Another new immigration requirement for Canadians entering the United States is causing additional consternation for citizens north of the border.
The Federal Register Interim Rule was published today and takes effect April 11, 2025. Under the general rule, fingerprints are required to cross the border. However, Canadians are exempt and instead must create a U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) account and register their biographical information and U.S. presence.
“Once an alien successfully completes his or her biometrics appointment at an ASC [Application Support Center], the ELIS [Electronic Immigration System] case management systems will trigger the creation of ‘Proof of Alien Registration’ with a unique identifier printed on the document,” the rule states.
“For those aliens, such as Canadian nonimmigrants and aliens under the age of 14, required to register but for whom the fingerprint requirement is waived, the ELIS case management system will trigger the creation of the ‘Proof of Alien Registration’ upon receipt,” it says.
That document will then be posted to the individual’s myUSCIS account.
Rosanna Berardi, an immigration lawyer from Buffalo, New York, told Newsweek that these new requirements have caused confusion among many Canadians—approximately 95 percent of her clientele.
“This is the first time that Canadians have been included in this type of registration requirement,” Berardi said. “It is alarming to them, coupled with the threat of the 51st state and the ongoing trade war.”
This new requirement follows legal guidance implemented by the Trump administration on February 25.
Foreign nationals who now enter the U.S. via a land border and do not receive a document from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) must register with the U.S. government if their stay exceeds 30 days. This modification of a nearly 30-year-old precedent affects colloquial Canadian “snowbirds” seeking respite in the southern U.S. during cold winter months.
Illegal immigrants who do not follow such requirements face the threat of a penalty of $5,000 or six months in prison, or both.
While that outcome is largely unlikely, Berardi said that such strong language could have “unintended consequences” on the U.S. economy. Canadians in their 60s, 70s and 80s who have properties in the U.S. and have paid taxes for years have debated staying home permanently, she said.
“This is just leaving a sour taste in their mouth,” she said. “[Canadians] have been here since the sands of time.”
Ken Gray, a professor at New Haven University, told Newsweek that the 30-day number tied to these Canadian citizen provisions is likely due to the “special relationship” long enjoyed between the U.S. and Canada.
He added that it’s also due to the many Canadians who come to the U.S., sometimes just for one day, to work, shop, or otherwise.
“The No. 1 problem of people being here illegally are overstays, and so this is tightening up [immigration laws] to address the problem,” Gray said.
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