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The Canadian CIC website states that starting March 2016 some tourists that fly into Canada will need an eTA.

As an Italian citizen I need an eTA and I think I may stay up to six months.
Is this period subject to change with the introduction of eTA? Just for clarity, I will be entering Canada by flight.

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    Technically, official rules can change anytime, though I think it's unlikely they might change this soon. Note that the IO often has the final say about that "If the officer authorizes a stay of less than six months, they will indicate in your passport the date by which you must leave Canada."
    – blackbird
    Commented Nov 12, 2015 at 14:27
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    It would appear that much like the US ESTA, the eTA is not a visa or visa waiver itself, and hence has no bearing on/does not state how long you can remain.
    – CMaster
    Commented Nov 12, 2015 at 16:10

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As CMaster indicated, an eTA is not like a visa in that you're guaranteed a certain validity before you arrive, it's merely an authorization to travel and the border officer decides how long you can stay. In theory however, you can stay up to 6 months.

This page has it quite clearly:

Your eTA authorizes you to visit Canada for up to six months or until the date prescribed by a border services officer on your arrival to Canada. If you need to stay in Canada longer, you must apply to extend your stay.

Once you have an eTA, it will be valid for five years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.

Note: A valid eTA and travel document (passport) will facilitate your entry to Canada. When you arrive at the border, a border services officer will ask to see your passport or travel documents and ask you a few questions.The officer will then decide if you can enter Canada.

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  • Visas don't necessarily guarantee a certain validity before you arrive. In the UK and the US, for instance, someone entering with a visa expecting a six-month period of admission may nonetheless be given a shorter period, although current practice is not to do only in exceptional cases. I suspect the Canadian system works much the same way.
    – phoog
    Commented Jul 13, 2017 at 17:09
  • @phoog, It works the same way in Canada, though there a person given a shortened stay is also given a visitor record that they return when they leave to record the exit. The fact that they go to all this trouble to shorten the stay probably means they don't do it very often.
    – user38879
    Commented Jul 13, 2017 at 17:40
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Sure Canada eta is not a visa, but its allowing you as an EU citizen to travel to Canada by air. Normally, its valid for 5 years, but at the point of entry the office will decide if you must allowing to enter or not.

And you have right to stay not more than six months though you have five years. If you want to staying more than six months, you can extend but it depends upon your circumstances.

Eta is not a working permit nor students visa, so if you want to work you can applying for work permit and if you want to study more than six months, you can applying for study permit, but programmes less than six months you do not need study permit.

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