Canadians who are in the United States for 30 days or more and cross the land border will soon have to register their information with the United States government, according to a warning obtained by ABC News.
Foreign citizens who plan to remain in the US.
Canadians are exempt from digital footprints, which applies to other foreign citizens, according to an immigration lawyer who spoke with ABC News.
Traditionally, Canadians who cross the northern border on land and stay for more than 30 days have not had to register in the federal government, but the secretary of the National Security Department can unilaterally change that rule.
The Canadians who stay in the US Online portal.
The rule would not require Canadians to request a visa, but a different federal form to enter the US.
A car waits on the border of the United States and Canada in Surrey BC, March 4, 2025.
Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press through AP
Rosanna Berardi, an immigration lawyer based in Buffalo, New York, told ABC News that her firm has heard of many Canadians who have expressed “strong disappointment” in the new rule.
“It is important to clarify that this measure specifically affects Canadian citizens who cross land borders who intend to remain in the United States for periods greater than 30 days,” he told ABC News. “Casual travelers who visit for tourism or purchases will not be affected. However, Canadian business professionals who regularly enter the United States for extended tasks will now face these new registration requirements.”
Berardi told ABC News that some Canadians are reconsidering their trip to the United States as a result of recent “tensions” between the United States and Canada.
“Historically, Canadians have enjoyed the state -free state and have never been forced to formally register their presence in the United States,” he said. “This development seems to align with recent tensions in relations between the United States and Canada, including the threat of State 51, commercial tariffs and other policy changes.”
The Canadian Snowbird association, which represents the “Canadian snow birds” traveling through the US.
