Canada — Visitor Visa (180 Days per Entry)

Summary

Limit

Up to 180 days (6 months) per entry

Per

Each admission / visit

Annual cap

None (no rolling window)

Reset

Each new entry can start fresh

Extensions

Possible from inside Canada

Most visitors to Canada — whether on a visitor visa (TRV) or an eTA — can stay for up to 180 days (6 months) per entry. There is no annual cap and no rolling window: the limit applies to each individual visit, and your exact leave-by date is set by a border services officer on arrival under IRCC rules.

Who it applies to

This general rule matters most if you are:

• A tourist or family visitor coming to Canada on a visitor visa (TRV) or an eTA.
• A frequent traveler or snowbird making repeated long stays and wondering whether the days add up across the year.
• A remote worker or digital nomad planning to base yourself in Canada temporarily as a visitor.

It applies to people admitted as visitors. Different rules govern work permits, study permits, permanent residents, and Canadian citizens, so this six-month limit is not the relevant test for those statuses.

The rule — and why it exists

The visitor rule has two parts that are easy to confuse:

• The 6-month default. Visitors are generally admitted for up to six months per entry. This is the standard length of stay, not a guaranteed entitlement.
• The officer's discretion. A border services officer decides your actual authorised period on arrival and can grant less than six months, or occasionally more via a visitor record. Their decision — not a calendar formula — governs your stay.

Why it exists: a visitor visa is meant for temporary visits, not for living in Canada. Setting a per-entry limit with officer discretion lets Canada admit genuine tourists and family visitors easily while keeping the ability to shorten a stay when someone appears to be settling long-term without the right status.

How your stay is set

Your leave-by date is decided when you arrive, not automatically from the entry date alone. Because the 180-day limit is per entry, there is no running total to track across the year — but you must confirm the date that applies to your current visit.

1. 1Check your passport for a stamp or a handwritten date next to it after you enter.
2. 2If you were issued a visitor record, follow the specific date it shows — it overrides the default.
3. 3If you got no stamp and no visitor record, count 6 months from your date of entry.
4. 4Plan to leave on or before that date, or apply to extend before it passes.

Leaving Canada and re-entering can start a fresh period, but that is at the officer's discretion — repeated long stays are not a guaranteed way to reset the clock.

Examples

Example 1 — standard six-month visit

You arrive on an eTA on 1 March and get no passport stamp. The default applies, so you may stay until 1 September (six months from entry). You leave on 20 August — comfortably within your authorised stay.

Example 2 — officer sets a shorter date

You arrive and the officer stamps your passport with a date three months out because of your travel history and stated plans. That stamped date governs — you must leave by it or extend, even though the general limit is six months.

Example 3 — two separate visits in one year

You visit for five months in the spring, leave, then return in the autumn for another long stay. Because the limit is per entry with no annual cap, the second visit is assessed on its own — though frequent back-to-back stays may prompt the officer to ask about your intentions or grant a shorter period.

Exceptions & edge cases

• Extending from inside Canada. You can apply to extend your stay as a visitor. Apply at least 30 days before your status expires; applying in time gives you implied status, letting you stay under the same conditions while IRCC decides.
• Officer discretion can shorten the stay. Six months is the default, not a right — an officer can authorise less if they have concerns about the purpose or length of your visit.
• Visa-required vs. visa-exempt travelers. The six-month per-entry logic applies broadly to visitors, but the document you need to enter (TRV vs. eTA vs. exempt) depends on your nationality.
• Tax residency is separate. Staying legally as a visitor does not by itself keep you outside Canadian tax residency, which turns on residential ties and days of presence.

Common misconceptions

• "The six months is measured over the year." No — it is per entry. There is no annual or rolling day cap for most visitors.
• "My six months always run from my entry date." Only if you got no stamp or visitor record. A stamped or recorded date always overrides the default.
• "A quick border hop guarantees a new six months." Re-entry can start a fresh period, but it is granted at the officer's discretion, not automatically.
• "Being admitted as a visitor means I can work or study." No — visitor status generally does not permit work or study; those require the relevant permits.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• IRCC — About the visitor visa
• IRCC — Extend your stay as a visitor