Your details
Trips outside Canada since becoming a PR
The day you leave and the day you return both count as days IN Canada — the calculator handles that.
Not legal advice. This tool follows IRCC's published counting rules (1,095 days in 5 years; pre-PR half-day credit capped at 365; travel days count as presence). Time serving a sentence doesn't count, and paper/online applications have their own official calculators you must still complete when applying. Always verify with IRCC before submitting.
How physical presence is counted
- You need 1,095 days (3 years) of physical presence in Canada within the 5 years immediately before your application date.
- Every day in Canada as a permanent resident = 1 full day.
- Every day in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person (before PR, within the window) = half a day, up to a maximum credit of 365 days — so 730 pre-PR days gives you the full credit.
- The day you leave and the day you return both count as days in Canada.
- IRCC recommends applying with a buffer above 1,095 days in case of small errors — many applicants add a week or more.
Why this tool exists: IRCC's own calculator dates from another era, and online applicants can only reach it after creating an account. Here you can sanity-check your numbers in 60 seconds — then do the official calculation inside your application when you're ready.
Frequently asked questions
What if I'm short of 1,095 days?
The calculator shows your earliest realistic application date assuming you stay in Canada. Applying early — even by one day — leads to refusal and a lost fee, so wait until you're clearly over the line, with a buffer.
Do days as a student or worker before PR count?
Yes — as half days, up to a 365-day maximum credit, as long as they fall inside the 5-year window and you had legal temporary status (or protected person status). International students often qualify for a big chunk of this credit.
Does time outside Canada ever count?
Only in rare cases (for example certain Crown servants and their families). For everyone else, whole days abroad don't count — but your departure and return days do.
What's next after I qualify?
You apply, then IRCC invites you to the citizenship test. Get ahead of it now with our free practice test — 20 questions, 30 minutes, exactly like the real one.