"Immigration Monitoring" is often jokingly referred to as "immigration imprisonment." In fact, "immigration monitoring" is not a prison, and being under "immigration monitoring" does not mean you are confined in a prison; it simply refers to the restrictions placed on the freedom of immigrants within a certain scope, which is why it has been given this name. The conditions for "immigration monitoring" for permanent residents vary by country, but the requirements for applying for citizenship are generally much stricter.
Summary of "Immigration Monitoring" in Popular Countries
1. Canada requires 2 years of residence within 5 years for permanent residency
To maintain permanent residency in Canada, one must reside for 2 years within a 5-year period, and for citizenship, one must reside for 4 years within a 6-year period. According to legal provisions, only the following three pathways can satisfy the residency requirement:
1. Actual residence in Canada; 2. Accompanying a spouse with Canadian citizenship residing abroad; 3. Working for a Canadian company or government agency abroad (in this case, the time spent living abroad is also considered as time spent in Canada).
2. Each departure from the United States cannot exceed 183 days
After obtaining a U.S. Green Card, applicants only need to enter the U.S. once every six months to maintain their Green Card, which is a relatively easy requirement for applicants to meet. If applying for citizenship, one must reside for 2.5 years within a 5-year period.
According to immigration law, the time a Green Card holder spends in the U.S. when applying for citizenship must include at least 2.5 years of residence in the U.S. within the 5 years prior to the citizenship application, and at least 6 months each year must be spent in the U.S. If one departs the U.S. for more than 6 months in any given year, the remaining months cannot be counted towards the 2.5 years of residence; if the departure exceeds 1 year, the residence calculation will be interrupted.
3. Australia requires 2 years of residence within 5 years for permanent residency
Australia's conditions are relatively clear; to maintain permanent residency, one must reside for 2 years within a 5-year period. If this residency requirement cannot be met, one must satisfy at least one of the following two conditions to retain immigration status:
1. Prove that you have necessary economic, cultural, or employment ties to Australia that are beneficial to the country; 2. At least one family member holds a valid return visa. To become a citizen, one must meet the residency requirement, which is to reside for 4 years within a 5-year period, and in the last year before applying for citizenship, one cannot be absent for more than 3 months.
4. Portugal requires 7 days of residence per year
Portugal's "immigration monitoring" is divided into two parts; upon obtaining a Green Card, the requirement is to reside for 7 days in the first year, and thereafter, 14 days every two years. To maintain the Green Card, the requirement is to enter the country at least once every 2 years. The residency requirement for citizenship is to continuously hold resident status for 6 years.
5. Greece has no immigration monitoring and no residency requirements
Since July 2015, Greece has implemented a new policy for real estate investment immigration. Once the application for real estate investment immigration is approved, the applicant will immediately obtain permanent residency rights, and as long as they hold the purchased property, the main applicant and their family can maintain a permanent residency permit that is renewed every five years.
