Go back and forth with PR Card

[suntr27]

Hi,

I have been in Canada for 8 years under student visa. I just got my PR card July 2012 under spouse category.

I am planning to go back Singapore to work next month. I am just wondering how long is the longest time I can go out canada? Is it possible if I go to Sing for 3 months then back to Canada for 2 weeks, then another 3 months in Sing and 2 weeks in Canada again? Or 6 month in Sing then 1 month in Canada and go on ? Does it work that way? Can I still maintain my PR status if I keep doing that for the next 2 years?

Thank you so much for your helps!

 

[Leon]

You need to be in Canada at least 730 days in the first 5 years after you got your PR (can be outside Canada up to 1095 days). After the first 5 years, it is any rolling 5 year period that you have to meet those requirements. You therefore do not have to come back every couple of months. You can leave Canada for 1094 days in one stretch but after that, you would have to stay for 730 days straight to make up for it.

 

[suntr27]

thank you Leon,

So i got PR in July 2012, and I go back in May 2013, those 8 months would not count into my 2 years? Can i accumulate every 2 weeks time or 1 month time in the next couple years into my 2 years obligation? so by the time i get back to canada for good, I can stay less than 2 straight year before applying for citizenship.

Thank you again

 

[Leon]

thank you Leon,

So i got PR in July 2012, and I go back in May 2013, those 8 months would not count into my 2 years? Can i accumulate every 2 weeks time or 1 month time in the next couple years into my 2 years obligation? so by the time i get back to canada for good, I can stay less than 2 straight year before applying for citizenship.

Thank you again

Yes, every day you stay in Canada counts but make sure you keep proof like boarding cards from flights and flight tickets because when you renew your card, they will want to know the exact dates you traveled and they might ask you to prove it, especially if you are close with the days.

You just have to have 730 days in Canada in your first 5 years as a PR and after that, the 5 year period is always the rolling period of the past 5 years

So if you stay now for 8 months and then you stay a month every year for the next couple of years, you will just have to go back in time that you can still meet 730 days total before your first 5 years pass.

After you have been a PR for 5 years, your first 8 months in Canada start to move outside the 5 year window of the past 5 so you will have to be careful to replace that time by new days stayed in Canada so that at any given time, you can look back and say you have 730 or more days in Canada in the past 5 years.