The United States will begin requiring Canadians who travel to the U.S. for 30 days or more to register with authorities in a strict application of existing immigration law that hasn’t been applied to Canadian visitors in the past, The New York Times reports.
According to a notice released on the federal register on Wednesday, starting on April 11 foreign nationals who travel to the United States for 30 days or more must apply for registration with the federal government and submit to having their fingerprints recorded.
Buffalo, New York-based immigration attorney Rosanna Berardi told ABC News that Canadians are exempt from the fingerprinting requirement but not the registration requirement. Previously, Canadian nationals who stayed in the U.S. longer than 30 days were not required to register with the federal government.
"Historically, Canadians have enjoyed visa-exempt status and have never been required to formally register their presence in the United States," Berardi told ABC News. "This development appears to align with recent tensions in U.S.-Canada relations, including the threat of the 51st state, the trade tariffs, and other policy shifts."
She added, "It's important to clarify that this measure specifically impacts Canadian citizens crossing land borders who intend to remain in the United States for periods exceeding 30 days. Casual travelers visiting for tourism or shopping will not be affected. However, Canadian business professionals who regularly enter the U.S. for extended assignments will now face these new registration requirements."
ABC News notes that the Canadian Snowbird Association, which advocates on behalf of Canadians who travel south to the U.S., is currently waiting to hear from Congress if Canadians will be made exempt from this requirement.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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