As a permanent resident of Canada you must be physically present in Canada for at least 2 years within a 5-year period in order to maintain your status as permanent residents. The 2-year residence requirement can be accumulated cumulatively and it may not need to be continuous.

Time spent outside Canada may also be counted towards the 2 years if you are travelling with your partner or spouse who is a Canadian citizen, or if you are an employee of a Canadian business. A dependent child who is travelling with his or her father or mother, who is a Canadian citizen, may also count time spent outside Canada for the purposes of meeting the 2-year residence requirement.

Time outside Canada may also count towards meeting the 2-year residence requirement if you are travelling with your partner or spouse who is a Canadian permanent resident and who works full-time for a Canadian business, or the public service of Canada or a province.

Moreover, an employee of the public service of Canada or a province, or a partner business, who is on a full-time assignment to a position outside Canada, may also count time spent outside Canada towards meeting the residence requirement.

Keeping a travel journal can be a convenient way to record your time outside Canada, and may be helpful when filling out the permanent resident application form.

Permanent residents are not afforded the same rights, privileges, and protections under Canadian laws as those enjoyed by Canadian citizens. Permanent residents may, therefore, be subject to deportation or removal from Canada if they commit a criminal act.

As a permanent resident, you must not engage in acts that would make you inadmissible to Canada such as, for example, committing a serious crime. Other acts that could lead to loss of your permanent resident status include human or international rights violations, organized criminality, offences with respect to security, and misrepresentation.