Canadian snowbirds and other travelers heading south for extended stays are facing a new wave of uncertainty and red tape at the United States border, with recent changes to U.S. immigration policy leading to inconsistent experiences and, for some, unexpected costs and scrutiny. Since March 2025, U.S. authorities have mandated that any foreign nationals—including Canadians—who plan to visit the United States for more than 30 days must register with the government or risk steep penalties. The enforcement of this rule, however, has proven anything but uniform, leaving many travelers confused and frustrated.
According to Global News, the new policy requires that Canadians staying in the U.S. for more than 30 days register by filling out an I-94 form. If travelers fail to comply, they face the threat of a $5,000 fine and even jail time, as stated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The rule, which went into effect in April 2025, is part of a broader set of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump earlier in the year, aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration and undocumented migrants.
But while the intent of the policy is clear, its execution at border crossings has been anything but. The Canadian Snowbird Association (CSA), which represents thousands of Canadians who winter in the southern U.S., issued a statement noting that fingerprinting and photographing at the border is “inconsistent.” According to the CSA, “the process appears to vary depending on the individual border officer and location.” Some travelers are waved through with little more than a passport check, while others are subjected to secondary inspections, fingerprinting, and a $30 processing fee for the I-94 form.
The CSA recommends that its members “continue to cross the border as they normally would,” but urges them to verify whether an I-94 form has been issued upon arrival. If not, travelers are advised to file a G-325R form with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within 30 days of entry. However, there have been instances where U.S. border officers require the I-94 form to be completed at the time of entry, triggering further inspection and sometimes confusion. In these cases, travelers may be fingerprinted or photographed and charged a $30 processing fee for the I-94.
For some Canadians, the process has been more than just a minor inconvenience. Steve Blair, a Canadian snowbird who spends his winters in Arizona, shared his experience with CBC. He and his wife were stunned when, after arriving at the border for a stay of over 29 days, they were required to be fingerprinted and photographed before being allowed to continue their trip. The couple had to pay $60—$30 each—for the privilege. “I was stunned,” Blair told CBC. “We’ve never had to do this before.”
Fellow Canadian travelers Jacquie and Steve Ree encountered even more rigorous scrutiny when they drove their RV into Washington. According to CBC, a CBP officer instructed the couple to pull their vehicle aside for a thorough inspection. “I’m watching them open all our hatches, and we’re thinking, ‘Oh my God,’” Jacquie said. “They went through our whole RV.” The couple spent an hour and a half chatting with officers before finally being told they could pass if they were fingerprinted and paid $60. “They didn’t really know what they were doing,” Jacquie added. “I felt bad for them.”
The confusion and inconsistency stem in part from the division of responsibilities between CBP and USCIS. U.S. immigration lawyer Jennifer Behm explained to The U.S. Sun that border agents have discretion in how they handle immigration procedures. “They’re not always fluid in the way that they operate or how their operations or decisions impact each other,” she said. Behm also noted that Canadians can sometimes avoid the fingerprinting and fee by filing a G-325R form within 30 days of arrival, which asks for personal information such as the visitor’s U.S. address, email, and marital status.
Despite the headaches, some travelers seem unfazed by the new requirements. Snowbird Brenda Paige told The U.S. Sun, “I wasn’t worried about it. I’ve not done anything wrong.” For many, the lure of warm southern winters outweighs the added bureaucracy and expense.
The new registration requirement is just one of several recent initiatives by President Trump targeting illegal immigration. As reported by The U.S. Sun, Trump announced in May that illegal immigrants who “self-deport” would be given a $1,000 stipend and a free flight home. The administration has also declared Mexican cartels and the El Salvadorian gang MS-13 terrorist organizations, announced plans to reopen the notorious Alcatraz prison, and revealed intentions to send up to 30,000 illegal immigrants to detention facilities in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In March, Trump began deporting hundreds of alleged gang members to a notorious prison in El Salvador.
Statistics Canada reported that in 2024, Canadian-resident trips to the United States totaled 39 million, representing a staggering 75% of all Canadian-resident travel abroad. For many Canadians, particularly retirees who spend months at a time in states like Florida and Arizona, the new rules have introduced an unwelcome element of unpredictability.
For those planning an extended stay, the advice from both the CSA and U.S. immigration lawyers is clear: be prepared. Travelers should check whether they have been issued an I-94 form upon arrival and, if not, promptly file the G-325R form with USCIS. They should also be ready for the possibility of secondary inspection, fingerprinting, and a processing fee. While some border officers may be more lenient or less familiar with the new procedures, others are enforcing the rules strictly—sometimes to the confusion of both travelers and agents alike.
As the snowbird season gets underway and more Canadians head south, the hope is that greater clarity and consistency will emerge. For now, though, travelers are advised to expect the unexpected at the border—and to pack a little extra patience along with their sunscreen.