Physical Presence Calculator

What are the physical presence requirements?

To be eligible for Canadian citizenship, you must have been physically present in Canada as a permanent resident for at least 1,460 days in the six years immediately before the date of your application. You must also have been physically present in Canada as a permanent resident for 183 days in each of four calendar years that are fully or partially within the six years immediately before the date of your application.

When calculating your time in Canada:

• only the six (6) years immediately before the date of your application are taken into account;
• only days you were physically present in Canada after you became a permanent resident count;
• any time spent in Canada before you became a permanent resident does not count;
• if you became a permanent resident less than six (6) years ago, your calculation period starts on the date you became a permanent resident;
• time spent serving a sentence for an offence in Canada (e.g. prison, penitentiary, jail, reformatory, probation and/or parole) cannot be counted toward residence - there are some exceptions.

In order to help you decide when to apply, the physical presence calculator does two different calculations: the 1,460 days requirement, and the 183 days requirement.

How do I use the physical presence calculator?

• Fill in all the required information
• Make sure you enter all dates correctly
• Make sure you list all time spent serving a sentence in Canada in the last six years
• Make sure you list all your time away from Canada in the last six years

The physical presence calculator only collects information about the six years immediately before the date of application, or since you became a permanent resident, whichever is the most recent.

What happens next?

The calculator will tell you if you meet the physical presence requirements.

• If you meet the physical presence requirements, print the calculation and attach a copy to your Application for Canadian Citizenship - Adults. If you attach a copy, you do not need to complete the How to Calculate Physical Presence form (CIT 0407). Make sure that the date of application used in this calculation and the date of signature on the application form and on the calculation printout are the same. The date you sign your application cannot be in the future, and it cannot be more than 90 days before CIC receives it.
• If you do not meet the physical presence requirements, the calculator will give you a date when you should be eligible to apply, assuming nothing changes and you remain in Canada. You can print the results for your records. When you are eligible to apply, you should redo the calculation before sending in your application. Your circumstances might have changed. For example, you might have more absences and this could impact your eligibility. If you want to save this calculation, you will need to register with an e-mail address. Don't forget to review all dates including the application date when you retrieve a saved calculation.

For more information

Consult Frequently Asked Questions or call the Citizenship and Immigration Call Centre.