Canada joins other countries in updating travel advisories for U.S.

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Axios

Updated 10 hours ago


Canada has updated its travel advisory for the U.S. following the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

The big picture: The update on a registration rule for visitors to the U.S. comes after several European nations changed their advisories in response to Trump administration rollbacks on transgender rights and as Canadians and other foreign nationals have been detained by U.S. immigration authorities over travel visa issues.

The new interim rule — set to take effect April 11 — requires Canadians staying in the U.S. for longer than 30 days to register with the U.S. government. It comes amid a Trump administration trade war with Canada and the president's talk of annexing the North American ally.

Driving the news: "Failure to comply with the registration requirement could result in penalties, fines, and misdemeanor prosecution," states the advisory that was updated Friday and which directs Canadians to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website to determine if they need to register with USCIS and how to do so.

Most Canadians are exempt from a fingerprinting requirement. However, the advisory says it will apply in certain circumstances.

Context: The rule follows a Trump executive order requiring previously unregistered foreign travelers to comply with an existing law that says foreign nationals 14 or older not already registered with the U.S. government must do so if they plan to stay in the country for 30 days or longer.

The existing requirement typically wasn't enforced for Canadian visitors previously, per the Vancouver Sun.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/2025/03/25/canada-us-travel-advisory-updated-registration-guidance

[Canada Kid]

1. Another stupid Trump move!

Just keep shooting yourselves in the Republican foot! Canadians spend millions of dollars annually in the US, between traveling and owning property in your country, cross border visits to go shopping, or just passing through on their way to other countries. But it is the snowbirds who give the lions share of your revenue, coming south in the fall and staying to the spring. Now you can kiss that all goodbye! Canadians will now stay home and travel this summer in Canada, or plan trips that do not touch US soil. Brilliant stupid move that hurts restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, amusement parks, state parks...shall I go on?

[travelingthrulife]

8. It just boggles the mind that the business community supports this Trump nonsense.

They are so reflexively Republican they can't see through the cult fog.

[nwduke]

2. Everything Don the Felon/Rapist touches

Dies!

[creon]

3. Excellent

Canadians should not come to US.
The US is not an ally of Canada.

[Ms. Toad]

4. So Canada tells it's citizens to follow the law?

It sounds to me like the law has been in existence for quite a while, but just not enforced against Canada.

(I'm not saying a travel advisory isn't warranted - just that advice to follow existing law isn't what I expected, based on the headline.)

[BumRushDaShow]

5. The OP article had a link to the Vancouver Sun that got into a little more detail

'It will be a deterrent': Canadian snowbirds face new registration requirements going to the U.S.

By Sarah Grochowski
Published Mar 12, 2025
Last updated Mar 12, 2025

(snip)

“Canadian Snowbird Association representatives are currently working with Congressional representatives to amend this registration requirement and exempt Canadian travellers from having to register with (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services),” it said in a recent news release. 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.

“Failure to comply will result in criminal and civil penalties, up to and including misdemeanour prosecution and the payment of fines,” states the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website, adding that a portal for submitting registration documents is not yet available but is being developed. 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 explained. “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.”

(snip)

Apparently there have been some border crossings that automatically issued the I-94 document (electronically), probably after ascertaining the reported length of stay, and others that didn't.

[Ms. Toad]

6. Although described as new in this article,

From anything I can find, it isn't new - it is just that nobody was particularly enforcing it against Canadians..

[BumRushDaShow]

7. That's basically what the Vancouver Sun was saying

Far be it to discourage $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ coming into the U.S. every year at the same time like clockwork (except when you get a radical loon elected and then that doesn't seem to matter).

This is going to devastate some of those tourist towns that were set up for the snowbirds (the article mentioned RV parks as an example).

[Ms. Toad]

9. Yup.

But when you're on a revenge tour, common sense doesn't much matter. Canada told him "no," so they must be punished - regardless of whether doing so hurts us more.