Calculating PR Obligation Days

[aaa_panda]

Hi there,

I have questions regarding PR obligation calculation.

I have become a PR since Jun 27, 2021, and left Canada on Aug 3, 2022, and haven't returned since then. I'm wondering what will be the latest date I need to return to fulfill the 730-day obligation? (I remained in Canada and didn't travel anywhere since I became PR until I left the country on Aug 3, 2022)

An additional question is, if I would like to become a citizen, how many days do I need to live in Canada after returning?

Thank you so much in advance for answering my questions, greatly appreciated!

 

[scylla]

Hi there,

I have questions regarding PR obligation calculation.

I have become a PR since Jun 27, 2021, and left Canada on Aug 3, 2022, and haven't returned since then. I'm wondering what will be the latest date I need to return to fulfill the 730-day obligation? (I remained in Canada and didn't travel anywhere since I became PR until I left the country on Aug 3, 2022)

An additional question is, if I would like to become a citizen, how many days do I need to live in Canada after returning?

Thank you so much in advance for answering my questions, greatly appreciated!

The absolute latest you can return is three years from the date you left. However that is not recommended. If you do that, then you will have to remain in Canada for two years straight without leaving for a single day before you can apply to renew your PR card. This is not realistic for most people and does not account for things like family emergencies outside of Canada.

Citizenship requires 1095 residency days in the last five years. Since you've already been oustide of Canada for more than two years, you will need to live in Canada for 1095 days (three years) after you return to qualify. The days you lived in Canada before you left don't help you.

 

[aaa_panda]

The absolute latest you can return is three years from the date you left. However that is not recommended. If you do that, then you will have to remain in Canada for two years straight without leaving for a single day before you can apply to renew your PR card. This is not realistic for most people and does not account for things like family emergencies outside of Canada.

Citizenship requires 1095 residency days in the last five years. Since you've already been oustide of Canada for more than two years, you will need to live in Canada for 1095 days (three years) after you return to qualify. The days you lived in Canada before you left don't help you.

Hi there,

Thank you for the response! But I am still a bit confused. If I return in Aug 2025, don't I only need to live for one more year to renew my PR card? Given that I have lived a little more than 1 year before I left the country (from the date I became PR Jun 2021 to the date I left Aug 2022).

 

[scylla]

Hi there,

Thank you for the response! But I am still a bit confused. If I return in Aug 2025, don't I only need to live for one more year to renew my PR card? Given that I have lived a little more than 1 year before I left the country (from the date I became PR Jun 2021 to the date I left Aug 2022).

You have to do the math extremely carefully based on when you plan to return to Canada (and also whether you will have any need to travel outside of Canada in the 2 year period after you return). The residency obligation requires you to live in Canada for two out of the past five rolling years, depending on how close you cut it or potentially if you wait until later in August 2025 to return, you may end up losing the residency time you accumulated in Canada earlier. If you want to make sure you can count the days of residency you accumulated earlier, return before you have been outside of Canada for three years.

Technically you can return to Canada anytime before your PR card expires, however the closer you come to the end of your PR card expiry date, the greater the chances you may be reported at the border for failing to meet the residency requirement.