Studying Abroad as Permanent Resident (Citizenship implications)

[Afro-Canadian]

Hi everyone, I'm pleading to anyone out there to help with these questions.

Context
Am currently a permanent resident, who came to Canada as a refugee from West Africa. I'm about to finish an undergraduate degree and planning to do a master in South Africa, for the purpose of internationalizing my undergrad degree and career. Due to the citizenship hiatus that was introduced by Bill C-24, my eligibility for citizenship was pushed to March 2018 from March 14, 2016

Predicament
I want to know what the implications are for studying abroad as a permanent resident. How will this arrangement affect my eligibility for citizenship? And what happens when you make an application, and then proceed to do studies abroad?

Note that the desired master degree is one year long, so basically I will be gone for approximately 12 - 14 months.

Any information will be highly appreciated. Thanks in advace

 

[scylla]

Time spent studying outside of Canada cannot be counted towards the citizenship residency requirement. For both citizenship and PR residency purposes - it's time outside of Canada.