It appears you have identified the mistake made in what was previously entered into the presence calculator.
Nonetheless, to be clear:
The calculator requires the applicant to enter exact dates for each date there was an
exit from Canada and for the date of the
next entry into Canada.
Information regarding travel to and from other countries, between the date of exit from Canada and the next date of entry into Canada, should be entered into the "Reason" box. The instructions indicate that the applicant merey needs to list the names of the countries visited. If this information is voluminous, I concur that it would be a good idea to note, in the Reason box, that there was extensive travel between other countries during that respective time period, and state that the details are listed on a separate page. And do that, list additional international travel on a separate page, and probably a good idea to list dates along with countries even though the instruction does not call for this (this would enable a bureaucrat to quickly correlate travel indicated in Travel Documents with what is reported by the applicant, reducing the risk of confusion). Note, however, on that separate page be sure to clearly indicate the relevant period of time with a heading that identifies the respective date of exit from Canada and date of next entry into Canada.
In any event, if you correctly enter into the calculator
all exact dates you exited Canada and next date of entry into Canada, the calculator will give you an accurate accounting.
ezlib said:
I also have all my travel documents for travel during those times - it does match my passport stamps.
Whatever sources of information are used to help the applicant enter the information into the calculator, the applicant's obligation is to accurately report the actual date of exit from Canada and next date of entry into Canada for
all trips. Along with failing to follow instructions, or leaving gaps in address or work history, the next most common cause for problems, in processing otherwise qualified applicants, is an incomplete or inaccurate declaration of trips in the Physical Presence Calculation. This is often due to the applicant relying on incomplete or inaccurate sources.
Prudent PRs keep a travel log so they can make sure to accurately enter all actual dates they exited Canada and entered Canada. (This information also may be required to renew a PR card.)
In the absence of having kept a complete travel log, in addition to doing a thorough cross-check and double-check of all
actual dates, as to each and every date of exit and date of entry, it is prudent to make a concerted effort to research one's own history and memory, from bank and credit card accounts, to old emails, asking family and friends, anything that would help trigger remembering any potentially overlooked trip. Failing to report a trip can make the process a lot more unpleasant, even difficult. It is no excuse, if a trip was overlooked and not reported, that the trip was not indicated in Travel Documents.
Note that information in Travel Documents, in particular, is prone to causing error . . . not because the information itself is in error, but because it is not necessarily complete and it does not necessarily indicate the actual date of exit or entry into Canada for all trips.
One of the most common examples is the trans-oceanic flight, evening as well as red eye flights: Travel Documents will usually reflect date of arrival abroad, for example, rather than the previous day on which the traveler actually exited Canada.
Trans-Pacific flights from Canada can be two days off.
An isolated error of this sort is not a big deal, usually anyway. Multiple occasions of this, particularly if in a context where there are other circumstances potentially raising concerns (such as applying with less than a solid margin over the minimum requirement), however, can lead to questions, doubts, outright skepticism, and potentially problematic processing.
Cannot emphasize enough how important it is to get this information right. Or, what is too commonly overlooked, how easy it is to make a mistake.
And be sure to give yourself a comfortable margin, of days in Canada, over the minimum.
