Are you eligible for Canadian citizenship if you live in Canada but work in the United States?

One of the main requirements for Canadian citizenship, is that you have to have been physically present in the country for three out of the past five years.

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According to Canada's Citizenship Act,

for every day during which the person has been physically present in Canada since becoming a permanent resident, the person accumulates one day of physical presence.

and

for every day during which the person was physically present in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act before becoming a permanent resident, the person accumulates half of a day of physical presence, up to a maximum of 365 days.

But what if you work in the United States and have to drive to work everyday? Does that count as a “full day”?

If you work in the US for part of the day but have a residence in Canada and spend a portion of your day in Canada, then this time can be calculated towards the physical presence requirement for your citizenship application.

The immigration department is able to verify your movement in and out of Canada through the Entry/Exit program, which it uses to collect traveller information from the border.

The IRCC recommends applying with more days than you need, to account for any miscalculations.

To meet the physical presence requirement, you need to have been a permanent resident for at least two years, and have spent at least 1,095 full days in Canada before the date of your application. IRCC only takes into account the five years before the date of your application.

Every day you spend in Canada as a permanent resident counts as one full day. Any time you spent in Canada on a work or study permit counts as half a day, up to 365 days.

So, it takes two years in Canada as a temporary resident to equal one full year toward your physical presence requirement.