3. Keep evidence to show that you met the residency obligation

It's important to keep evidence to show that you met the residency obligation. Get legal help from a lawyer or licensed representative about what evidence to use, and to have them review any evidence you plan to submit.

Travel information

Keep detailed records of the dates you leave and return to Canada, and where you travel. Make notes every time you leave, even if you come back on the same day. For example, you can keep notes in a travel journal, a notebook, a spreadsheet.

Time inside Canada

Other types of evidence to help you prove when you were in Canada may include:

• Passport stamps in all your current and expired passports
• Flight records, bus tickets, or hotel bookings
• Canadian tax returns
• Employment records showing the dates you worked in Canada
• Housing documents in Canada like a lease, a mortgage, or utility payments
• School records
• Canadian bank statements showing the dates of transactions in Canada

Time outside Canada

In some cases, you may be able to prove that time you spent outside Canada should be included. You must keep evidence that proves this.

For example, if you were accompanying your Canadian citizen spouse while they studied abroad, you could keep:

• school enrollment records
• your marriage certificate
• employment records
• flight and travel records
• a joint lease and shared utility bills
• other proof you lived together abroad like a local gym membership, or photographs of you there together