Fingerprinting at the border by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is “inconsistent,” Canadian snowbirds heading south for the winter are saying after recent rules changes.
In March, U.S. authorities said any foreign nationals, including Canadians, visiting the U.S. for more than 30 days would have to register with the government in order to avoid penalties.
“Despite recent claims from U.S. authorities that fingerprinting and photographing Canadian travellers, staying in the U.S. for 30 days or more, is part of a new policy, our members have reported inconsistent experiences at various land border crossings,” the Canadian Snowbird Association said in a statement.
The statement said the process “appears to vary depending on the individual border officer and location.”
The Canadian Snowbird Association recommends its members “continue to cross the border as they normally would.”
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Once they reach their destination, travellers should verify whether an I-94 form has been issued, CSA said in its statement. If it has, they can simply print the form for their records.
If the I-94 has not been issued, travellers should file a different form (G-325R form) with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within 30 days of entry, the group said.
However, CSA noted that there have been instances where U.S. border officers require the I-94 form to be completed at the time of entry.
In those cases, Canadian travellers may be subjected to a “secondary inspection.” This is where they may be fingerprinted or photographed, “and charged a $30 processing fee for the I-94.”
In 2024, Canadian-resident trips to the United States totalled 39 million, representing 75 per cent of all Canadian-resident travel abroad, Statistics Canada said.
The change is primarily part of the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and undocumented migrants, but a single line in a post about the registration on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website shows Canadians are now a part of this change.
The section reads:
“Anyone who has not been issued one of the documents designated as evidence of registration under 8 CFR 264.1(b) and has not submitted one of the forms designated at 8 CFR 264.1(a) and provided fingerprints (unless waived) is not registered. Aliens who have not registered include:
- Aliens who are present in the United States without inspection and admission or inspection and parole;
- Canadian visitors who entered the United States at land ports of entry and were not issued evidence of registration; and,
- Aliens who submitted one or more benefit requests to USCIS not listed in 8 CFR 264.1(a), including applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or Temporary Protected Status, who were not issued evidence of registration.”
— With files from Global’s Sean Previl
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