How to count residency when outside Canada?

[midnight_sun]

Does anyone know how to calculate the time spent outside Canada when a Canadian PR accompanies her baby who is a Canadian citizen? Friend of mine was sponsored by her PR husband and landed and gave birth to their son in Toronto. 10 months ago she left with the baby for their home country to visit their parents and stayed there until now.

She wants to know if this 10-month time abroad with her baby will be counted fully or partially towards her total residency when applying for citizenship? And how does it work? Will she be required to have some kind of paper to proof or?

Any info would be appreciated.

 

[canvis2006]

Time outside Canada does not count towards residency unless you're there working for Cdn govt or military.

You need physical presence/residence in Canada for citizenship.

Check:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomers/about-pr.asp#keep_status

 

[scylla]

midnight_sun -

The rule you are thinking about only applies when your spouse is a citizen. In that case, days spent away from Canada with your citizen spouse count towards the days required to retain PR status (but do not count towards citizenship).

The same rule does not apply to children. So the time your friend spent abroad with her citizen baby with not count at all for either citizenship or retaining PR status.

 

[midnight_sun]

Oh!!

I must tell them right away then! I don't know where they learned that it counts to stay with a their son who is a citizen...!

Thanks Scylla! I will call CIC to confirm again 'cause friends don't speak English.

 

[scylla]

midnight_sun -

In case you don't get through to the CIC, here's the page on the the CIC site that displays the information you're asking about. As you'll see, the "outside of Canada with a citizen" rule only applies if that citizen is your spouse - or if the person with PR status is under 22 and the citizen is their parent.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/5445EA.asp

Perhaps your friend misunderstood the second part of the rule and thought that it meant that a citizen child would allow a parent to accumulate residence days (it's actually the other way around - a citizen parent allows a PR child to accumulate residence days).

Hope this helps.

 

[midnight_sun]

Thanks Scylla for your help! Yes CIC confirmed it - same as what you have explained. I have also advised my friend and his wife about it.

 

[scylla]

Great! Your friend is very lucky you asked this question before she ended up spending too much time out of Canada.

Good luck with your application as well!!! (I was reading about your sponsal sponsorship story last week.)