Maintaining PR Status

Can Time Abroad Count Toward Your Permanent Resident Status in Canada?

As a Canadian Permanent Resident (PR), maintaining your status requires meeting specific residency obligations. Generally, you must be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days (2 years) within a 5-year period. But what happens if you spend time abroad? Can that time count towards your PR status? The answer is: it depends.

Your time outside of Canada can count towards your permanent resident status under specific conditions. Below, we’ll explore the scenarios where your time abroad might still contribute to your residency requirement.

1. Working Outside Canada

If you are working full-time outside Canada, your time abroad may still count towards your PR status if:

• You work for a Canadian business or organization.

• You are employed by the Canadian federal, provincial, or territorial government.

In such cases, your full-time work commitment for a Canadian entity ensures that your days abroad are recognized as days spent in Canada, maintaining your PR status.

2. Traveling with a Canadian Spouse or Common-Law Partner

If you’re traveling with your spouse or common-law partner, your time abroad can count if your partner meets these criteria:

• They are a Canadian citizen, or

• They are a permanent resident working full-time outside Canada for a Canadian business or the Canadian federal, provincial, or territorial government.

Under these circumstances, your time spent abroad with your partner counts towards your PR residency requirement.

3. Traveling as a Dependent Child with a Parent

For dependent children, time spent abroad can also contribute to their PR status if they are accompanying a parent who is:

• A Canadian citizen, or

• A permanent resident working full-time outside Canada for a Canadian business or the Canadian federal, provincial, or territorial government.

If your parent meets the criteria, your time outside Canada will be counted as time spent in Canada, ensuring you meet the PR residency obligations.