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The short answer
Not for the year you arrive, on the CRA's wording. The Canada Workers Benefit requires you to be a resident of Canada throughout the year, so a newcomer who arrived part-way through a year does not meet that condition for that year, but can claim from the first full calendar year of residence. Full-time students enrolled for more than 13 weeks in the year are also excluded unless they have an eligible dependant.
What the Canada Workers Benefit is
The Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) is a refundable tax credit for working people on low incomes, claimed on line 45300 of the tax return. It has a basic amount and a separate disability supplement. Because it is refundable, it can be paid to you even if you owe no tax.
For the 2025 tax year, the CRA's amounts page (modified 8 April 2026) gives these figures for residents outside Alberta, Quebec and Nunavut, which have their own versions:
| 2025 basic amount | Single, no children | Family |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum | $1,633 | $2,813 |
| Starts to reduce above (adjusted net income) | $26,855 | $30,639 |
| Nothing paid above | $37,742 | $49,393 |
The disability supplement is up to $843 for single people and families, for those with an approved disability tax credit certificate. The 2026 amounts were not on the CRA page when we checked; they appear there before the 2026 filing season.
The eligibility rules, in the CRA's words
The CRA's eligibility page (modified 8 April 2026) says you must meet all of these:
- you earn working income;
- your net income is below the threshold for your province or territory;
- you are a resident of Canada throughout the year; and
- you are 19 or older on 31 December, or you live with your spouse or common-law partner or your child.
You are not eligible if you were enrolled full-time at a designated educational institution for more than 13 weeks in the year (unless you had an eligible dependant on 31 December), if you were confined to a prison or similar institution for at least 90 days, or if you are exempt from Canadian tax as an officer or servant of another country.
The arrival year: why most newcomers wait
The page does not have a separate paragraph on immigrants. The only residency test it states is residence throughout the year. Read plainly, someone who became resident on, say, 1 June 2025 was not resident throughout 2025, so the CWB is not available on their 2025 return even if they worked from June to December on a low wage.
The CRA's newcomers page (dated 3 August 2026) says that for most newcomers residence starts on the first day you live in Canada. That date matters: it is the start of your first part year, and the following 1 January is the start of your first full year. The CWB becomes possible on the return for that first full year, provided your income and the other conditions fit.
Your spouse has to meet the same test
To count as an eligible spouse or common-law partner for the family amount, your partner must live with you on 31 December, be resident in Canada throughout the year, and not be excluded by the student, prison or diplomat rules. If you arrived in Canada in 2025 and your spouse joined you in 2026, 2026 is your first full year but not theirs, which changes whether you claim at the single or the family level for 2026. Ask the CRA if you are unsure how your situation is treated.
International students
Students on a study permit are usually enrolled full-time for well over 13 weeks a year, so the full-time student exclusion normally rules out the CWB while studying, unless the student has an eligible dependant. Graduates working on a post-graduation work permit can claim once they have a full calendar year of residence outside full-time study and meet the income test.
A worked example
Example only, with invented details. Emeka moves to Winnipeg on 10 April 2025 on a work permit, single with no children, and earns $21,000 from April to December. In 2026 he earns $24,000 for the full year.
- 2025 return: he was not resident throughout 2025, so on the CRA's wording he does not claim the CWB. He still files, because the return also sets up other benefits.
- 2026 return: he is resident throughout 2026, is over 19, is not a student and has working income. If his adjusted net income stays below the starting threshold for 2026 (the 2025 figure was $26,855), he can expect up to the full basic amount for that year, claimed when he files by 30 April 2027.
Advance payments
Once you are receiving the CWB, the CRA pays up to 50 per cent of it in advance through the Advanced Canada Workers Benefit, in three instalments the CRA lists as 12 July, 11 October and 10 January. Its page says only death, incarceration for 90 consecutive days or more and emigration affect the remaining advance payments in a benefit year. Advances are based on the previous return, so a newcomer's first payments come after the first return that qualifies.
Where Pryme fits
The CWB is paid in Canadian dollars. If a refund or benefit payment is part of what you send home, a Pryme account holds naira, USD, GBP and EUR side by side, and Send shows the rate and fee before you approve a payment to a Nigerian account. See how Pryme works.
Related reading: your first Canadian return and income before arrival and the GST/HST credit for newcomers.
Questions people ask
Can I claim the Canada Workers Benefit in my first year in Canada?
On the CRA's wording, no, unless you were resident throughout that year. The CWB requires residence in Canada throughout the year, so most newcomers claim from their first full calendar year.
Can international students get the CWB?
Usually not while studying. The CRA excludes anyone enrolled full-time at a designated institution for more than 13 weeks in the year, unless they have an eligible dependant on 31 December.
How much is the Canada Workers Benefit for 2025?
Outside Alberta, Quebec and Nunavut, the 2025 maximum basic amount is $1,633 for single people and $2,813 for families, reducing above $26,855 and $30,639 of adjusted net income respectively.
Do I need a separate form for the CWB?
You claim it on your tax return, on line 45300. Tax software and the CRA's forms work out the amount from your income.
Sources
- CRA: Canada Workers Benefit, who is eligible (modified 8 April 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- CRA: Canada Workers Benefit, how much you can get (modified 8 April 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- CRA: Newcomers to Canada (dated 3 August 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.