PR residency obligation: tracking your 730 days in Canada

The rule

Permanent residents must have been in Canada for at least 730 days during the last five years. The 730 days do not need to be continuous. Some time spent outside Canada may also count; check IRCC’s explanation of which situations qualify before relying on it.

A PR card is not PR status

Your PR card proves that you have permanent resident status, but you do not lose that status when the card expires. Even if you do not meet the residency obligation, you remain a permanent resident until an official decision is made.

Travelling back to Canada

If you return on a commercial vehicle such as a plane, boat, train or bus, you need to show your PR card and your passport or refugee travel document. If you do not have a valid PR card, apply for a permanent resident travel document (PRTD) before you travel back.

Keep a day-by-day travel log

Record every departure and return date, the reason for the trip and the documents you travelled with. Keep supporting records, such as boarding passes, in private storage. Count the days against the exact five-year window you are reviewing, and count again whenever that window moves forward.

Keep your trip dates in the PRTrack tracker (stored only in your browser) →

Before you renew a card or travel

Write down your PR card expiry date and plan any renewal well before planned trips. When you apply, compare your log with the official instructions in force on that date, because IRCC updates its forms and guidance. This site does not decide whether the obligation is met.

Choose the right five-year period

If you have been a permanent resident for five years or more, the assessment looks back five years. If you have held status for less than five years, the question is whether you can still reach 730 days by the fifth anniversary of becoming a permanent resident. Use calendar dates rather than a fixed number of days. When completing IMM 5444, follow IRCC’s instructions to treat both the day you leave and the day you return as days in Canada.

Document eligible time outside Canada separately

Time abroad may count when you accompany a Canadian citizen spouse or common-law partner, or a Canadian citizen parent if you qualify as their child. A qualifying full-time assignment abroad for a Canadian business or Canadian federal or provincial public service can also count, as can accompanying a qualifying permanent resident spouse, partner or parent on such an assignment. Check the conditions in Appendix A of Guide 5445 and keep proof of the relationship, status, shared residence or assignment, as applicable. Ordinary remote work abroad does not by itself establish eligibility.

Count your days with the 730-day calculator →