The US tightens rules for Canadian visitors and requires registration for stays longer than 30 days.
The measure is based on an existing law, but one that has never been consistently applied, and comes into effect amid escalating tensions between the two countries.
247 - The United States has announced it will implement an immigration law requiring formal registration for Canadian citizens staying in the country for 30 days or more. According to the newspaper... The New York TimesThis requirement was already stipulated in American legislation, but it was never applied uniformly to visitors from Canada. According to the rule, foreign nationals aged 14 or older who have not been previously registered by US authorities must register and provide fingerprints before completing 30 days in the country.
The decision to implement the rule follows an executive order signed on the first day of President Donald Trump's term, which mandated the strict enforcement of immigration law. The order also warned that failure to comply would be treated as a "priority for civil and criminal enforcement."
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Citizenship and Immigration Services have not yet officially commented on the measure. However, a recent publication by USCIS, the agency responsible for processing immigration, stated that the U.S. government will provide instructions on how foreign nationals can comply with the new requirement.
The decision comes at a time of growing tension between the two countries. The Trump administration had already imposed tariffs of 25% on various Canadian imports, later backing down on some products. Furthermore, recently, tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum were doubled in retaliation for a measure by the Ontario government, which raised taxes on electricity exports to the US.
