Question about Physical Presence, PR Outside Canada for Work

[releasethestar]

I landed in Canada as a PR under Family Visa on 02/09/2018 and have met the necessary days requirements. However I left Canada for work in July of 2021. The Physical Presence calculator asks for absences but requires a return date to Canada. Do I have to be in Canada to apply for Citizenship? Or can I put the return date as today, since the requirement ends from the date of application as far as I understand?

 

[akbardxb]

Putting a ‘returned to Canada’ date on the application when you physically did not return to Canada would construe misrepresentation. Your current absence will continue to be an absence from Canada till you are present. Therefore, by inference, you have to be in Canada to apply for citizenship.
Also, under the current scheme of things, you can apply for citizenship, leave Canada, even take the online test outside Canada, but have to return to Canada for Oath.