A new era has begun for Canadian snowbirds and other long-term visitors to the US.
As of 11APR, 2025, any foreign national who wishes to stay in the US for 30 days or longer must register with the US government or face penalties, including fines and potential prosecution.
It’s a move that potentially impacts millions of Canadians who head to the U.S. every year to seek refuge from winter, or for personal or professional reasons.
US President Donald Trump in January signed an executive order called “Protecting the American People Against Invasion.” Part of that order is the 30-day rule.
Initially, US authorities said Canadians wishing to stay 30 days or more would have to be fingerprinted, but they later suggested that is not the case.
WUSF TV in Florida says that to register with the US government, an online account with US Citizenship and Immigration Services needs to be created. Then, a registration form must be filled out.Any failure to comply to register or be fingerprinted could result in a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment up to six months, or both, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Rudy Buttignol, president of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) — an advocacy organization that represents about 250,000 members across Canada — said snowbirds who routinely visit the U.S. for six months out of the year are "really shocked to be treated like aliens," after establishing themselves in communities south of the border.
Montreal-based immigration lawyer Patrice Brunet told the CBC the changes would mark "a very drastic policy shift," where Canadians will be considered, for the foreseeable future, "regular citizens coming from any other country" rather than friends of the US.
“Historically, Canadians visiting the U.S. for business or personal travel enjoyed a streamlined entry process, often being classified as ‘visa-exempt,’ KPMG states on its website. “This meant that most Canadians could simply arrive at the border and, barring a few exceptions, be granted entry for up to six months. However, with the new registration rules, travelers will need to navigate additional requirements.”
The National Post this week said a new lawsuit claims that the policy didn’t consider the impact it could have on communities that rely on revenue from Canadian snowbirds.
A complaint was filed on 31MAR in Washington, D.C. by advocacy group and nonprofit organization the American Immigration Council, along with other organizations, against the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), US Immigration and Customs the US Customs and Border Protection, the US Department of Justice, and attorney general Pamela Bondi.
“Among other issues, the complaint says that the interim final rule “fails to consider the impact of the new universal registration scheme on communities that rely on the revenue from the Canadian retirees who travel to the United States every winter and who will now be at risk of federal prosecution if they fail to register via the new process or fail to carry registration documents with them at all times,” The Post said.
