How to count time spent in Canada?

[iam_toby]

Hi, I recently became a PR and am planning to apply for citizenship whenever I become
eligible. By clicking through the online calculator, which tells me when I will become eligible,
I noticed that I have to enter all my trips I spent outside Canada.

I've always kept a list of trips, so that's not going to be that big of a deal for me, however,
what about one day trips across the line? I live fairly close to the border and cross the line
on a weekly basis, to pick up parcels and/or gas up my car.

Do I have to include those half-day ( or to be more precise, 1 hr ) trips in that calculation as
well, or only trips over 24 hrs?

Thanks for your help!

T.

 

[Goldline]

Hi, I recently became a PR and am planning to apply for citizenship whenever I become
eligible. By clicking through the online calculator, which tells me when I will become eligible,
I noticed that I have to enter all my trips I spent outside Canada.

I've always kept a list of trips, so that's not going to be that big of a deal for me, however,
what about one day trips across the line? I live fairly close to the border and cross the line
on a weekly basis, to pick up parcels and/or gas up my car.

Do I have to include those half-day ( or to be more precise, 1 hr ) trips in that calculation as
well, or only trips over 24 hrs?

Thanks for your help!

T.

First of all, if recently means few months, I don't think you will be eligible any time soon ( according to current law you need 2 years as PR and with the New Bill 4 years).
As for your trips, you don't need to count your half day trips. If you cross the border and come back to spend the night in Canada just ignore those trips in the calculation.

 

[iam_toby]

First of all, if recently means few months, I don't think you will be eligible any time soon ( according to current law you need 2 years as PR and with the New Bill 4 years).
As for your trips, you don't need to count your half day trips. If you cross the border and come back to spend the night in Canada just ignore those trips in the calculation.

Hi,

yes, recently means a few months and I'm well aware that the date I become eligible is still years away. I just want to be
prepared when the time comes, hence why I'm keeping the list of travels

Thanks, so I don't keep track of half-day trips then.

T.

 

[Swede]

Hi,

yes, recently means a few months and I'm well aware that the date I become eligible is still years away. I just want to be
prepared when the time comes, hence why I'm keeping the list of travels

Thanks, so I don't keep track of half-day trips then.

T.

If you get issued a residency questionnaire once you've applied, they will want to know of those half-day trips as well. Make a note of them just in case...

 

[iam_toby]

If you get issued a residency questionnaire once you've applied, they will want to know of those half-day trips as well. Make a note of them just in case...

Ok, will do, or at least try to do as I cross the border on a weekly basis to get gas.

Thanks a lot!

 

[lemon_edz]

Hi..

just wanna know also how to count time spent in canada.. just became a PR recently (july 2014) .. i have read that those days/years you have stayed in canada before u become a PR are counted as half.. then by the time you become a PR, those days ul be spending are counted as 1..
I don't know if this is still the new rules that u need to have at least 3 years (1095 days) before u can apply for citizenship.. I came in canada last march 2009.. so i already spent 5 years and 4 months here and leave canada for vacation for only 2 months.. so i have 5 years and 2 months (1885 days) but since im still a temporary worker at that time so it is counted as half (1885/2) so i have more or less 942 days already being spent.. does it mean that if applying for citizenship requires only 3 years to stay, if rules hasn't change.. i only need to have (150) days in order to qualify? (1095-942) = 153..

 

[zardoz]

Hi..

just wanna know also how to count time spent in canada.. just became a PR recently (july 2014) .. i have read that those days/years you have stayed in canada before u become a PR are counted as half.. then by the time you become a PR, those days ul be spending are counted as 1..
I don't know if this is still the new rules that u need to have at least 3 years (1095 days) before u can apply for citizenship.. I came in canada last march 2009.. so i already spent 5 years and 4 months here and leave canada for vacation for only 2 months.. so i have 5 years and 2 months (1885 days) but since im still a temporary worker at that time so it is counted as half (1885/2) so i have more or less 942 days already being spent.. does it mean that if applying for citizenship requires only 3 years to stay, if rules hasn't change.. i only need to have (150) days in order to qualify? (1095-942) = 153..

Currently, the absolute maximum number of days that you can claim from pre-PR time is 365 days. Therefore, your calculations are completely wrong. You will not even be able to count any pre-PR days by the time you become eligible to apply, in at least 4 years time.

 

[Pureminded]

Hi..

just wanna know also how to count time spent in canada.. just became a PR recently (july 2014) .. i have read that those days/years you have stayed in canada before u become a PR are counted as half.. then by the time you become a PR, those days ul be spending are counted as 1..
I don't know if this is still the new rules that u need to have at least 3 years (1095 days) before u can apply for citizenship.. I came in canada last march 2009.. so i already spent 5 years and 4 months here and leave canada for vacation for only 2 months.. so i have 5 years and 2 months (1885 days) but since im still a temporary worker at that time so it is counted as half (1885/2) so i have more or less 942 days already being spent.. does it mean that if applying for citizenship requires only 3 years to stay, if rules hasn't change.. i only need to have (150) days in order to qualify? (1095-942) = 153..

All time spent outside PR can count towards citizenship requirement to a maximum of 1 year, i.e. whether you spent 20 years or 2 years before becoming a PR is just the same thing.

And as you just became a PR you will most most likely fall under the new rule which requires you to stay 4 years before applying for citizenship, and the time spent outside PR won't count anymore towards citizenship. In other words if you don't leave Canada for a single day you'll be eligible to apply in July 2018.

 

[Leon]

Hi..

just wanna know also how to count time spent in canada.. just became a PR recently (july 2014) .. i have read that those days/years you have stayed in canada before u become a PR are counted as half.. then by the time you become a PR, those days ul be spending are counted as 1..
I don't know if this is still the new rules that u need to have at least 3 years (1095 days) before u can apply for citizenship.. I came in canada last march 2009.. so i already spent 5 years and 4 months here and leave canada for vacation for only 2 months.. so i have 5 years and 2 months (1885 days) but since im still a temporary worker at that time so it is counted as half (1885/2) so i have more or less 942 days already being spent.. does it mean that if applying for citizenship requires only 3 years to stay, if rules hasn't change.. i only need to have (150) days in order to qualify? (1095-942) = 153..

You can only count time spent in Canada from the past 4 years before you apply. Because every day you spend in Canada eats up half a day you spent in Canada 4 years ago, you can not become eligible to apply for citizenship under the old rules until you have been a PR for 2 years. In that case, you would have 2 years (730 days) of PR days spent in Canada and 2 years (730 days) of half days pre-PR counted as 365 days so total 1095.

However, by the time you reach that point, the new rules will have taken effect and under the new rules, you must spend 4 years and no half days are counted so sadly, you will not become eligible to apply until 4 years from now in 2018.

 

[lemon_edz]

thanks everyone for the quick response...


i base my computation here.. ( https://eservices.cic.gc.ca/rescalc/resCalcStartNew.do?&lang=en&_ga=1.196156074.785027317.1406221566 )
i guess its an old rule..

 

[Leon]

thanks everyone for the quick response...


i base my computation here.. ( https://eservices.cic.gc.ca/rescalc/resCalcStartNew.do?&lang=en&_ga=1.196156074.785027317.1406221566 )
i guess its an old rule..

This is from your link too:

Please note that you cannot meet the residence requirements for citizenship without a minimum of two (2) years as a permanent resident.

When calculating your time in Canada:

only the four (4) years preceding the date of your application are taken into account;

So as I explained, under the old rules, you would not have been eligible to apply until 2016 (two years as a PR plus 2 years in Canada pre-PR before that) but because the new citizenship rules will take effect before that, you will not be eligible until after 4 years as a PR so in 2018.

 

[lemon_edz]

This is from your link too:

So as I explained, under the old rules, you would not have been eligible to apply until 2016 (two years as a PR plus 2 years in Canada pre-PR before that) but because the new citizenship rules will take effect before that, you will not be eligible until after 4 years as a PR so in 2018.

got it bro.. thanks a lot.. still a long way to go..