So this is my next question, I have as at last count 361 exits/entries - all to the US. I work in the US but come home to Canada everyday (or at least every other day) How do I increase my Physical presence days? I was hoping to get extra cushion days before applying. Does that mean I should just go ahead and apply since waiting will not give me those extra days?
FYI and FWIW - I kept detailed account of entries and exits for the most part (but I cant say it was 100%) and I recently renewed PR card with no issues
The real question is, indeed, "
should [ I ] just go ahead and apply since waiting will not give me those extra days?"
There is NO easy answer. This is a very personal question. There are many things to consider. Not the least of which is the extent to which (1) you can be certain of the presence calculation, and (2) you can prove actual presence. Personal priorities loom large. Near future and long-term future plans and probabilities should be considered.
As I previously posted:
CAUTION: the online calculator WORKS as long as you enter the dates accurately. My sense is that your scenario likely is one in which it really will be a good idea to have well more than just a few days margin over the minimum. So it is likely important to approach this cautiously and NOT rush applying.
That caution was as applicable for the first explanation I offered, that you will be losing days in the calculation which off set future days in Canada due to days falling outside the five year eligibility period. Which appears to be your situation. At least until June.
The fact that your employment is in the U.S. and that you will apparently depend on counting many days you were also in the U.S. (yes, they count if any part of the day was in Canada, BUT that is assuming IRCC agrees the evidence shows those days were in fact at least partially spent in Canada), tends to elevate the risk of RQ related questions, requests, and potentially full-blown presence-case processing (perhaps even a referral to a Citizenship Judge).
Obviously the fact of being employed in the U.S. is the more salient reason why IRCC might approach your accounting of days present in Canada more skeptically. It does not disqualify you. But it does invite questions and some skepticism. It is likely to trigger RQ-related requests and challenges.
I have oft stated my disdain for "
it is likely to be fine" assurances, since at best such assurances are uninformative and generally misleading, failing to address what makes the difference, failing to account for the consequences otherwise, and utterly failing to recognize the extent to which many will NOT be fine but will rather suffer negative consequences. How things go is NOT a game of chance.
But if your situation means the strength of your case will not improve much by waiting, that is what it is. In which case it is largely a matter of assessing if your case is strong enough to invest the cost and effort to apply. With the history you report, seems like the odds are high IRCC is going to scrutinize your travel history rather closely if not outright skeptically. If you are confident you can meet the challenge (to document meeting the presence requirement), as long as you are truthful there is nothing other than your time and the fees to lose. And it may take a little or considerably longer than it does for most applicants.
