Canada PR Residency Obligation: The 730-Day Rule Explained

Under Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, a permanent resident must be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days in every 5-year period. That is 2 years out of 5. The days:

• Don't have to be in a row
• Can be spread across any part of the 5 years
• Are counted on a rolling basis: whenever an officer checks, they look back 5 years from that date

If you have been a permanent resident for less than 5 years, the test is whether you can still reach 730 days by your fifth anniversary of becoming a PR. For example, a person who has spent their first 4 years mostly abroad may already be unable to meet the rule.

Check your numbers with our residency obligation calculator. Keep a travel log with exact dates, and keep your boarding passes and passport stamps.

Some days spent outside Canada count as days in Canada:

The employment exception is narrow. A job with a company that happens to be Canadian-owned is not enough if you were not assigned from a Canadian operation and don't plan to return to it. If you rely on an exception, get advice and keep strong documents.

Suppose a person became a permanent resident on June 1, 2021 and an officer checks their status on June 1, 2026. The officer looks at June 1, 2021 to June 1, 2026.

This person has about 730 days and meets the rule on June 1, 2026. But if the same person stays abroad another month, the window moves forward. Days from June 2021 drop out, and they fall below 730. This is why people who spend long periods abroad can slip out of compliance without taking a new trip.

Use exact dates, not estimates, when you calculate. Our residency obligation calculator does the rolling count for you.

An officer can examine your compliance at several points:

• When you apply to renew your PR card. See PR card renewal
• When you apply for a permanent resident travel document from abroad. See PRTD
• When you enter Canada at a port of entry
• When you apply to sponsor a family member, or in other applications

Applying for citizenship is a separate test with a higher threshold: 1,095 days in the 5 years before you apply. See how to apply for citizenship and our citizenship calculator.

Your permanent resident status is not lost automatically when you drop below 730 days. You stay a permanent resident until there is a final decision that you have lost your status, or until you give it up voluntarily.

If an officer finds you have not met the obligation, they must also consider humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) factors, such as:

• Why you were away (for example, caring for a sick parent, your own illness, or a situation you could not control)
• Whether you returned to Canada as soon as you reasonably could
• Your ties to Canada, such as family, property, and work
• The best interests of any children affected

If the officer still decides against you, you can appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD). Deadlines are strict and can be as short as 30 days, depending on where and how the decision was made, so read your decision letter carefully and act right away. While you are within the appeal period or have an appeal pending, you remain a permanent resident.

If you are close to or below 730 days, talk to a lawyer or a licensed consultant (RCIC) before you travel, renew your card, or apply for anything. Sometimes the best advice is to stay in Canada until you comply again.

• Track every trip. Write down the date you leave and return. Your passport stamps may be incomplete.
• Think in rolling 5-year windows. A long trip now affects your count for the next 5 years.
• Build a buffer. Aim for more than 730 days, so unexpected delays abroad don't push you below the line.
• Plan for citizenship. If you want to become a citizen, you need 1,095 days, and becoming a citizen ends the residency obligation completely.
• Consider voluntary renunciation if you have moved away for good. It can make visiting Canada simpler later. Renunciation is permanent.