Skip to main content

After leaving Canada

Your pension after leaving Canada

Locked-in (LIRA) accounts that are "untouchable before retirement" become 100% withdrawable after 2 years of non-residency.

Start a $99 Country Pension Identification Report

Full refund if we find nothing material.

Verified country facts

Every line below is drawn from the verified country dossier. We never fabricate facts; candidate items are gated out of customer-facing copy.

Time-critical dates

  • CPP retro: Max 12 months, post-65 only, nothing before 65, increases stop at 70
  • OAS retro: 11 months; non-residents NOT auto-enrolled
  • Non-residency unlock: Departure + 24 months = LIRA unlock window opens
  • OAS portability: Departure + 6 months = OAS stops if under 20 years residence (totalization cures)
  • National unclaimed framework: Bank of Canada framework launches 2027-01-01 (re-run searches then)
  • OAS payability abroad: Old Age Security is residence-based and is payable outside Canada for life where there are 20 years of Canadian residence after age 18. International social security agreements can fill a shortfall in that residence.Official source, checked 21 August 2026
  • OAS and CPP retroactivity abroad: Retroactivity for Old Age Security and the Canada Pension Plan is capped at 11 months, and neither is paid automatically to people outside Canada.Official source, checked 21 August 2026
  • Ontario locked-in account unlocking: An Ontario locked-in account can be unlocked in full two years after departure from Canada, on a non-residency determination from the Canada Revenue Agency.Official source, checked 21 August 2026

How records are reached

Personal-record access wall: My Service Canada Account (GCKey)

CPP/OAS reachable via MSCA (GCKey creatable from anywhere); RPPs have NO national register of individual memberships

Cross-border

UK↔CA residual benefit runs UK-ward (corrected); IN↔CA, HK↔CA.

Primary sources: canada.ca / Service Canada · Canada Gazette (BoC 2027 framework)

Everything above is drawn from the verified Canada dossier. The Canada country page sets out what we identify, what it costs and who it is for.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still claim my Canada pension if I live abroad?

GCKey is creatable from anywhere; identifying RPP entitlements across a career is employer-by-employer / plan-by-plan research, with no central register to lean on

What happens to a Canada pension if I do nothing?

A deferred RPP entitlement survives but MIGRATES over time (court/annuity/Revenu Québec/Bank-of-Canada 2027 framework); CPP/OAS are not auto-paid to non-residents.

Do you give financial advice on what to do with a Canada pension?

No. We identify the scheme and access route. We do not advise on transfer, consolidation, drawdown, or taxation, those decisions belong with a regulated adviser in your country of residence.

What if you find nothing?

Full refund. Our report is a fixed $99 fee; if it delivers nothing material, you pay nothing.

See also