HAVEN’T MET RESIDENCY OBLIGATIONS YET AS PR, CAN I STILL SPONSOR MY SPOUSE?

[123boxy]

I am a Permanent Resident for the past 9 years. My PR Card renewal will be on September 2026.

Here are the things to consider:
- The FIRST 5 years of my PR I have met RO (2 out of 5 years)
- The SECOND 5 years is currently on-going until 2026 and I haven’t met RO yet as of now (Jan 2025), but will surely meet RO by January 2026 before ending the second 5 years.

I am getting married on May 2025 and plan to sponsor my wife after a month.

I am seeing discussions about people not meeting RO within 5 years and not being able to sponsor, but my case is a bit different from theirs.

Should I want until I meet RO before sponsoring or is it okay to sponsor before meeting RO?

Thanks!

 

[canuck78]

I am a Permanent Resident for the past 9 years. My PR Card renewal will be on September 2026.

Here are the things to consider:
- The FIRST 5 years of my PR I have met RO (2 out of 5 years)
- The SECOND 5 years is currently on-going until 2026 and I haven’t met RO yet as of now (Jan 2025), but will surely meet RO by January 2026 before ending the second 5 years.

I am getting married on May 2025 and plan to sponsor my wife after a month.

Should I want until I meet RO before sponsoring or is it okay to sponsor before meeting RO?

Thanks!

Unless your wedding is in Canada you also need to be worried about being reported at the border.

 

[armoured]

I am a Permanent Resident for the past 9 years. My PR Card renewal will be on September 2026.

Here are the things to consider:
- The FIRST 5 years of my PR I have met RO (2 out of 5 years)
- The SECOND 5 years is currently on-going until 2026 and I haven’t met RO yet as of now (Jan 2025), but will surely meet RO by January 2026 before ending the second 5 years.

This 'first and second' five years of your PR status is NOT how it works. After you complete your first five years, it is a rolling obligation and can be checked at any time you cross a border or interact with IRCC - by, notably, applying to sponsor your spouse.

Here is how it actually works for you now (and has worked this way since ~2021 for you): at any date you are 'examined', they look back five years - e.g. if you cross the border into Canada on March 1, 2025, look back to March 1, 2020, and count the days in Canada (should be more than 730 days) OR days outside Canada (should be LESS THAN 1095 days).

[Days in Canada > 730 days or days outside Canada < 1095 days is the exact same calculation but mirror images - whichever is easier to calculate.]

Again: this is not 'in' some period from when your old card expired to now. It is ANY five-year period, rolling obligation, on any day you are 'examined' (like at a border).

 

[123boxy]

Unless your wedding is in Canada you also need to be worried about being reported at the border.

It will be outside Canada, so I should wait until I meet RO?

Do they count the days of RO between the renewal and expiry dates of PR Card?

 

[123boxy]

This 'first and second' five years of your PR status is NOT how it works. After you complete your first five years, it is a rolling obligation and can be checked at any time you cross a border or interact with IRCC - by, notably, applying to sponsor your spouse.

Here is how it actually works for you now (and has worked this way since ~2021 for you): at any date you are 'examined', they look back five years - e.g. if you cross the border into Canada on March 1, 2025, look back to March 1, 2020, and count the days in Canada (should be more than 730 days) OR days outside Canada (should be LESS THAN 1095 days).

[Days in Canada > 730 days or days outside Canada < 1095 days is the exact same calculation but mirror images - whichever is easier to calculate.]

Again: this is not 'in' some period from when your old card expired to now. It is ANY five-year period, rolling obligation, on any day you are 'examined' (like at a border).

I am planning to sponsor my wife on or before September 2025.

By counting the days between September 2020 - September 2025 it looks like I will be well over 730 days stayed INSIDE Canada.

This means that I meet the RO and it wouldn’t be an issue if I sponsor my wife by then.

From my understanding with your comment, would this be the right assessment?

 

[armoured]

Do they count the days of RO between the renewal and expiry dates of PR Card?

See my post above. The dates on your PR card have literally zero to do with your RO compliance. (The "PR since" date on the back did have meaning for compliance, but only for the first five years since landing).

 

[YVR123]

It will be outside Canada, so I should wait until I meet RO?

Do they count the days of RO between the renewal and expiry dates of PR Card?

No. As replied by members, it counts from the day you interact with IRCC or CBSA.
For example when you apply for sponsorship or when you cross the border to Canada.

So if you leave and come back in May 2025, you need to look back on that day for 5 years and see if you meet RO within that 5 years time.
(according to your post, you don't meet RO yet)
The card dates have nothing to do with your RO calculation.

 

[123boxy]

See my post above. The dates on your PR card have literally zero to do with your RO compliance. (The "PR since" date on the back did have meaning for compliance, but only for the first five years since landing).

I am planning to sponsor my wife on or before Sep 2025.

By counting from Sep 2020 - Sep 2025 I would have accumulated well over 730 days inside Canada.

So from my understanding with your comments it would mean that there wouldn’t be an issue with sponsoring my wife since I have met RO from the 5 year span?

 

[123boxy]

No. As replied by members, it counts from the day you interact with IRCC or CBSA.
For example when you apply for sponsorship or when you cross the border to Canada.

So if you leave and come back in May 2025, you need to look back on that day for 5 years and see if you meet RO within that 5 years time.
(according to your post, you don't meet RO yet)
The card dates have nothing to do with your RO calculation.

By the looks of it I would have meet the RO if I apply sponsorship from May 2025 onwards since from 2020 I have more than 730 days stayed inside Canada.

 

[YVR123]

By the looks of it I would have meet the RO if I apply sponsorship from May 2025 onwards since from 2020 I have more than 730 days stayed inside Canada.

You will need to do your math. If you stay in Canada and do not leave till you meet your RO.
Also will you consider getting marry inside Canada? Will you future spouse apply for TRV to come to Canada?

 

[123boxy]

You will need to do your math. If you stay in Canada and do not leave till you meet your RO.
Also will you consider getting marry inside Canada? Will you future spouse apply for TRV to come to Canada?

If I apply for sponsorship by Sept 2025, by counting I would have stayed in Canada for 869 days from 2020 - 2025.

Our option is to apply outside Canada for spousal sponsorship the apply for TRV for her to come to Canada earlier.

 

[YVR123]

If I apply for sponsorship by Sept 2025, by counting I would have stayed in Canada for 869 days from 2020 - 2025.

Our option is to apply outside Canada for spousal sponsorship the apply for TRV for her to come to Canada earlier.

It's fine if you meet RO and apply to sponsor.
And make sure that you still meet RO after your trip and as you return to Canada.
If you return on Sept 1 2025, the days needs to count from Sept 1 2020 to Sept 1 2025.

 

[123boxy]

It's fine if you meet RO and apply to sponsor.
And make sure that you still meet RO after your trip and as you return to Canada.
If you return on Sept 1 2025, the days needs to count from Sept 1 2020 to Sept 1 2025.

Thanks! Gave me a clear understanding how RO works.

 

[canuck78]

It will be outside Canada, so I should wait until I meet RO?

Do they count the days of RO between the renewal and expiry dates of PR Card?

Up to you to decide your risk tolerance but it appears that you have spent significant time outside Canada while a PR. If you do not meet RO there is always a risk. You need to have been in Canada 730 days in the past 5 years when you reenter Canada after your wedding so for example between June 2020-June 2025

 

[armoured]

If I apply for sponsorship by Sept 2025, by counting I would have stayed in Canada for 869 days from 2020 - 2025.

Our option is to apply outside Canada for spousal sponsorship the apply for TRV for her to come to Canada earlier.

You seem to now get how they calculate the RO. You will have to track your dates and do the arithmetic yourself. Again, it is/can be important at ANY interaction with IRCC - notably, every time you enter Canada and when you submit to sponsor your spouse.

Important to note: you the sponsor MUST submit the PR sponsorship app for your spouse from WITHIN Canada. Your spouse can be outside Canada of course, and apply for TRV as you wish. (It seems they are more likely to issue TRV after you get the AOR on the sponsorship application, but up to you when you apply for the TRV)