Hi everyone,

I just have a question to clarify my understanding of the rules to maintaining your PR status.

Once you have PR you should be in Canada for 2 years of every 5.

Unless

You are out of the country with your Canadian spouse, (I know there are other exceptions)

Then this time out of the country also counts towards PR....

So am I right in saying, you could get PR, stay in Canada for say a year, then go to another country for 7 years and as long as you are with your Canadian spouse and can provide proof, you can still renew your PR status?

Many thanks

Yup, thats about right.

Counts for PR, doesnt count for citizenship.

Thanks for the quick reply,

Would you need to renew the card before it expires, or could be done on returning 7 years later.

If you have to renew, I guess that would be a trip to Canada not able to be done from overseas?

Thanks again

You cannot renew your PR card from abroad it has to be done inside canada.

There is no reason why you cannot do it when you return after 7 years.

And just to add, that any time spent outside Canada with either a Canadian spouse, or working for a Canadian company in a role where you've been sent abroad, also counts for PR status purposes.

Sometimes when your work for a Canadian company requires travel overseas (as in you could not do your job without travel) , this still counts toward citizenship.

Hi

No, it doesn't count towards citizenship (unless it is the Federal/Prov. Gov'ts or Military) it counts for PR retention only.

There are exceptions and one is interviewed by a citizenship judge. Without it I would still be waiting for citizenship nearly 20 years later. I was overseas more than in country, which could not be avoided, without seeking a new career.