Many Canadians who travel to the U.S to escape the cold will soon face a registration policy.
Starting Friday, Canadians and other foreign nationals visiting for longer than 30 days must register with the U.S. government, according to U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Children under 14 must also register, and once someone turns 14, they must reregister and be fingerprinted within 30 days of their birthdays.
The policy follows President Donald Trump issuing an executive order titled Protecting the American People Against Invasion on Jan. 20, 2025. The order enfores existing law that was typically not applied consistently to Canadians, especially those driving across the border.
Immigration attorney Lizz Cannon said the policy is another decision by Trump that could strain the bond between Canada and the U.S.
"I think this is just one more policy edict from the White House that is potentially destroying the positive relationship that these two countries have had," Cannon said.
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To register with the U.S. government, an online account with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services needs to be created. Then, a registration form must be filled out.
The USCIS will review this form and determine if someone will need a biometric appointment to be fingerprinted.
Any failure to comply to register or be fingerprinted could result in a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment up to six months, or both, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
It's not clear how this policy will affect Florida, a popular destination for Canadian "snowbirds."
About 3.3 million Canadians visited Florida in 2024, according to data from the state tourism marketing agency Visit Florida. That's up a little over 1% from 2023 but down 20% from 2019, the last full prepandemic year.
In late March, Canada updated its travel guidelines, telling citizens planning to visit the U.S. that they need to register or face penalties.
Cannon said this policy, along with Trump's plans to place tariffs on some goods from Canada, places the countries "light years" away from their once-friendly relationship.
"I think that everything that has happened between the White House and Canada so far has consistently been chipping at the amount of Canadians who want to come to the United States," Cannon said.
