Canadian tourists intending to stay more than 30 days may soon be required to register and be fingerprinted before heading south
About one million Canadian “snowbirds,” who contribute billions to the U.S. tourism industry each year, will soon be required to register and be fingerprinted before heading south, thanks to an executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at curbing illegal immigration.
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While most travellers are automatically registered with an electronic I-94 admission record upon entering the U.S., Trump’s “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” order now mandates that all visitors staying 30 days or longer must register with the U.S. government and obtain an admission record, if an I-94 wasn’t automatically issued.
Travellers staying longer than 30 days will also have to create an account with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and schedule an appointment for fingerprinting as part of a background check.
For Canadians — especially snowbirds, who are mostly seniors and retirees — this marks a shift, as a rule that wasn’t strictly enforced before is now catching them in the crosshairs.
“I don’t know all the details about this required registration. If it’s just some extra paperwork, I think they’ll be coming back. But it depends. We do get an older population, and if it’s too much, it could keep them away,” said Jose Jimenez, who has been managing Bonita Mesa RV Resort in Yuma, Ariz., for two decades.
Travellers from Canada contribute 60 to 65 per cent of the resort’s business, said Jimenez.
Managers at other RV parks and resorts in the area told Postmedia the new registration rules were the No. 1 topic on the ground as Canadian travellers pack up for the winter season and think about whether or not to return next year. Jimenez said he has only heard a few talk about not coming back and his bookings remain steady.
The organization that represents Canadian snowbirds says it plans to lobby the U.S. government for an exemption from the rules, which are scheduled to take effect on April 11.
The association has advised those already in the U.S. to check a new online government portal to confirm if they were issued an electronic I-94 upon entry.
Under the new provision, all visitors aged 14 or older who stay for 30 days or longer must register and be fingerprinted, with a maximum stay of 180 days.
The website stipulates that those who must register include “Canadian visitors who entered the United States at land ports of entry and were not issued evidence of registration.”
It remains unclear whether being a Nexus cardholder will impact the requirement to register.
Immigration lawyers are advising Canadian travellers to request a print-out of their admission record when entering the U.S. to avoid serious issues, including trouble re-entering the country later.
“Snowbirds should ask the customs and border protection officer at the land border or pre-clearance, ‘May I please be issued an I-94, as I will be staying for longer than 30 days?’” said Duncan Millar, a lawyer at Millar and Hayes.
While this step could save Canadian travellers time in the long run, Millar warns it may introduce new challenges.
“The key difference now is that by asking for an I-94, you’ll need to talk to border agents about it,” he explains. “They’ll review your travel pattern, and if there are any minor issues, the border guard may flag you.”
For instance, Millar says, “If someone has an old charge on their record from when they were a teenager and starts interacting more with border officers, they could face deportation or be deemed inadmissible for entry.”
Millar expects the change could push some Canadian snowbirds to limit or even stop their travel to the U.S.
“It will be a deterrent for Canadians in Scottsdale, Ariz., who don’t want to deal with all the extra hassle,” Millar added, referring to the trade war set off by Trump’s tariffs, along with a weak Canadian dollar.
Flight Centre Travel Group Canada reports a 40 per cent drop in leisure bookings to U.S. cities this February compared to the same month in 2024, and Air Canada has reduced flights to popular warm destinations such as Florida by 10 per cent starting this month. WestJet and Flair Airlines have also seen reduced bookings and flights to the U.S.
According to the U.S. Travel Association, which represents the travel industry, Canada is the primary source of international visitors to the U.S.
Canadians are a vital source of international visitors to the U.S., according to the U.S. Travel Association. In 2024, 20.4 million visits generated $20.5 billion US in spending and supported 140,000 American jobs. However, the association warns that a 10 per cent drop in Canadian travel could lead to two million fewer visits, $2.1 billion US in lost spending and 14,000 job losses.
With files from Joanne Lee-Young and Bloomberg News.