I agree that people on visitor visa are mostly "tourists" however there are a few people who are "legally residing" in Canada under visitor visa, such as spouses / common law who are being sponsored for spousal PR. These people are able to claim their pre-PR credit towards citizenship. As I have illustrated before in my previous post, my wife would have been able to claim pre-PR credit under old 3/4 rule. While she would not hold a SIN, she has proof of being a "temporary resident" no different from worker/student visas.
2 key words in claiming pre-PR credit for citizenship is "actual residency". A tourist would not have proof of this. A spouse / common law on spousal PR sponsorship would have actual residency, no difference from worker / student despite being a "visitor" in Canada. Relying on "entry/exit" stamps does not prove he/she took up legal residency.
Take a look at Jahanara Begum Khan decision.
This was copied from dpenabill's post.
CIC's position is that time visiting Canada prior to establishing an actual residence in Canada does NOT count.
In fact, CIC takes the position that this applies even after becoming a PR, let alone prior to becoming a PR. That is, that time in Canada after landing and becoming a PR does not begin to count unless and until the date the PR established residence . . . time visiting Canada prior to that, even as a PR, does NOT count.
At least some Federal Court justices agree. In particular, just last week Justice Locke specifically agreed in the Jahanara Begum Khan decision. (In the Jahanara Begum Khan case, Justice Locke deducted 18 days from the residency calculation, 18 days spent in Canada approximately a year after she landed, but concluded that she still had enough days after the implicit date actual residence was established.)
Basically, as long as you provide proof of "actual residency" in Canada, you can claim pre-PR credit towards it.
