u/FattestDragon

Hi everyone,

I joined the firm about two weeks ago and was recently staffed on my first billable project. However, the client has a very tight budget, and I was told by the senior manager that only the actual time spent working on deliverables should be charged to the project.

Since joining, I’ve been charging most of my time to training/onboarding codes. Even though I’m now staffed, I can only bill around 2 hours a day to this project. My coach is currently on vacation, and it’s just the senior manager and me working on it. The senior manager is also quite busy, so responses can sometimes be slow.

As a result, I’ve spent quite a bit of time familiarizing myself with the project and trying to understand the deliverables without always having clear expectations or direction. At the end of the day, though, only a small portion of that time ends up being billable. Seeing this on my timesheet has made me a little concerned about what my utilization will look like.

I’ve also been having coffee chats with people across the team and letting them know that I’m available to help with other projects, but so far there don’t seem to be many opportunities.

For those who have been through A1 in Canada, how important is utilization during your first year? I’m hoping to stay on track for promotion next year, and our utilization target is around 75–85%, which currently feels pretty difficult to achieve given the amount of work available.

My main goal is to perform well, learn as much as possible, and progress normally. I’d really appreciate any advice from people who have been in a similar situation, especially during their first few months at the firm.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently in Canada on a work permit, but there is a possibility that I may return to China after my work permit expires. I would like to keep investing even if I am no longer a Canadian tax resident.

My TFSA is currently held with Wealthsimple. As far as I know, Wealthsimple may not support non-resident clients, so I am considering transferring my TFSA to Questrade before leaving Canada. From what I have read online, it seems possible to hold a TFSA with Questrade as a non-resident, as long as I do not make any new contributions after becoming a non-resident.

In addition to holding my TFSA for long-term investing, I am also considering continuing to trade in a non-registered account, potentially including day trading.
My main questions are:

1. Does Questrade allow non-residents of Canada to maintain and actively trade in a non-registered account?

2. If I am no longer a Canadian tax resident, would I still need to file taxes with the CRA for trading activity in a Questrade non-registered account?

3. Are there any important tax, compliance, or account restrictions I should be aware of before leaving Canada?

4. Would keeping a Canadian bank account be necessary or strongly recommended for funding/withdrawals?

I understand that I should speak with a cross-border tax professional before making decisions, but I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with a similar situation.

Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone, I’m hoping to get some advice regarding my PGWP application situation. I finished my master’s degree in December 2025 and applied for my PGWP after receiving the letter of completion in January. Since they ask for the recent transcript, I submitted my official master’s transcript only (no undergrad transcript).

Now, here’s my concern: During my undergrad in 2023, I worked a co-op from May to December while a temporary policy allowed working more than 20 hours off-campus. I was registered for three courses in the Fall (September–December) to maintain full-time student status. I do have an official letter confirming my full-time enrollment for that term.

Since I applied for the PGWP based on my master’s and not my undergrad, do you think that unusual co-op term might affect my application, even though I met the full-time criteria? Has anyone had a similar situation or insight on how strict they are about undergrad details in this case? Thanks!