Revisiting the initial query, which asks TWO separate questions, and which provides most of the key information necessary to answer those questions.
BUT, first, for emphasis, RO compliance is calculated based on the
DATE of EXAMINATION and the PR card EXPIRATION DATE IS
NOT RELEVANT in any regard in assessing compliance with the Residency Obligation. Period. PR card expiry date is NOT RELEVANT.
Thus . . .
It is wrong to consider the date of the PR card expiration in calculating RO compliance. PR card expiration date is NOT relevant.
With one exception: if the date the PR card expires just happens to be the precise date RO compliance is being determined, being examined, that date matters. But it does not matter because it is the date the PR card expires. It ONLY matters if that is the
examination date. Again, the date of PR card expiration is NOT RELEVANT, NOT at all relevant, in calculating Residency Obligation compliance.
Beyond that there are TWO different time periods for determining how RO compliance is calculated.
These two time periods are separate and distinct.
They KEY date, for determining which time period is applicable,
is the Date of Landing.
@canuck78 gets this right. While much of what is posted by
@thevisawhisperer is accurate, it tends to be confusing, and in regards to the post stating that what
@canuck78 posted was not true, actually that is what was not true. The irony is that in the very same post
@thevisawhisperer goes on to quote the statutory language which specifically describes the TWO different time periods
BASED on the Date of Landing . . . which are not really that complicated.
In particular: Up to the fifth year anniversary of the DATE of LANDING, RO compliance is calculated one way, and as of and AFTER the fifth year anniversary of the DATE of LANDING RO compliance is calculated a different way.
That is, during the FIRST FIVE years after landing, RO compliance is calculated one way. Anytime after the FIRST FIVE years following the date of landing has passed, RO compliance is calculated another way.
For you, you have stated that the DATE of Landing was December 3, 2015. So, if and when you are subject to a RO compliance examination, which of the relevant time periods is applicable depends on whether the DATE of EXAMINATION is before or after December 3, 2020, that is, before or after the fifth year anniversary of the DATE of YOUR LANDING.
Thus, for example, if you leave Canada (for a holiday or whatever other reason) and you return to Canada BEFORE December 3, 2020, before the fifth year anniversary of your date of landing, upon arrival at the PoE into Canada you could be examined for RO compliance, and if you are that will involve counting how many days you have so far been IN Canada and
add to that the number of days left on the calendar to December 3, 2020, and if that number totals at least 730 you are in compliance with the RO. If it totals less than 730, you are NOT in compliance.
Note: whether or not it is likely you will be examined upon your arrival is a separate question. And even if examined, whether or not you are likely to be given a pass given your current establishment in Canada and recent stay in Canada, that too is a separate question. If you are short of 730 days, counting days in Canada and days still left on the calendar to the fifth year anniversary of the date of landing, you are technically in breach of the RO and at some risk of being Reported and issued a Removal Order. My guess is the risk is fairly low if you are returning after a short trip abroad. But there is some risk and there is a wide range of individual factors which can influence how it actually goes.
This leads to a discussion about what is the date of examination. Again, the RO compliance calculation is based on the date of the examination.
Typically, PRs are subject to a RO compliance examination as of the following dates:
-- date of arrival at a PoE
-- date an application for a new PR card is made
-- date of an RO compliance examination attendant processing a PR card application (such as when IRCC sends a formal Residency-questionnaire to the PR with a PR card application pending, or calls the PR in for a RO compliance interview)
-- date of an RO compliance examination attendant some other immigration application for which valid PR status is a requirement (such as attendant an application to sponsor a spouse or child)
-- date an application is made abroad for a PR Travel Document
Technically CBSA or IRCC could conduct a RO compliance examination as of any day. Practically, examinations are only done in those instances I just enumerated above.
In any event, for traveling abroad and returning to Canada before December 3, 2020, the RO compliance calculation counts days IN Canada so far and ADDS to that the number of days left on the calendar up to December 3, 2020. To be in compliance, that total needs to be at least 730.
For traveling abroad where you will be returning to Canada AFTER December 3, 2020, the RO compliance calculation counts days IN Canada within the FIVE years previous to that particular day, the day of arrival and examination at a PoE.
Similarly, if you make an application for a new PR card, and you make that application before December 3, 2020, the initial RO compliance calculation counts days IN Canada so far, as of the date of the application, and ADDs to that the number of days left on the calendar up to December 3, 2020. 730 or more needed to be in compliance. IRCC could also conduct a later examination, which would likely be some time after December 3, 2020, and it will be the date of that examination that the calculation will be based on . . . counting days in Canada within the previous five years as of that date.
So, if you make an application for a new PR card after December 3, 2020, the initial RO compliance calculation will count days IN Canada within the five years prior to the date of the application.
Probably insignificant, but for clarity, note that between December 3, 2020 and approximately December 27, 2020 (two weeks later), if you are IN Canada then your RO compliance calculation will be the same every day during that period. During that period each day IN Canada is added to the calculation, but the corresponding date back in 2015 is dropped from the calculation (as those days fall outside the last five year time period).