Canadian Permanent Residents have the right to enter and live in Canada
Canadian Permanent Residents must meet certain Residency Obligations or they may lose their Permanent Resident Status. Two years (730 days) of "residency days" must be accumulated in every five year period. Residency days do not need to be consecutive and may be accumulated inside or even outside Canada win the following ways:
Residency days Inside Canada
These are accumulated through being physically present in Canada
Residency days Outside of Canada
- By accompanying a spouse or Common Law Partner who is a Canadian Citizen
- As a child accompanying a parent
- By employment on a full time basis with a Canadian company or the public services of Canada
- By accompanying a Canadian Permanent Resident who is outside Canada and who is employed on a full time basis by a Canadian company or the public service of Canada as the employees spouse or Common Law Partner or child.
The calculation of residency days for a person who has been a Canadian Permanent Resident for more than 5 years will be limited to the 5 years immediately preceding the examination. Persons who have been Canadian Permanent Residents for less than 5 years must demonstrate that they will be able to meet the residency requirement during the 5 year period immediately following their becoming a Canadian Permanent Resident.
Canadian Permanent Residents who plan to re-enter Canada by plane, train, bus or boat will have to show their Canadian Permanent Resident Card or Temporary Travel document before boarding.
Canadian Citizenship is voluntary and may be applied for after 3 years of residence in Canada. Canada recognizes multiple citizenship and you can therefore have more than one passport.
Applying for Citizenship
Changes to citizenship requirements for physical presence, language, and knowledge changed on October 11, 2017
With regard to Physical Presence, previously you had to be physically present in Canada for 4 out of 6 years with a minimum of 183 days in each of the 4 years before applying for citizenship. Now you must be physically present in Canada for 3 out of the last 5 years with no minimum number of days per year before applying for citizenship. Previously the time spent in Canada before before becoming a Permanent Resident did not count towards the physical presence requirement for citizenship. Now days spent in Canada before becoming a Permanent Resident within 5 years of applying for citizenship count as half days up to a maximum of 1 year.
With regard to Language and knowledge, previously if you were between 14 and 64 years, you had to meet the language and knowledge requirement for citizenship. Now if you are between 18 and 54 years old you must meet language (English or French requirements) and take the citizenship test.
With regards to Income Tax, previously you had to file Canadian Income taxes for 4 out of 6 years if required to to do so under the Income Tax Act. Now you must file income tax for 3 out of 5 years if required to do so under the Income Tax Act, matching with the new physical presence requirement.
With regard to Language and knowledge, previously if you were between 14 and 64 years, you had to meet the language and knowledge requirement for citizenship. Now if you are between 18 and 54 years old you must meet language (English or French requirements) and take the citizenship test.
With regards to Income Tax, previously you had to file Canadian Income taxes for 4 out of 6 years if required to to do so under the Income Tax Act. Now you must file income tax for 3 out of 5 years if required to do so under the Income Tax Act, matching with the new physical presence requirement.
