Once you become a Permanent Resident of Canada, you must accumulate at least 730 days, or 2 years, of "residence" in Canada every 5 years in order to maintain your status. “Residence” does not just mean being physically present in Canada; there are a number of ways to preserve your immigration status if you need to be outside of Canada.

You can do this by:

1. Being physically in Canada;
2. Representing a Canadian business or a Canadian government full time outside of Canada; in some cases, if you need to travel outside Canada, even representing your own business, you may be able to have the time count towards the 2 year residence period;
3. Accompanying a spouse who is either a Canadian citizen or representing a Canadian business or a Canadian government full time outside of Canada;
4. Humanitarian and compassionate considerations.

In many cases, Permanent Residents who plan on being outside of Canada for extended periods of time must arrange their affairs to maintain their Permanent Resident status. At Lowe & Company, we can advise you as to the best way to meet your Canadian residence requirements.

The information on CanadaVisaLaw.com’s Web Site has been prepared so you may learn more about the services we offer. These materials do not constitute legal advice, and are not intended to provide specific advice about your particular situation. Because the law constantly changes and is subject to varying interpretations, we urge you to contact us regarding any specific problem you may have, and we advise you not to take, or refrain from taking, any action based upon materials in this Web Site without consulting legal counsel.