Which Rules apply for citizenship

[Robert098]

Hello
Every now and then the rules for PR/Citizenship change.. I applied for immigration in 2007 (and got my PR in 2013) Which rules will apply to me? For example, the rule for citizenship eligibility hs recently been changed to spending 3 out of 4 years.. which was different earlier.. so in that cases.. which rules will apply to me.. the ones at the time of application or the ones that are most recent?

Thanks

 

[parker24]

Hello
Every now and then the rules for PR/Citizenship change.. I applied for immigration in 2007 (and got my PR in 2013) Which rules will apply to me? For example, the rule for citizenship eligibility hs recently been changed to spending 3 out of 4 years.. which was different earlier.. so in that cases.. which rules will apply to me.. the ones at the time of application or the ones that are most recent?

Thanks

Before being a PR, every day you spend, counts as half a day. So say you spent a year in Canada, only half the year is towards citizenship.

 

[scylla]

Hello
Every now and then the rules for PR/Citizenship change.. I applied for immigration in 2007 (and got my PR in 2013) Which rules will apply to me? For example, the rule for citizenship eligibility hs recently been changed to spending 3 out of 4 years.. which was different earlier.. so in that cases.. which rules will apply to me.. the ones at the time of application or the ones that are most recent?

Thanks

This isn't a recent change. 3 out of 4 years has been the citizenship residency requirement for quite a long time now.

 

[Robert098]

Thanks. But what I meant to ask was: which rules will be applicable to me.. the ones at the time of applying for the PR, or the ones that exist now?

 

[Leon]

The rules that will apply to your citizenship application when the time comes are the rules that will then be current and active. Say they change the rules at some point in the future before you are able to apply, those rules will be the ones that apply to you.

There is however no change in the requirements for citizenship. It has been 3 out of 4 years for a long time. Maybe you are just confused because the residency requirements to keep your PR are different. In order to keep your PR, you must be in Canada 2/5 years.

 

[truesmile]

Before being a PR, every day you spend, counts as half a day. So say you spent a year in Canada, only half the year is towards citizenship.

. . . and up to a maximum of 1 year credit. So even if you were in Canada longer than 2 years prior to PR, you only get to claim 1 year towards citizenship (if it even matters in your case).

 

[Leon]

Only the 4 years before you apply are counted so you can not apply earlier than 2 years after getting your PR and that is if you never left Canada for even one day for the past 4 years. In that case, you would have 2 years as a PR counting for 730 days and 2 years before getting PR, counting for 365 days.

If you were not in Canada before you got your PR, you can apply for citizenship after 3 years as a PR if you have stayed in Canada the whole time.

 

[scylla]

Thanks. But what I meant to ask was: which rules will be applicable to me.. the ones at the time of applying for the PR, or the ones that exist now?

The rule that applies to you is the 3 out of 4 year rule.

However when you applied for PR back in 2007, the rule back then for citizenship was 3 out of 4 years as well.

Again, there has been no change to the citizenship requirements from well before the time you applied until now.

 

[Robert098]

Only the 4 years before you apply are counted so you can not apply earlier than 2 years after getting your PR and that is if you never left Canada for even one day for the past 4 years. In that case, you would have 2 years as a PR counting for 730 days and 2 years before getting PR, counting for 365 days.

If you were not in Canada before you got your PR, you can apply for citizenship after 3 years as a PR if you have stayed in Canada the whole time.

Is it possible if i spend last 2 years of the 5 years lets say from 2013 - 2018 i stay in Canada in 2016 and 2018 and apply for PR renewal and then i spend 1 more year 2019. Would i be eligible for citizenship?

 

[truesmile]

I don't see any problem with that math - works for me.

 

[Leon]

Is it possible if i spend last 2 years of the 5 years lets say from 2013 - 2018 i stay in Canada in 2016 and 2018 and apply for PR renewal and then i spend 1 more year 2019. Would i be eligible for citizenship?

Yes, if you stay in Canada for 2016 and 2018 and then apply to renew your PR card with 2 years (730 days) in Canada in the past 5, you will get your PR card renewal.

If you apply for citizenship having stayed in Canada for 2016, 2018 and 2019, you would meet the citizenship requirements with 3/4 years and could apply.