Hi all,

I came to Canada on workpermit (March, 2003) and worked for couple of years before getting my Permanent Residence. Its been one and half years on Permanent Residence.

I am little bit confused about how to calculate the workpermit period for residency calculation.

Please advice me.

Thanks and appreciate your response.

Kumar.

Do I get credit for time I spent in Canada before becoming a permanent resident?


Yes, in some cases. You may be credited with time spent legally in Canada before becoming a permanent resident, to a maximum of one year. This is calculated at a rate of one half-day for every day you were in Canada. For example, if you were in Canada as a student for one year before you were granted permanent resident status, you will be credited with six months for the time you spent in Canada as a student.

The residency requirement for citizenship is calculated as follows.

Within the four years before your application, every day that you were not a permanent resident is counted as half a day, and every day that you were a permanent resident is calculated as one day. The rule is:

a maximum of two years as a non-permanent resident (for example, as a visitor, student or refugee protection claimant); and
a minimum of two years of permanent resident status.
Only the previous four years (immediately before the day you sign your application) are considered. Any time before this period is not counted toward your residency calculation. For example, if you mail your application on January 1, 2005, your residency calculation starts on January 1, 2001, even if you lived in Canada before 2001.





Also check this link

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pub/you-asked/section26.html#4

Hi Puttoo,

Thanks a lot for the info.

I would like to know one more detail. I was told by somebody that if we apply citizenship from rural areas rather Metros (Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa etc), then that would be very fast.

How many months will it take to complete the citizenship process?

I would appreciate your response.

Thanks,
Kumar.