Amid Donald Trump’s ongoing tariff war with Canada, the US government has come up with a new rule for Canadians who are in the United States for 30 days or longer and those who have crossed the land border. Starting on April 11, Canadians who plan to stay in the US for longer than 30 days will be required to apply for registration and be fingerprinted. So far, Canadians have been exempt from both rules which apply to other foreign nationals.
Will Canadians require a visa for the US?
Traditionally, Canadians who cross the northern border by land and stay for over 30 days do not need to register with the federal government. However, the new rule would require them to fill out a different form to enter the US, which is not a visa. Canadians never needed any form or visa to enter the US for casual travelling, tourism, shopping etc.
Those violating the rule may face fines of up to $5,000, six months in jail or both, according to the Federal Register, which was updated with the new guidance Wednesday.
The new policy for Canadians is tied to President Donald Trump’s executive order ‘Protecting the American People Against Invasion’ that he signed on the first day in the White House. The order is aimed at curbing “the unprecedented flood of illegal immigration into the United States”.
According to Statistics Canada, 4.1 million Canadian residents arrived from trips abroad in December 2024. Of those, 2.1 million arrived from the United States by car, and 68.3% of those trips were taken within the same day.
Tariff war triggers new rule for Canadians?
Reports said the new requirement is rooted in existing immigration law which states that foreign nationals of 14 or older and not already registered with American authorities have to register and fingerprinted if they plan to be in the US for 30 days or longer, but these rules were never applied to Canadians entering the US via land borders.
It’s now that the administration is moving to implement these rules for Canadians as Trump is engaged in a bitter trade war with Canada. The tariff war is now paused as both sides decided to sit across the table to address the situation.
