count as work. Do not assume it is outside your visa. Canada says remote work for an employer outside Canada does not count towards a student’s 24-hour weekly off-campus limit. Ask your immigration authority or a qualified adviser.

Tax follows you

Canada, for example, says residents must report all income, including income from business done outside Canada. Nigeria’s 2026 tax law says a resident’s income is chargeable wherever it arises.

Before you sign

  • A job offer that needs your passport copy and a fee is a warning sign.
  • The FTC says honest employers will never ask you to pay to get a job.
  • This site does not give immigration advice.

Read next

Way to earnVOLTIX referral program60% of the full price, every renewalGuidePeople with a jobGuideWork from home jobsGuideEarning with a phoneSee allWhat works in your countrySee allTruth checks

Sources