4 Changes to Canada's Foreign Buyer Ban

4 Changes to Canada's Foreign Buyer Ban by vancouver realtor cari mai

Here are the 4 key amendments to Canada's Foreign Buyers Ban.


Enable more work permit holders to purchase a home to live in while working in Canada.

Those who hold a work permit or are authorized to work in Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations are now eligible to purchase residential property if they have 183 days or more of validity remaining on their work permit or work authorization at time of purchase. As well, work permit holders must also not have purchased more than one residential property. The current provisions on tax filings and previous work experience in Canada are being repealed. 

Repealing existing provision so the prohibition doesn’t apply to vacant land. 

The prohibition no longer applies to all lands zoned for residential and mixed use. Vacant land zoned for residential and mixed use can now be purchased by non-Canadians and used for any purpose by the purchaser, including residential development. 

Exception for development purposes. 

This exception allows non-Canadians to purchase residential property for the purpose of development. The amendments also extend the exception currently applicable to publicly traded corporations under the Act, to publicly traded entities formed under the laws of Canada or a province, and controlled by a non-Canadian. 

Increasing the corporation foreign control threshold from 3 per cent to 10 per cent. 

For the purposes of the Prohibition, with regards to privately held corporations or privately held entities formed under the laws of Canada or a province and controlled by a non-Canadian, the control threshold has increased from 3 per cent to 10 per cent.