Maple News reports that individuals applying for Canadian citizenship must meet a key requirement: being physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days (or three years) during the five years immediately preceding the date of their application submission. This rule is known as the ‘physical presence requirement,’ and it is a fundamental criterion set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Generally, only the days spent in Canada after becoming a permanent resident count toward this requirement. Therefore, calculating eligibility requires precise tracking of your time spent in the country as a PR.
To reduce the risk of miscalculation, IRCC advises applicants to aim for more than the minimum 1,095 days. This buffer helps in cases where travel records or residency documentation might be incomplete or disputed.
In addition to days as a permanent resident, some time spent as a temporary resident or protected person may also count. According to IRCC, temporary residents include visitors, international students, temporary foreign workers, or those holding a temporary resident permit. Protected persons are individuals recognized by either the Immigration and Refugee Board or IRCC as needing protection or as convention refugees.
Each day spent in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person in the five-year window before applying counts as half a day toward the physical presence requirement, up to a maximum of 365 days. This means applicants who were in Canada under these statuses can combine these half-days with full days after obtaining PR status to reach the 1,095-day total.
For example, if an applicant was a student in Canada for two years before becoming a permanent resident and lived in Canada as a PR for two additional years, they could be eligible to apply, assuming no extended absences. In this case, 730 days as a student would count as 365 days (half-credit), added to 730 full days as a PR, giving a total of 1,095 days.
Given the complexity of calculating eligibility, IRCC provides a citizenship calculator tool that helps applicants assess when they become eligible to apply. It is crucial to maintain accurate travel records and residency documentation to support your application.
Understanding and accurately calculating your physical presence in Canada can significantly impact the success of your citizenship application. Applicants are encouraged to review their timelines carefully before applying.