When applying for Canadian citizenship, if you meet certain conditions, the time spent outside Canada can also be included in the actual residence requirement. In view of this, some special regulations have been formulated. Under the following seven circumstances, the time spent outside the country by a person with permanent residency can be counted toward the 730-day residence requirement.

Short-term overseas travel: no more than three months at a time;

As an accompanying family member: the spouse is a permanent resident and needs to go abroad together due to the spouse’s work/study;

Military service: You need to return to your original nationality to perform military service;

Execution of a mission: You need to go abroad to perform a mission;

It is required to accompany immediate blood relatives (such as spouse, parents, and children) to seek medical treatment abroad. This means that it is necessary to accompany immediate relatives (such as spouses, parents, and children) to go abroad for medical diagnosis and treatment.

Going abroad due to illness: You need to go abroad for treatment due to illness;

If you go abroad to work or study because it is necessary for work or study, you must go abroad and hold a work permit or study permit, and you must keep your primary residence in Canada.

Please note that if you intend to go abroad for an extended period of time beyond the prescribed time limit, you must apply for permission from the Canadian Immigration Bureau in advance. Only approved time abroad can be counted toward the 730-day residence requirement.

You must live in Canada for at least 730 days every 5 years, which is 2 years, which is required to maintain permanent resident status. However, if you are employed by an eligible Canadian business or government entity, your time abroad can count toward this obligation, helping you maintain your status when you do not have to physically reside in Canada.

When it comes to working abroad, the key condition is that you were employed by a Canadian entity that meets the relevant conditions during the period abroad. In order for the time you worked outside Canada to be effectively counted in the so-called immigration detention, you must be employed on a full-time basis by:

A Canadian business is defined as:

Examples of eligible businesses:

standard:

Example:

Key points to note

Full-time employment means work that is full-time in nature, meaning that it is performed at stable and regular hours as defined by the employer. For job verification, you may need to provide documents that can prove employment, such as letters of certification from employers, contracts, and pay stubs, etc., to verify that the job meets the standards. The purpose of your trip must be directly related to your work. The time an individual spends traveling is not included in the calculation of the time required to maintain permanent resident status.

The Canadian Maple Leaf Card has extremely strict requirements for residence time. If you want to maintain the validity of the Maple Leaf Card, you must have lived for 2 years within 5 years. So, what misunderstandings do people often have about residence time?

Misunderstanding 1: As long as you have lived in Canada for two years, it will be enough

The Maple Leaf Card has residence requirements. This requirement is that when applying for a Maple Leaf Card renewal, if you apply backwards, you need to have lived in Canada for two years in the past five years, instead of just living in Canada for two years during the five years when the Maple Leaf Card is valid.

Myth 2: As long as you are in Canada, it will be fine

The residence time required by the Maple Leaf Card refers to actual residence in Canada, not just staying in Canada;

If you only transit in Canada, carry out tourism activities, visit relatives, engage in business activities, etc., but do not set up a residence in Canada, do not work, participate in studies, pay taxes, etc., then such time cannot be counted as residence time.

Myth 3: As long as you stay outside Canada for no more than six months, it’s fine

The Maple Leaf Card has requirements for residence time, that is, the length of stay outside Canada within the previous five years cannot exceed 730 days, and it does not mean that it does not exceed six months in any consecutive six months. If the stay outside Canada exceeds 730 days, you may lose the Maple Leaf Card.

Myth 4: As long as there is a reasonable reason to be outside Canada, it is fine

The residence time requirement for the Maple Leaf Card is that you have been outside Canada within the past five years, and there are reasonable reasons. This may not be the case in all circumstances;

If there is no reasonable reason outside Canada, it may be regarded as giving up the Maple Leaf Card by the Immigration Bureau.

Misunderstanding 5: Just return to Canada before the Maple Leaf Card expires.

The Maple Leaf Card has a residence time requirement, which requires you to have actually lived in Canada for the past five years. You do not just need to return to Canada before the Maple Leaf Card expires. If you have not actually lived in Canada for two years before the Maple Leaf Card expires, you may lose your Maple Leaf Card.

Knowing these conditions can help you ensure that even if you spend a lot of time abroad due to work or family reasons, you can still meet the actual residence requirements for Canadian citizenship.

If you have other questions or need more information, please leave a message or send a private message!

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