charmer6

Hi,

I have lived in canada for 4 years (almost continuously) as an international student and then applied and got my PR recently.

Now, the CIC website says that "time spent in Canada before you became PR may be counted towards the 3 year citizenship requirement - please contact the toll free number to find out if you qualify"

But that is all the info on the website. I tried calling the CIC 1888 number - but I never can get through at all !

Is there a standard conversion or multiplication factor for time spent in canada before one becomes PR towards citizenship ?

answers will be appreciated.

charmer.

JAJ

The answer is found on the CIC website, try looking again.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizen/howto-e.html

Jeremy

the-smiths

We have been researching our citizenship too, but it's not for a while now. The way we under it, is that time you spent in Canada before becoming PR, is counted as half, i.e if you were here for a year, that equals 6 months.

The article below explains it better:

You must have at least three years of residency in Canada within four years immediately preceding the date of application. The rule requires that you are physically present in Canada for 1,095 days in a four year period. Each day that you reside in Canada prior to obtaining permanent residence status will be counted as one half-day.

If you have spend two years in Canada prior to landing, you will be credited with one year of residence. You will then meet the residency requirement after two years of permanent residence in Canada. Time spend in Canada outside of the four years preceding the date that the application is not considered. Thus, an applicant must be a permanent resident for at least two years to meet the residency requirement.

If you do not have the required days of residence, you may be granted citizenship pursuant to section 5(3) of the Citizenship Act, where the Minister of Citizenship exercises her discretion to waive the residency requirement on compassionate grounds.

A citizenship judge will recommend a waiver where there is evidence that the immigrant has established residence in Canada, and has maintained residence in Canada, notwithstanding a physical absence, where the person has settled into or maintained or centralized his or her ordinary mode of living with its accessories in social relations, interests and conveniences in Canada:

charmer6

I did - and this is what the website says

"If you came to Canada on a visa (for example on a student or work visa) before becoming a permanent resident, you may call the Call Centre (see below for the number) to find out when you can apply for citizenship."

the only catch is that you just can not get through to the call centre.

i found a website that tells me that I can count only upto a max of 1 year of the time i was in canada as a student toward my citizenship.

Andrew Miller

Days in Canada prior to becoming a PR will count towards citizenship eligibilty - each day as a half day, only for the total up to 1 year and only within 4 years immediately preceding citizenship application.

JAJ

With respect, you did not look hard enough. The answer is right before the part you mention:

"You must have lived in Canada for at least three years out of the four years right before the day you apply. For example, if you are applying for citizenship on 1 June 1997, we will count back to 1 June 1993. The time you spent in Canada BEFORE you became a resident will be counted as half time only if it happened within these four years. All the time you lived in Canada after you became a permanent resident counts as full time. If you came to Canada on a visa (for example on a student or work visa) before becoming a permanent resident, you may call the Call Centre (see below for the number) to find out when you can apply for citizenship."

Jeremy

charmer6

thanks, i got to some other website that says the same thing -

the residence requirement is really strange when it comes to international students and people on work permits.

If youve been here for 4 years studying and working - immediately prior to you becoming PR - and all of it legally - i really dont know how that is very much different from being PR. You pay taxes, you pay rent, you spend on groceries etc. Your life would be no different if you were a PR and studying at some university !

getting citizenship is really useful for students - as you are then eligible for a some government jobs and can apply for clearances and stuff. This is especially important for people doing PhDs in areas that might eventually require clearances to work in.

charmer6

but that isnt the complete answer - it only says half time - it doesnt say that there is a cap of 1 year - and so it automatically forces the requirement that you be pr for 2 years before applying !

JAJ

The fact they only look back 4 years imposes a 'de-facto' cap of 1 year, if you do the maths.

Jeremy

charmer6

i know - im getting slow - i dint do the math - and im doing a PhD :-)

i guess i just wait for another 2 years then. i wonder if they would ever change this regulation - so people who have demonstrated that they can comfortably settle and pay their own way in canada can get through the citizenship hurdle faster !

i guess a lot of things will always remain strange - like for example - why people inside canada who have PR visas and COPR cannot simply land in a canadian airport - all international airports in canada have the US immigration office in the same building ! No - you have to drive all the way to the US border - which in some cases is a LONG drive!

or why people need an immigrant visa stamp at all - if you have a visa waiver or a visitor visa - the COPR contains all the necessary info - and anyway - the officer at the border checks everything again.