The physical presence requirement
To apply for Canadian citizenship, you must have been physically in Canada for at least 1,095 days (three years) during the five years before the date you sign your application.
1,095
days needed in the 5 years before you sign your application
1 = 1
each day in Canada as a permanent resident counts as one day
1 = ½
each day as a temporary resident or protected person counts as half a day, up to 365 days of credit
The five-year window is called your eligibility period. It runs back from the day before you sign. Only days inside that window count, so time in Canada more than five years ago does not help.
How days are counted
- Days as a permanent resident count in full: one day in Canada is one day of physical presence.
- Days as a temporary resident or protected person before you became a permanent resident count as half a day each. This covers lawful time as a visitor, student, worker or temporary resident permit holder.
- The half-day credit is capped at 365 days. That is the credit for 730 calendar days, so you always need at least 730 days in Canada as a permanent resident.
- Trips abroad are subtracted. The day you leave and the day you return both count as days in Canada.
Time spent serving a sentence in prison, on parole or on probation does not count, and neither does time spent waiting for a decision on a refugee claim.
A worked example
Suppose you studied in Canada for two years, became a permanent resident, and then lived in Canada for two and a half years with 30 days of travel abroad.
- Days as a permanent resident: about 913, less 30 days abroad = 883.
- Days as a student: 730 calendar days, credited at half = 365.
- Total: 883 + 365 = 1,248 days, which is above the 1,095 required.
Without the student years, the same person would need to wait until they had 1,095 days as a permanent resident.
Before you apply
IRCC encourages you to apply with more than 1,095 days, so that a small counting difference does not put your application at risk. When you apply, you must use IRCC's own online physical presence calculator and include its results with your application. Use this page to plan, and the official calculator to file.
Physical presence is only one requirement. Adults aged 18 to 54 must also show language ability at CLB 4 or higher and pass the citizenship test, and you may need to have filed income taxes for at least three of the five years.