One of the questions on the form is "During your eligibility period, did you live outside Canada?". The eligibility period is 5 years! And I moved to Canada 3.5 years ago. So, of course, I lived outside of Canada. So now I need to fill out 'Residence Outside Canada' form and submit a PCC from USA? This does not make sense because I got Canadian PR based on the PCC! Also, none of the things in 'Residence Outside Canada' apply to me?! Am I the only one in this situation? Can't be. Anyone who has moved here less than 4.5 years before their application must be in this situation. Any advise thoughts?
This has been discussed multiple times on the forum.
Try searching the forum for the question number, the name (number) of the extra form you're to fill out, or for PCC to find those discussions.
The physical presence calculator needs, in my understanding, not have trips you made before you acquired status in Canada. It does have to list any period you had PR, Protected Person, or Temporary Resident (that includes visits). For the period(s) during which you had any of those statuses you need to list your absences from Canada.
You need to fill the residence outside Canada form, even though it does not apply. Enter "N/A" in both of the categories. Sign and date it. Add a letter to your application saying you did spend time outside Canada as a Crown Servant or the spouse of a Crown Servant, but included the form for completeness. (If you do not do this your application may be returned as incomplete. This is something that's broken in the application form. Until it's fixed we have to deal with it.)
If you spent 183 or more days in any country other than Canada during the last four years you must supply a PCC from that country. The fact that you submitted one when you applied for PR is irrelevant. That PCC is out of date (as, after you supplied it, you still lived in the other country for a while).
Note that the relevant period for a PCC is four years, not five years. If requesting the PCC is likely to be a very slow process it may be worth waiting until you have less than 183 days in a single country abroad during the preceding four years, so that no PCC is necessary by default.
(Note that IRCC can request a PCC if they feel it necessary, even if you spent less than 183 days in a country. It is unlikely they will do so, but it is a possibility. Hiding a charge or conviction abroad can invalidate your application and you may be stripped of your citizenship for misrepresentation, so don't do this if your PCC is not squeaky clean)