4. (1) Any interval of absence from Ontario of a person that is, (a) of a temporary nature and does not exceed twelve consecutive months; (b) for the purpose of attending school or university; or (c) set out in subsection (2), shall be deemed not to have interrupted that person’s residence in Ontario.  R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 874, s. 4 (1). (2) The absences from Ontario referred to in clause (1) (c) of a person residing in Ontario are absences, (a) while employed out of Ontario, (i) by the United Nations or one of its specialized agencies, (ii) by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, (iii) by the Commonwealth Secretariat, (iv) by the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development, (v) by l’Agence de coopération culturelle et technique, or (vi) by a Canadian firm or Canadian corporation as a representative or member thereof, if during the person’s employment out of Ontario he or she, (vii) had in Ontario a permanent place of abode to which he or she intended to return, or (viii) maintained in Ontario a self-contained domestic establishment, and where the person either, (ix) returned to Ontario at the end of his or her employment out of Ontario, or (x) attained, while employed out of Ontario, an age at which the person was entitled to be paid an increment under the Act; (b) while employed or engaged, (i) as an employee of the Government of Canada or of the government or a municipal corporation of any province of Canada, (ii) as a person performing services in another country under a development or assistance program that is sponsored or operated in that country by the Government of Canada or of a province of Canada or by a non-profit Canadian agency, (iii) as a member of the Canadian Forces, pursuant to and in connection with the requirements of the person’s duties, (iv) as a person engaged in work for Canada connected with the prosecution of any war, (v) as a member of the armed forces of any ally of Canada during any war, (vi) as a missionary with any religious group or organization, (vii) as a worker in lumbering, harvesting, fishing or other seasonal employment, (viii) as a person employed as a transport worker or in similar employment on trains, aircraft, ships or buses running between Ontario and points outside Ontario, or (ix) as an employee, member or an officer of an international charitable organization, where the person either, (x) returned to Ontario at the end of such period of employment or engagement out of Ontario, or (xi) attained, while so employed or engaged out of Ontario, an age at which he or she was entitled to be paid an increment under the Act; (c) as a married person accompanying his or her spouse while he or she was absent from Ontario in any of the circumstances specified in clause (a) or (b), where, (i) he or she returned to Ontario either before or at the end of such period of absence of his or her spouse or within a reasonable time after the death of his  or her spouse if the spouse died while so absent from Ontario, or (ii) he or she attained, while they were so absent, an age at which he or she was entitled to be paid an increment under the Act; or (d) while awaiting transportation to Ontario during or immediately following World War II, if, (i) the person was unable to return to Ontario due to the dislocation of transportation facilities, and (ii) the person returned to Ontario when transportation became available.  R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 874, s. 4 (2). (3) For the purposes of the Act, where it is necessary to determine an applicant’s residence in Canada or some part of Canada other than Ontario, the preceding provisions of this section shall read as if the references therein to “Ontario” were references to “Canada”.  R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 874, s. 4 (3). (4) For the purposes of the Act, residence and presence in Newfoundland prior to the date of union of that province with Canada is deemed to be residence and presence in Canada.  R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 874, s. 4 (4). (5) Subject to subsections (1), (2), (3) and (4), except for clause (1) (a), where a person applies for an increment for the first time after the 6th day of April, 1976 and establishes to the satisfaction of the Minister that, (a) as of the 6th day of April, 1976, the applicant could have, had he or she then applied, met all of the requirements of age and residence set out in clause 1 (h) of the Act as it existed on the 6th day of April, 1976; and (b) during the year immediately preceding the day on which the application is made, the applicant was not absent from Ontario for more than six consecutive months, no absence of the applicant from Ontario or Canada within the period commencing on the 7th day of April, 1976 and ending with the day immediately preceding the day that is one year before the day his or her application is made shall be considered by the Minister to have interrupted the applicant’s residence in that part of Canada where the applicant had fixed his or her permanent place of residence immediately before such absence commenced, and where the Minister is satisfied that an applicant was eligible for an increment on the 6th day of April, 1976, except for the applicant’s failure to apply therefor by that date, the Minister may, to the extent authorized by subsection 5 (1) of the Act, approve the payment of an increment to the applicant.  R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 874, s. 4 (5).