Permanent residents comply with residency obligations if they accumulate two years of physical presence in Canada in every five-year period. If they are outside Canada for extended periods of time, they can accumulate residency days if they are:
accompanying a Canadian spouse or common-law partner, or are a child accompanying a parent;
employed on a full-time basis by a Canadian business or the Public Service of Canada; or
the accompanying spouse, common-law partner or child of a permanent resident who is outside Canada and who is employed on a full-time basis by a Canadian business or the Public Service of Canada.
Under the transitional provisions, a permanent resident in possession of a Returning Resident Permit will be able to count time spent outside Canada for the purpose of satisfying residency obligations.
When making residency decisions, officers can take into account humanitarian and compassionate concerns. Officers will consider the best interests of a child who would be affected by the decision.
The assessment of residency obligations for a person who has been a permanent resident for more than five years, will be limited to the five years immediately preceding the examination.