If I leave Canada on a visitor visa and come back, does my six months reset?

Leaving Canada and returning does not automatically give you a fresh six months of visitor status. This is a common misconception. When you re-enter Canada, a border officer assesses your admissibility and decides how long to authorize your stay. If the officer believes you are attempting to use border exits to extend your stay indefinitely, they may grant a shorter period or refuse entry.

IRCC and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) have systems that track entries and exits. Officers can see your travel history. Repeated short exits and re-entries raise flags about your actual intent — whether you are genuinely a temporary visitor or are trying to reside in Canada without proper status.

If you need more time in Canada than a visitor authorization provides, the correct approach is to apply to extend your stay from within Canada, or to apply for an appropriate permit (study, work, or another category) that matches your actual purpose. Using departure as a workaround is not a reliable strategy and can result in future refusals.