Questions about counting days

How MapleCount applies IRCC's physical presence rules, and where to check the official answer.

Citizenship

How many days do I need?

At least 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada during the five years immediately before the date you apply. IRCC encourages applying with more than the minimum, in case an absence was counted wrong. Only that five-year window counts, so trips older than five years drop out on their own.

Do the day I leave and the day I return count?

Yes. IRCC counts both as days in Canada, because you were here for part of each day. A trip from July 1 to July 15 is 13 days away; leaving on July 1 and coming back on July 2 is zero days away (you still have to declare it). MapleCount counts trips the same way.

What is the half-day credit for time before PR?

Each day you were in Canada as an authorized temporary resident (for example on a study or work permit) or as a protected person, within the five-year window and before you became a permanent resident, counts as half a day. The credit is capped at 365 days, so you reach the maximum with 730 such days. This is the calculation in Citizenship Act s. 5(1.001)(a) and on IRCC's form CIT 0407, How to Calculate Physical Presence. In MapleCount, add those periods under Status. Because the credit is capped, you need at least two years as a permanent resident in the window no matter how long you lived here before.

What doesn't MapleCount count?

Time serving a sentence in Canada (imprisonment, probation or parole) generally does not count toward physical presence, with some exceptions. MapleCount does not model this; if it applies to you, use IRCC's calculator and guidance. MapleCount also doesn't check the other citizenship requirements such as tax filing, language or the knowledge test.

Why does my date differ from IRCC's calculator?

Usually because a trip, a pre-PR period or your PR date was entered differently, or because the application date you chose is different. Compare trip by trip. If the two disagree, IRCC's calculator and IRCC's decision are what count. You can open the official calculator from the app's Overview screen.

Permanent residence

What is the PR residency obligation?

To keep permanent resident status you must be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days in every five-year period. The days don't have to be in a row. If you have been a PR for less than five years, the period runs from the day you became a PR; MapleCount projects forward to your fifth anniversary and shows the date you would fall short if you stayed away.

Are there exceptions?

Some time outside Canada can count toward the obligation, for example while accompanying a spouse, common-law partner or parent who is a Canadian citizen, or while employed full time outside Canada by a Canadian business or the public service. MapleCount counts only days you were physically in Canada and does not apply these exceptions. Check IRCC's page on PR status if one may apply to you.

Your travel history

How do I get my CBSA travel history?

You can request a Travel History Report from the Canada Border Services Agency through the Government of Canada's ATIP online request service. It is free under the Privacy Act and can take up to 30 days. Ask for both entries and exits: exit information is only included if you request it. CBSA has collected exit records for land crossings since July 11, 2019 and for commercial flights since June 25, 2020, so older trips may show only your return. See CBSA's Travel History Report page.

CBSA notes that you don't need to request it yourself for a citizenship application or a PR card application, because IRCC can obtain it. Many people still request it to check their own records before applying.

How does the CBSA import work?

Copy the text of the report (or open the PDF) in MapleCount under Trips → Import → CBSA travel history. The app reads the entry and exit dates it can recognise and turns them into suggested trips. Report formats vary, so each suggestion goes into a review list where you fix or delete it before anything is saved. Nothing is uploaded.

Provincial health coverage

Which provinces are covered?

• BC MSP: in BC for at least six months of each calendar year.
• Ontario OHIP: in Ontario for at least 153 days in any 12-month period; new residents also need 153 of their first 183 days.
• Alberta AHCIP: in Alberta for at least 183 days in any 12-month period.
• Québec RAMQ: outside Québec for fewer than 183 days in a calendar year, not counting departure and return days or absences of 21 days or less.

Each plan has its own exceptions (students, work abroad, extended absences approved in advance). The app links to each plan's official page.

Using the app

Can I try it without entering my own trips?

Yes. Tap Try with example trips on the empty Overview screen, or go to Status → Example data. It loads a made-up person who became a PR about two years ago after studying and working in Canada, with a handful of trips, one planned trip and two family members. It is offered only while you have not entered any trips or status dates. Status → Example data → Remove example data deletes it again and leaves your own entries alone.

What is free, and what costs money?

The citizenship, PR and health counts, the trip log, pasting a list of trips and the planned-trip preview are free. Imports from Photos, Calendar and CBSA, PDF and CSV reports, reminders and the widget are unlocked with MapleCount Pro. MapleCount Family adds up to six people. Both are paid once through the App Store; there is no subscription.