* * * If you are unable to return to Canada within 6 months due to Covid travel restriction, click here to learn more * * *

The general rules of receiving your OAS, GIS, Allowance (ALW) when you travel outside of Canada are as follow:

1. If you are planning to live outside of Canada for more than 6 consecutive months, you must contact Pension call centre (1-800-277-9914) to advise your out of country activity. You will have to provide your departure date and your planned returned date. You will be paid for 6 months after your month of departure before seeing your benefits paused. For example, if you are leaving Canada on February and plan to be back in December, you will be paid for the month of your departure (February), still get paid for OAS/GIS for the month from March to August (6 months), then your OAS and GIS will be stopped from September until you come back in December to see your payment resume in the month of December again. There is exception to OAS payment. If you have lived more than 20 years in Canada, you can continue to receive your OAS payment while you are away over 6 consecutive months or permanently, however your GIS payment will be paused as of the seventh month and until you return to Canada. You will have to notify Pension call centre when you return to see your GIS payment reinstated.
   
2. The OAS/GIS, ALW residency rule is unlike what people think about their permanent resident status. They key is “are you making Canada your primary home?” and you must demonstrate Canada really is your main residence in order to collect your GIS or ALW. A typical example is if a person leaves Canada for 4 months, came back to live for 1 month, and left again for another 4 month. This scenario clearly shows the person is not making Canada their primary residence, therefore the person will not be qualify for GIS even they did not leave over 6 consecutive months.
3. The OAS/GIS, ALW residency time is not based on calendar year. It is about if you have over 6 consecutive months of living outside Canada.

The above information are of course just a general rule. If you get audited by Service Canada, you will have to demonstrate you are really living in Canada and have made Canada your main residence. When you come back to Canada, you will have to provide proof of residence to confirm the exit and re-entry dates. Please ensure to keep your airline boarding pass, travel boarder stamps handy for supporting proof.

If you leave Canada for more than 6 months

You cannot collect the Guaranteed Income Supplement if you are outside of Canada for more than 6 months.

If you plan to leave Canada for more than 6 months, you must contact OAS/CPP call centre to avoid an overpayment.

Service Canada compares information with the Canada Border Services Agency. If you leave Canada for more than 6 months while collecting the Guaranteed Income Supplement, we’ll determine if you’re eligible to those payments. If not, we’ll calculate how much we overpaid you, and you will then have to repay that amount.

Note: You could be fined for giving false, misleading, or purposely omitted information.

You can also come forward to correct wrong or incomplete information or to give important information that you haven’t already shared with Service Canada. Learn about Penalties, Interest and Disclosure Policy.

When you return to Canada, contact OAS/CPP call centre to restart your payments.

source: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/old-age-security/guaranteed-income-supplement/while-receiving.html