A member asked how long someone with a Canadian visitor visa can continuously stay in the country. The thread assembled a clear picture:
- The default is 6 months per entry — but it's not fixed. Members explained that CBSA officers at the border decide your authorized stay. Six months is the usual grant, but the officer can allow less (or occasionally more) depending on your answers — they'll ask how long you intend to stay, whether you have relatives, and so on. The stamp/date given at entry is what governs, not the visa's expiry date.
- Six months is a maximum, not a requirement. One member emphasized: being admitted for 6 months doesn't mean you should or must stay that long — stay consistent with the visit purpose you declared.
- You can apply to extend from inside Canada. Before your authorized 6 months runs out, you can apply for a visitor record to extend your stay.
- Re-entry depends on your visa type. A spouse on a long-validity visitor visa asked about leaving and returning: members clarified that with a multiple-entry visa you can exit (even briefly cross a border) and re-enter for a fresh period, but a single-entry visa is used up once you leave. Each re-entry is a fresh CBSA decision, so frequent back-to-back 6-month stays can draw questions about de facto living in Canada.