@Melymel12 , the tax-home begins on the first full day in the foreign country -- e.g. if leave US on 8/1/XX ( at 8:00 PM ) for settling in London for a few years, arrive at London Heathrow on 8/2/XX at 10:15AM, your tax home will begin 8/3/XX. For you , tax home in Canada probably began on August 21, 2017 since you arrived there on 8/20/17.
The Physical test period is any continuous 12 months that begin or ends on the tax year that you are filing and you are trying to meet 330 Days of presence in any foreign country ( not necessarily your tax home country ). Thus for tax year 2018, you could use a test period 01/01/2018 through 12/31/2018 or as you have used 01/14/2018 through 01/13/2019 because you were in the USA during 01/01/2018 through 01/13/2018 -- arriving abroad on 01/13/2018.
Does this make sense ?
BTW -- generally students do not establish a foreign tax home and I am just surprised that you did -- you had income or stipend etc. that you need to exclude or what ? just curious -- does not change my answer.
pk
