1 888 O Canada 1 800 622 6232
Contact O Canada online
Good day,
Thank you for contacting Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Residency obligation for permanent residents
In order to maintain your permanent resident (PR) status, you are required to be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days (which is equal to two years) within a five-year period. Those days of physical presence do not need to be continuous.
If you have been a PR for less than five years, you must show that you will be able to meet the residency obligation within five years of the date you became a PR.
Calculation
The residency obligation may be verified either when meeting an immigration officer (for example when entering Canada) or when submitting an application for a PR card.
To calculate residency, the officer will use the current date (if you are in person with the officer) or the signature date on your PR card application and go back 5 years. If within that period, you were physically present in Canada for 730 days or more, you meet the residency obligation. For the purpose of this calculation, any part of a day spent in Canada is counted as one full day.
Exceptions
Some exceptions to the physical presence may apply. For example, in the following situations, days spent outside Canada may also count towards the 730 days if:
We hope the information provided is helpful in assisting you with your enquiry.
We would also like to suggest the following online services that might be helpful to you:
Thank you,
Beatrice
Agent #5189
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Note: The information provided may change without notice. If there is conflicting information between the text in the email and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Citizenship Act or their regulations, the Act and/or Regulations prevail. This email was sent to you in the language of your choice. The information on the IRCC website is available in both official languages.
Contact O Canada online
Good day,
Thank you for contacting Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Residency obligation for permanent residents
In order to maintain your permanent resident (PR) status, you are required to be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days (which is equal to two years) within a five-year period. Those days of physical presence do not need to be continuous.
If you have been a PR for less than five years, you must show that you will be able to meet the residency obligation within five years of the date you became a PR.
Calculation
The residency obligation may be verified either when meeting an immigration officer (for example when entering Canada) or when submitting an application for a PR card.
To calculate residency, the officer will use the current date (if you are in person with the officer) or the signature date on your PR card application and go back 5 years. If within that period, you were physically present in Canada for 730 days or more, you meet the residency obligation. For the purpose of this calculation, any part of a day spent in Canada is counted as one full day.
Exceptions
Some exceptions to the physical presence may apply. For example, in the following situations, days spent outside Canada may also count towards the 730 days if:
- You are travelling with your spouse or partner who is a Canadian citizen,
- You are a child travelling with their father or mother who is a Canadian citizen,
- You are an employee of (or under contract to) a Canadian business.
We hope the information provided is helpful in assisting you with your enquiry.
We would also like to suggest the following online services that might be helpful to you:
- Check your application status - You may either:
- sign in to your online account to check your application status,
- create an online account and link your application to it, or
- use the online tool (Client Application Status (CAS)).
- Change of address
- Find application forms and guides
- Help Centre - To find answers, you may consult the different sections or type keywords related to your question
Thank you,
Beatrice
Agent #5189
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Note: The information provided may change without notice. If there is conflicting information between the text in the email and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Citizenship Act or their regulations, the Act and/or Regulations prevail. This email was sent to you in the language of your choice. The information on the IRCC website is available in both official languages.