Pr Card Renewal

[serenimoo]

Hey everyone !
I am a permanent resident since August 2010, but I didn't spend all the time in Canada. I come and go ever year. Now I have a total of 675 days here. Soon I will leave for couple of years but I'm waiting to fill 2 years of presence in here, because I want to renew my pr card when it expires in October 2015. My question is, when I renew my pr card, would I be a permanent resident for 5 years again or for a shorter time ? If it is five years, do I need to come and stay in Canada for 2 more years to keep my existing pr status ? If I don't, do I loose my pr status sooner than the expiry date ? Or once I have the new one, I have it for 5 years ? Thank you !

 

[Leon]

Your new card will also be valid for 5 years but note that after being a PR for more than 5 years, you must always have 730 days in Canada in the past 5 years to meet the residency obligation. As days stayed in Canada move outside this 5 year window, you will have to replace them with new days spent in Canada in order to continue to meet the RO.

Say you lose your new PR card and you are outside Canada at the time, they will ask you how much did you stay in Canada in the past 5 years. They do not care that you had a PR card that was still valid for 3 or 4 years.

 

[serenimoo]

Thanks Leon ! That was very helpful. I also wonder, assuming I want to come and stay then apply for the citizenhip a couple years later. What happens to the 2 years I spent here before as a PR. Do they all go to waste because they are not in the last 4 years period or they count as half time ?

 

[Leon]

Thanks Leon ! That was very helpful. I also wonder, assuming I want to come and stay then apply for the citizenhip a couple years later. What happens to the 2 years I spent here before as a PR. Do they all go to waste because they are not in the last 4 years period or they count as half time ?

For citizenship, only the 4 years before applying are counted. Any time spent before that goes to waste.