Sean Fraser talks about how life has changed since he became Canada’s minister of immigration

In order to become a Canadian citizen you need to have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days out of the five years immediately before you apply for citizenship. But keep in mind, when it comes to Canadian citizenship eligibility not all days are considered equal. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) only counts days as “full days” if you were physically present in Canada as a permanent resident. You need to spend at least two years in Canada as a permanent resident in order to meet the physical presence requirement. Each day you spend in Canada as a temporary resident counts as a half day up to a maximum of 365 days. Since each day only counts as half, it takes two years to reach this maximum. It is not necessary to spend time in Canada as a temporary resident for the purpose of citizenship, but it is important to know that time as a TR only count as half so you know how to calculate your physical presence requirement.