Does time in Canada as a visitor apply towards residency?

[Ingramsgranny]

I moved to Canada in Sept. 2005, living there as a visitor until I was granted PR status the end of March 2006. Because of family obligations I was forced to return to the US in June of 2007 and remian there for now. I'm wondering how many more months I would need to spend in Canada now to maintain my PR status? Would they count the seven months I spent there initially, before I got PR status, towards my residency requirement?

 

[GK]

No, I don't think they will count the days before PR was issued.

 

[abhi_hola]

For citizenship purpose each day you spend in Canada before getting a PR status is counted as a half-day; you have total of 3X365 days to attain in a span of 4 years to apply for citizenship;
so if you have stayed as a non-PR visa holder from Jul-01-2007 to Jun-29-2009, & became a PR on Jun-30-2009, you would be able to apply for citizenship on Jun-29-2011.
thnx

 

[Leon]

To keep your PR status:

If you became a PR less than 5 years ago, you need to spend 730 days in Canada (= 24 months = 2 years) in your first 5 years as a PR. You count from the day you landed as a PR. That means you can be outside Canada for up to 1095 days (36 months = 3 years) in your first 5 years. If you left in June 2007, you will have to return to Canada no later than June 2010 to complete your first 5 years as a PR.

After you are a PR for 5 years, you always have to meet this same residency requirement counting 5 years backwards.

 

[Ingramsgranny]

If all these answers are correct then isn't it ironic that Canada would allow half of that time as a visitor to apply towards citizenship but none towards the residency requirement for PR? Oh well.

 

[Leon]

Since the residency requirement for PR is for any 5 year period, time spent before getting PR is irrelevant just like once you are PR for more than 5 years, where you were 5 years and 1 day ago is irrelevant.

The residency requirements in Canada are actually not strict at all. Many countries cancel your PR if you are gone more than 6 months or more than a year.