The “physical presence requirement” is one of the crucial eligibility criteria for Canadian citizenship. This means that most applicants for citizenship must have resided in Canada for at least 1,095 days or three years within the five years preceding the day they signed their citizenship application to qualify. Learn to calculate Time Spent in Canada for Citizenship Eligibility.

In most cases, the time spent in Canada for citizenship eligibility considers the days the applicant spends in Canada after they become Canadian permanent residents (PR).

In general, the department of IRCC recommends that applicants of citizenship apply with more than 1,095 days of residing in Canada to avoid any confusion or issue with calculation time.

Notably, applicants may, however, use some time spent in Canada as a temporary resident (TR) or protected person for citizenship eligibility.

There’s also a tool called “citizenship calculator” that potential Canadian citizenship applicants can use to assess the time spent in Canada when they may be eligible for Canadian citizenship. 

You can find additional details on the physical presence requirement for Canadian citizenship at the official site. 

Who is a Temporary Resident and Protected Person Per IRCC

According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, IRCC,  

Temporary residents or TRs are individuals from other countries permitted to enter or live in Canada as visitors, workers, students, or temporary resident permit holders.

A protected person per IRCC is an individual who has been determined to need protection or was assessed as a convention refugee by the Immigration and Refugee Board or has gotten a positive decision on IRCC’s Pre-Removal Risk Assessment.

Refugee claimants, including individuals considered on a family member’s refugee claim, will be granted time in Canada after they receive a favorable decision confirming their status as a protected person.

How to Calculate Your Time Spent in Canada for Citizenship Eligibility Depending On Your Status

According to IRCC, each day spent in Canada by temporary residents or protected persons across the nation within five years will be counted as a half day for the calculation of the physical presence requirement for Canadian citizenship.

Additionally, it’s important to note that Canadian TRs and protected persons can only count a maximum of 365 days towards calculating their time spent in Canada for citizenship eligibility. The remainder of the time calculated toward this criteria must be the time spent in Canada after they become a PR.

The following examples will demonstrate how applicants in Canada with different statuses can calculate the time spent in Canada for citizenship eligibility before applying for it. 

Calculating Time in Canada as a Temporary Resident. 

A Canadian temporary resident, Romesh will sign his Canadian citizenship application on March 24, 2024.

He immigrated to Canada in September 2019 as an international student and gained Canadian Permanent Residence (PR) in 2022.

Romesh has spent every day in Canada since he arrived as an international student.

Romesh submitted an application for Canadian citizenship on March 24, 2024. 

  • To calculate time spent in five years in Canada by Romesh, the considered time duration is March 24, 2019, to March 23, 2024. 

Notably, March 24, 2024, cannot be counted in this. This is because applicants must meet the time requirement before the day they apply for citizenship.  

  • Time spent in Canada before March 24, 2019, cannot be considered.
  • Since arriving, Romesh did not spend any time outside of Canada. Still, IRCC states that the days when the applicant was not physically present in Canada can not be counted.

To be more exact, Romesh came to Canada on September 4, 2019, and became a PR on January 6, 2022.

So, the time spent in Canada as a temporary resident will range from September 4, 2019, to January 5, 2022. This totals 855 days.

For a TR, each day counts as a half day or 0.5 days, and a maximum of 365 days can be counted. 

So, Romesh can utilize 365 days as a TR.

Time spent by Romesh as a PR will range from January 6, 2022, to March 23, 2024. This totals 808 days.

So, the total time spent by Romesh as a PR is 808 days.

Thus: 365 days (TR) + 808 days (PR) = 1,173 days

So, Romesh is eligible for Canadian citizenship based on the physical presence requirement.

Calculating Time in Canada as a Protected Person

Kevin, a protected person, entered Canada in 2021. He attained Canadian PR status in early 2023.

He will sign his Canadian citizenship application on July 16, 2024.

After immigrating as a protected person, Kevin has stayed in Canada every single day. 

Kevin will submit his citizenship application on July 16, 2024.

  • To calculate time spent in five years in Canada by Romesh, the considered time duration is July 16, 2019, to July 15, 2024

Notably, July 16, 2024, cannot be counted in this. This is because applicants must meet the time requirement before the day they apply for citizenship.  

  • Time spent in Canada before July 16, 2019, cannot be considered.
  • Since arriving, Kevin did not spend any time outside of Canada. 

Kevin entered Canada as a protected person on May 20, 2021, and gained Canadian PR on February 19, 2023.

So, the time spent by Kevin as a protected person is from May 20, 2021, to February 18, 2023. This totals 640 days.

For a Protected Person, each day counts as a half day or 0.5 days, and a maximum of 365 days can be counted. 

Kevin can utilize 320 days as a protected person. 

The time spent by Kevin as a PR is from February 19, 2023, to July 15, 2024. This totals 513 days.

Kevin can utilize all 513 days as a protected person. 

Thus, 320 days (TR) + 513 days (PR) = 833 days.

So, Kevin is not eligible for Canadian citizenship based on the physical presence requirement.

Calculating Time in Canada as a Permanent Resident

Since 2017, Shelly has been a Canadian PR. On June 6 she will sign her Canadian citizenship application on June 6, 2024. 

For some personal matters, Shally returned to her home country in 2019 between January 4 and August 18.

Shelly will submit a Canadian citizenship application on June 6, 2024. 

  • To calculate time spent in five years in Canada by Shelly, the considered time duration is June 6, 2019, to June 5, 2024

Notably, June 6, 2024, cannot be counted in this. This is because applicants must meet the time requirement before the day they apply for citizenship.  

  • Time spent in Canada before June 6, 2019, cannot be considered.
  • Since arriving, Shelly spent 227 days, i.e., January 4 to August 18, 2019, outside of Canada. This means that 227 days can not be counted for Shelly’s physical presence.

So, the time spent by Shelly as a PR between June 6, 2019, and June 5, 2024, is 1,827 days.

However, since Shelly was not present all the days, a total of 1,827 days can not be counted. This means that 227 days must be subtracted from the total.

Thus, 1,827 days (PR) – 227 days (Outside Canada) = 1600 days.

So, Shelly is eligible for Canadian citizenship based on the physical presence requirement.

Additional Information About the Physical Presence Requirement or Time Spent in Canada for Citizenship Eligibility 

All adult Canadian permanent residence applicants must meet the physical presence requirement to be eligible.

But note that some minor applicants for Canadian citizenship are also required to satisfy the physical presence requirement. 

In particular, IRCC suggests that minors who don’t have a Canadian parent or whose parent is also seeking Canadian citizenship must meet the same physical presence requirement as adult applicants.

So, these examples might have helped you understand the calculation process for physical presence requirements. Similarly, you can easily calculate the time spent in Canada for citizenship eligibility.