(NewsNation) — Canadians who enter the United States and stay longer than 30 days will soon be required to register with the U.S. government and face criminal charges or fines if they don’t.
The new policy is tied to President Donald Trump’s “Protecting The American People Against Invasion” executive order, which Trump signed during his first day back in the White House. The order was designed to curb what the order referred to as an “unprecedented flood of illegal immigration into the United States.”
Canadian visitors entering the U.S. currently have visa-exempt admission and don’t typically file with the Department of Homeland Security when they enter the country by car at the northern border.
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However, beginning April 11, Canadians who have not previously registered as foreign nationals and have been fingerprinted as part of existing requirements will need to complete a new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services form to avoid punishment by U.S. immigration officials.
Those violating the policy face fines of up to $5,000, six months in jail or both, according to the Federal Register, which was updated with the new guidance Wednesday. USCIS first published details of the new requirements on its website in late February.
The new registration requirement could affect more than 1 million Canadians who travel to warmer parts of the U.S. during the winter to escape colder temperatures.
In a letter sent to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Michael MacKenzie, the executive director of the Canadian Snowbird Association, said the organization is seeking clarity on Trump’s executive order and registration requirements for all “aliens” entering the United States.
MacKenzie wrote that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials stated that the new requirement does not apply to Canadian citizens who have already registered as foreign nationals.
The letter states that guidance on the USCIS website indicates that those who are not considered registered include Canadian visitors who entered the U.S. at land ports and were not given evidence of their registration from Customs and Border Protection officers working at the border.
MacKenzie says the lack of clarity creates confusion as to how Canadians are viewed by the U.S. government.
“It is our position that this executive order relates to unlawfully present individuals currently in the United States and should not apply to Canadian tourists visiting the U.S. for vacation purposes,” MacKenzie wrote in the letter.
How many Canadians travel to the United States?
According to Statistics Canada, 4.1 million Canadian residents arrived from trips abroad in December 2024. Of those, 2.1 million arrived from the United States by car, and 68.3% of those trips were taken within the same day.
The busiest points of entry back into the country were located in southwestern Ontario. However, in the letter to Noem, MacKenzie said that more than 1 million “snowbirds” travel to the United States each year.
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Other snowbird organizations report that 50% of those who leave Canada own property in the United States and often land in southern U.S. states.
The volume of those typically spending longer periods in the United States has immigration attorneys concerned that the new registration requirements may create confusion among Canadians who remain in the U.S. after traveling here to escape the winter north of the U.S. border.
“My concern is for the snowbirds who are in the U.S. and are in their 70s and 80s,” Rosanna Berardi, a Buffalo, New York, immigration attorney, told NewsNation. “Will they be aware of the new requirements, and do they have a computer to register?”
What do existing immigration laws state?
The new guidelines are an addition to The Immigration and Nationality Act, which requires all “aliens” who travel to the U.S. who are 14 years of age or older to register with the federal government if they are staying in the United States for 30 days or longer. The INA already requires noncitizens who stay in the U.S. longer than 30 days to be fingerprinted, which was part of the Alien Registration Act of 1960.
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While these requirements have been in place, Canadians visiting the country will be required to complete a new registration form on the USCIS website that registers them and allows them to remain in the country for an extended time.
Registered foreign nationals over the age of 18 are required to carry their registration with them at all times, the agency said.
The added requirements come as Trump has clashed with the U.S.’ northern neighbor, suggesting that Canada become the 51st U.S. state and has imposed 25% tariffs on aluminum and steel coming from Canada. Canadian officials have responded by stating they will impose retaliatory tariffs of 25% on products imported from the U.S.
Berandi argues the added registration is connected to the Trump administration’s “obsession” with its northern neighbor after maintaining Canada has contributed to the flow of illicit drugs entering the U.S.
Global Affairs Canada said in a statement to NewsNation that it is aware of the new DHS and USCIS requirements affecting Canadian citizens. It said that it routinely posts travel advice on its website, ensuring travelers are aware of the policies each country has in place.
“Each country decides who enters its borders,” a spokesperson told NewsNation. “The decision to travel is the sole responsibility of the traveler.”
