need remote work (!) for American living in Canada

[nereo]

Hello fellow MMMers

I recognize that at first glance the "need work" bit seems to go against the ethos of this community, but let me explain and you'll see why my motivations are really Mustachian

I am a US citizen living in Canada.  I am here because I was offered a paid position to get my degree in something I love.  As such I am here on a 5 year Student Visa.  There is one catch though; because I am here in Canada, I do not earn any income in the US and so I don't qualify for a contribution to an IRA or ROTH IRA.  On the other side of the coin (or border) my student stipend does not allow me to contribute to an RRSP (Canada's version of an IRA).  My stipend covers my tuition, room and board plus a monthly cheque for other expenses.  I've been putting most of that into savings (my vanguard 500 fund) but it is a paltry sum at the end of the year.
My student visa also specifically prevents me from having a job in Canada (for that you need a work permit, and they don't typically give out student permits with work permits).

I contributed to my roth IRA every year starting when i was 15, and it kills me not to be able to contribute now.  At present everything I save goes into taxable accounts, but the long-term advantages to having money grow tax-free are extremely important to me.

so... I'm hoping to find some kind or work that will let me earn exactly $5,500/year, so I can max out my roth IRA contribution. I figure I should be able to do this by working 1 day a week, but I'm not even sure where to find such a part-time occupation.  I'm too far from the US (3+ hours) to go there periodically to work.  I minored in photography in college and I'm happy to edit/shoot photos, but without being able to go on-site I don't see how to turn that into an income stream. 

Any ideas out there?

[pcroppo@rogers.com]

Outside of photography, you neglect to mention what you are in Canada learning - what effectively is your major & presumably what you have a passion for???  If it is in an "Arts-type' program, why not write about your experiences getting an education in a foreign country - perhaps it will further your program, perhaps your 'blog' will get picked up by a news provider & pay you for it!!!

As a 'student' in Canada who recognizes you're not allowed to work here while studying, I would suggest it only means you can't take a 'job' that someone else could fulfill.  But you could always create your own work, the kind only you could do & thus no conflict.

Could you also not represent a US firm via the web using your education/program as a resource - again, you don't say what it is.

Cheers...

[Spudd]

You can work with a student visa on campus:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/work-oncampus.asp

[nereo]

Outside of photography, you neglect to mention what you are in Canada learning - what effectively is your major & presumably what you have a passion for???  If it is in an "Arts-type' program, why not write about your experiences getting an education in a foreign country - perhaps it will further your program, perhaps your 'blog' will get picked up by a news provider & pay you for it!!!

As a 'student' in Canada who recognizes you're not allowed to work here while studying, I would suggest it only means you can't take a 'job' that someone else could fulfill.  But you could always create your own work, the kind only you could do & thus no conflict.

Could you also not represent a US firm via the web using your education/program as a resource - again, you don't say what it is.

Cheers...

ok, a bit more information.  I always struggle between being concise and providing enough detail
I am getting my doctorate in biology in Quebec.  As for the legal issues of holding a job, I am actually *prohibited* from becoming an employee in Canada.  NO business can legally hire me outside of the university, just as no US business can legally hire a foreign worker unless that person has a work permit, green card or permanent resident status.

As one person suggested, i could work for the university, but alas there's another stumbling block; I live in Quebec and virtually every job offering requires me to speak french fluently. Unlike in the US the language laws here are very strict.  I currently am a french level 2 (basic understanding, can read/write and answer questions) but due to the language laws I am unqualified to work at the university.

My real hope is to work for a US company so that I have "earned income" on my 1040 which will allow me to invest in my roth IRA
my problem is NOT that I need more money to spend, it's that I'd like more money to SAVE.  That's how I intend to reach FI.

N