How to calculate time spent in Canada for Canadian citizenship application?

Why Apply for Canadian Citizenship?

• 354,000 people were granted Canadian Citizenship in 2023
• Enjoy dual citizenship benefits
• Participate in voting with political rights  
• Travel freely without a visa
• No residency restrictions

 

 

Applying for Canadian citizenship  

To qualify for Canadian citizenship, one must have lived in the country for a minimum of three years or 1,095 days in the five years before signing the application for Citizenship. The IRCC calls this the physical presence requirement for Citizenship. 

 

Read More…

354,000 people became Canadian citizens in 2023

 

 

 

Steps to Apply for Canadian Citizenship

You can follow the simple steps given below to apply: 

Step 1: Check your eligibility for Citizenship.

Step 2: Arrange the checklist of documents.

Step 3: Fill in your application form.

Step 4: Pay the application fee.

Step 5: Apply and await the status.

 

 

*Looking to apply for Canada PR? Get in touch with immigration experts at Y-Axis for assistance.

 

 

Temporary Resident & Protected Person

The table defines Temporary Residents and Protected Persons as per the IRCC:

Temporary Resident	Protected person
Foreign nationals with authorization to enter & stay in Canada	For someone who needs protection or was assessed to be a convention refugee.
Ex: Student workers, visitors or Temporary resident permit holders	Ex: Someone with a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment, Refugee claimants

 

 

Calculate your time spent in Canada based on your Canadian status

The total time spent in Canada can be estimated by how many days a candidate lives in the country after acquiring Canada PR.  

 

IRCC notes that every day in Canada in the five years will be measured as half a day for “Physical presence” calculations.

 

Protected persons and Canadian Temporary residents can only spend 365 days in the country. The remaining days required for the eligibility must be spent in the country only after getting a PR.  

 

Minors with no parent or Canadian parent who intend to apply for Citizenship at the same time as the parent must fulfill the exact requirements for adults.

 

 

*Looking to work in Canada? Avail Y-Axis Job Search Services for complete job support.

 

 

Learn how to calculate your time spent in Canada

You can learn how to calculate your time in Canada by observing the two examples given below:

 

Calculate your time spent in Canada as a Temporary Resident:

Given below are the instructions to calculate your time in Canada as a Temporary Resident:

Temporary Resident: Suresh

Suresh plans on signing his application for Citizenship on March 24, 2024. He arrived in Canada as a student in September 2019 and acquired a PR in 2022.

 

He has lived in the country every day since he arrived as a student.

 

Date of signing the application: March 24, 2024

• The five-year tenure will be calculated from March 24, 2019, to March 23, 2024.
• The time spent before March 24, 2019, will not be considered.
• Suresh has spent 0 days outside the country since arriving in Canada. Still, according to the IRCC’s calculation, any number of days the applicant has not been physically present in the country will not be counted.

 

*Note: March 24, 2024, will not be considered as the requirements must be met one day before applying for Citizenship. 

 

Suresh arrived as a student on September 4, 2019, and became a Canadian Permanent Resident on January 6, 2022.  

 

Time spent as a Temporary Resident in Canada: September 4, 2019, to January 5, 2022 (855 days)

(1 whole day = 0.5 days for 365 days; Suresh can use the 365 days spent as a TR for the physical presence requirement.)

 

Time spent as a Permanent Resident in Canada: January 6, 2022, to March 23, 2024 (808 days)

The 808 days can be considered for the requirement of physical presence.

365 days (TR) + 808 days (PR) = 1,173 days.

 

 

Calculate your time spent in Canada as a Protected Person:

Given below are the instructions to calculate your time in Canada as a protected person:

Sherwin plans on signing the application for Citizenship on July 16, 2024. He arrived in Canada as a protected person in 2021 and acquired a PR in early 2023.

 

He has lived in the country daily since he arrived as a protected person.

 

Date of signing the application: July 16, 2024

• The five-year tenure will be calculated from July 16, 2019, to July 15, 2024.
• The time spent before July 16, 2019, will not be considered.
• Sherwin has spent 0 days outside the country since arriving in Canada. Still, according to the IRCC’s calculation, any number of days the applicant has not been physically present in the country will not be counted.

 

*Note: July 16, 2024, will not be considered as the requirements must be met one day before applying for Citizenship. 

 

Sherwin arrived as a protected person on May 20, 2021, and became a Canadian Permanent Resident on February 19, 2023.  

 

Time spent as a protected person in Canada: May 20, 2021, to February 18, 2023 (640 days)

(1 whole day = 0.5 days for 365 days; Sherwin can use the 320 days spent as a TR for the physical presence requirement.)

 

Time spent as a Permanent Resident in Canada: February 19, 2023, to July 15, 2024 (513 days)

The 513 days can be considered for the requirement of physical presence.

320 days (TR) + 513 days (PR) = 833 days.

 

 

Calculate your time spent in Canada as a Permanent Resident:

Given below are the instructions to calculate your time in Canada as a Permanent resident:

Shanice plans on signing the application for Citizenship on June 06, 2024. She has been in Canada as a PR since 2017.

 

Between January 4 and August 18, Shanice visited her native country due to some work.

 

 Date of signing the application: June 06, 2024

• The five-year tenure will be calculated from June 06, 2019, to June 05, 2024.
• The time spent before June 06, 2019, will not be considered.
• Shanice has spent 227 days outside the country since arriving in Canada (January 4 to August 18, 2019). Still, according to the IRCC’s calculation, any number of days the applicant has not been physically present in the country will not be counted.

 

*Note: June 06, 2024, will not be considered as the requirements must be met one day before applying for Citizenship. 

 

Time spent as a Permanent Resident in Canada between eligible dates: June 6, 2019, to June 5, 2024 (1,827 days)

 

A total of 1,827 days cannot be considered a requirement for the physical presence in the country as 227 days were spent outside Canada.

 

1,827 days (PR) - 227 days (Outside Canada) = 1600 days

 

 

 

*Are you looking for step-by-step assistance to migrate to Canada? Talk to Y-Axis, the leading Overseas Immigration Company in the UAE.

 

For recent Immigration updates do check out: Y-Axis Canada Immigration news