CANADA · CITIZENSHIP
1,095 days to citizenship. Count them like they'll be checked, because they will.
Canadian citizenship requires 1,095 days physically present in Canada within the 5 years before you apply. IRCC verifies the count against entry records, and a miscounted application gets returned. SpyglassBeacon counts your Canada days automatically and keeps the day-by-day record that makes the physical presence calculator an entry job, not an archaeology project.
Where applicants lose days
Three years of presence inside five sounds roomy until you count honestly: US day trips from border cities, vacations, work travel, and the half-day rule for time before permanent residence (pre-PR days count 50%, capped at 365 credited days). The applicants who get burned are rarely the ones who were short; they are the ones who couldn't prove they weren't. IRCC's own guidance tells you to list every absence, including same-day trips, from memory and passport stamps.
What the app does
- A Canada card. Days present in Canada across the trailing 5 years, counted toward 1,095, appearing automatically once your Canadian days show in the data.
- Every absence, captured. Cross to the US for an afternoon and the ledger shows it, which is exactly what the application's absence table wants.
- A day-by-day export. Timestamped, contemporaneous, and formatted for a human to read next to the IRCC physical presence calculator.
An honest note on the half-day rule
Beacon counts days of presence; it does not know your immigration status. Days in Canada before you became a permanent resident count as half days (maximum 365 credited), and Beacon's card counts them in full. If part of your 5-year window predates your PR date, treat the card as an upper bound and apply the half-day arithmetic with the free Canada citizenship day calculator or IRCC's own tool.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need?
1,095 days physically present in the 5 years before signing the application. PR days count in full; lawful pre-PR days count half, capped at 365 credited.
Is there an app that tracks this automatically?
Yes, this one: automatic day attribution, a 1,095-day progress card over the trailing 5 years, and a timestamped export for the application.
Why do applications get returned over day counts?
Because IRCC checks the math against border records, and memory misses same-day trips. Applying short, even accidentally, costs months.
Not legal advice. Citizenship eligibility also involves tax-filing and other requirements. Confirm your calculation with IRCC's official physical presence calculator before applying.
Source: IRCC, citizenship eligibility.
Related: Canada citizenship day calculator · Canadian snowbirds · Form 8840 calculator
Apply with a count you can prove
Beacon counts your Canada days toward 1,095 automatically, absences included.
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