As snowbirds flock to the border to escape the Canadian winter, many are encountering the new U.S. registration requirement for the first time.
The rule, which took effect in April under the Trump administration, makes it mandatory for Canadians staying longer than 29 days to register with the U.S. government.
The regulation sounds simple, but it’s actually complex. Not all long-term travellers need to register, and for those who do, there’s more than one way to complete the process.
Further complicating matters, there’s no central U.S. government website that lays out all the options for travellers, and those who register at the border will likely be photographed, fingerprinted and charged $30 US.
“It’s confusing, there’s no common sense in how they’re rolling this out,” said U.S. immigration lawyer, Len Saunders, whose office sits close to the border in Blaine, Wash.
Saunders says he receives several calls per day from Canadians who are desperate for clarity about the new rule.
“Nobody knows how this works.”
To help cut down on the confusion, here’s the information CBC News has gathered about the new rules.
Option 1: Register at the border
Typically, air passengers are exempt from the registration requirement because they’re generally issued an I-94, an electronic arrival record. However, travellers who cross at land borders often don’t get one.
Upon arrival, all travellers can check this U.S. Customs and Border webpage to see if they automatically received an I-94 — which is typically valid for six months.
To ensure they meet the registration requirement, land travellers can pre-apply online for their I-94 within seven days of entering the U.S., or they can complete the entire process at the border.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told CBC News that whichever method they choose, travellers will be fingerprinted, photographed and charged a $30 US processing fee.
“These measures are required under U.S. immigration law to enhance border security, verify travellers’ identities, and ensure compliance with U.S. entry and exit requirements,” said CBP spokesperson Jessica Turner in an email.
CBC News interviewed five snowbirds who obtained their I-94 at the border. They each said they were photographed, fingerprinted and charged the fee.
Three said border officers offered to complete the process at the border, and that they accepted. The other two, including Brenda Paige of Calgary, said they weren’t given a choice.
“It wasn’t like, ‘Would you like to have your photograph [taken]?” said Paige, who crossed the border from Alberta on Oct. 2 with her husband, Dan.
“It was just, this is the way it’s done and you just do it and you fall in…
Read More: Worried about being fingerprinted? What snowbirds need to know about U.S.
