After You Leave: What Happens to the Canada Child Benefit, CPP and OAS?

How each benefit works for non-residents

Scott Tang, CPAUpdated 2026-11-052026 rules4 min read

After you leave Canada, benefits fall roughly into two groups. Benefits based on residence — the Canada Child Benefit (CCB), the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) and Ontario benefits — generally stop once you are no longer a resident and no longer eligible (short absences are a different matter). Pensions based on contributions and years of residence (CPP and OAS) can continue to be paid abroad, but OAS depends on how many years you lived in Canada, and many people have to file an income report every year.

Stop when ineligible

The CCB, CGEB and Ontario benefits stop once you become a non-resident; you need to tell the CRA

CPP

Based on contributions; can generally be received abroad

20 years

If you lived in Canada for at least 20 years after age 18, OAS can be paid abroad indefinitely

6 months

With fewer than 20 years, OAS generally stops 6 months after you leave (agreements and special situations may differ)

Each benefit after you leave

Benefit	Can it continue after you leave?	What to do
Canada Child Benefit (CCB)	✕Stops once you become a non-resident	✓Tell the CRA your departure date, to avoid overpayments you would have to repay
CGEB (formerly the GST/HST credit), Ontario benefits	✕Stop	✓Tell the CRA
CPP retirement pension	✓Can generally be received abroad	◐Non-resident withholding applies (a treaty may reduce or eliminate it)
Old Age Security (OAS) pension	◐With 20 or more years, it can continue indefinitely; with fewer, it stops 6 months after you leave	◐File the OASRI (T1136) by April 30 each year; residents of some treaty countries don't have to
Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)	✕Stops 6 months after you leave	—
Employment Insurance (EI)	✕Generally can't be received abroad	—

Canada Child Benefit (CCB)

✅ Can it continue after you leave?: ✕Stops once you become a non-resident
⚠️ What to do: ✓Tell the CRA your departure date, to avoid overpayments you would have to repay

CGEB (formerly the GST/HST credit), Ontario benefits

✅ Can it continue after you leave?: ✕Stop
⚠️ What to do: ✓Tell the CRA

CPP retirement pension

✅ Can it continue after you leave?: ✓Can generally be received abroad
⚠️ What to do: ◐Non-resident withholding applies (a treaty may reduce or eliminate it)

Old Age Security (OAS) pension

✅ Can it continue after you leave?: ◐With 20 or more years, it can continue indefinitely; with fewer, it stops 6 months after you leave
⚠️ What to do: ◐File the OASRI (T1136) by April 30 each year; residents of some treaty countries don't have to

Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)

✅ Can it continue after you leave?: ✕Stops 6 months after you leave
⚠️ What to do: —

Employment Insurance (EI)

✅ Can it continue after you leave?: ✕Generally can't be received abroad
⚠️ What to do: —

OAS abroad: an annual "world income" report

Receiving OAS abroad

Report your worldwide income each year

The CRA calculates the OAS recovery tax based on your income

Residents of some treaty countries are exempt from the recovery tax

If you don't file when you should, your OAS may be suspended

Fewer than 20 years in Canada

Paid while in Canada based on the number of years you lived here

Stops once you have been away for 6 months

Can resume when you return to Canada

For countries with a social security agreement, the years may be counted together

Points to watch

Update your address and account
CPP and OAS can be deposited directly into a bank account abroad or into a Canadian account; tell Service Canada about your change of address.
Withholding depends on the treaty
CPP and OAS paid to non-residents are generally subject to 25% withholding, which the tax treaty with the country you move to may reduce or eliminate.
Overpayments must be repaid
If you didn't tell the CRA and kept receiving the CCB or other benefits after leaving, the CRA will recover them.
Social security agreements
Canada has social security agreements with many countries, and contribution periods in both countries can sometimes be combined. The Canada–China agreement is a limited one, mainly to avoid paying contributions in both countries during temporary assignments; don't count on combining your years in China to qualify for CPP or OAS.

How Sheng Qian CPA can help

A checklist before you leave
Which benefits will stop, which can continue, and whom to notify.
Annual OAS reporting
If you receive OAS abroad, we prepare the world income report each year, to avoid your payments being suspended.
Withholding and treaties
We check whether withholding on CPP and OAS can be reduced under a treaty. For prices, see "What Sheng Qian CPA Can Do for Newcomers and People Leaving Canada: Support on Arrival and on Departure" in this series.

Sources

Service Canada: OAS – living outside Canada · CPP – living outside Canada
Government of Canada: Canada–China social security agreement
CRA: Canada child benefit – if you leave Canada · Old Age Security Return of Income (OASRI)

Disclaimer

This article is general information only and is not tax or benefits advice. Everyone's situation is different; please consult a CPA or Service Canada about your specific arrangements. Service fees are as set out in our written quote.