Following a Trump administration crackdown on immigration, Canada is the latest country to update its travel advisory for the US. As of 11 April, Canadians staying in the US for a period of over 30 days will be required to register with the US government.
Over the past few days, many European nations – including Germany and the UK – have updated their travel advisory for the US for various reasons. Now, as tensions between Canada and the US rise, Canada too has updated its guidelines for those who are visiting the US.
“Canadians and other foreign nationals visiting the United States for periods longer than 30 days must be registered with the United States Government. Failure to comply with the registration requirement could result in penalties, fines, and misdemeanour prosecution,” Canada’s travel advice reads.
We have updated our travel advice for the #UnitedStates with information on new requirements for the registration of foreign nationals visiting for more than 30 days. More info: https://t.co/WBpz0RZ6SZ pic.twitter.com/AzW6A6MyjG
— Travel.gc.ca (@TravelGoC) March 21, 2025
The new guideline is the consequence of an Executive Order issued by President Trump on 20 January 2025. The order directs the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that aliens comply with their duty to register with the government under section 262 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
It requires that “with limited exceptions, all aliens 14 years of age or older who were not registered and fingerprinted (if required) when applying for a U.S. visa and who remain in the United States for 30 days or longer, must apply for registration and fingerprinting. Similarly, parents and legal guardians of aliens below the age of 14 must ensure that those aliens are registered.”
🚨 Canadian travellers! Be sure to check local laws and entry requirements that may affect your travel and safety by consulting our destination-specific advice: https://t.co/hELB7n093J
— Travel.gc.ca (@TravelGoC) March 21, 2025
And remember 24/7 emergency assistance is available: https://t.co/uCPSeYXmjH pic.twitter.com/ON132cFl99
Travellers encouraged to check personal situation
While Canada’s travel guidelines that most Canadians don’t have to provide fingerprints and while the existing rule has not been applied consistently for Canadians entering the US, Canada’s newest travel guidelines urge everyone to check whether or not they need to register with USCIS.
“You should consult the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website to determine if you need to register with USCIS and how to do so. You can verify if you have been automatically registered on entry to the US by looking up your I-94 admission form on the U.S. Customs Border Protection (CBP) website,” the advice continues.
Moreover, in a comment to media outlet Vancouver Is Awesome, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada encourages everyone to check the Travel advice and advisories for the latest information. People also have the possibility to sign up with the Registration of Canadian Abroad system to receive important updates.
