Canada Cautions Citizens About Potential New U.S. Border Fines and Charges

Canadian travelers planning extended stays in the United States are facing renewed scrutiny at the border as U.S. authorities intensify enforcement of the federal “alien registration” framework—an older legal requirement that is now being operationalized more visibly in day-to-day travel.

At the center of the concern is a practical threshold: foreign nationals who remain in the United States for 30 days or longer may need to ensure they are “registered” and can show evidence of it. Canada’s federal travel advisory now flags the issue explicitly, warning that failure to comply “could result in penalties, fines, and misdemeanor prosecution.”

While the registration obligation is not Canada-specific, U.S. rulemaking and recent enforcement messaging have drawn attention because many Canadian visitors entering by land are not routinely issued a Form I-94, which U.S. regulations treat as a key piece of “evidence of registration.”

What is being enforced and why it matters now

In March 2025, the Department of Homeland Security published an interim final rule in the Federal Register that formalized a modernized registration mechanism—including Form G-325R and a downloadable “Proof of Alien Registration” document—as part of implementing Executive Order 14159.

The Associated Press reported that the Trump administration framed the policy as enforcing a requirement that already exists for noncitizens, and that DHS signaled it would pursue compliance “to the fullest.” In the same reporting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, “We must know who is in our country for the safety and security of our homeland.”

Although much of the legal debate has focused on undocumented immigrants, both the Federal Register rule and news reporting note spillover to certain Canadian travelers—especially those entering through land ports of entry and staying beyond a short visit.

Who is most affected: long stays, land crossings, and snowbirds

For most Canadians, entry remains visa-exempt for typical tourism and short business visits, and Canada continues to note that Canadian visitors can usually stay up to six months without a visa—provided they declare their intended duration and satisfy border officers that they are temporary visitors.

The friction arises when a trip becomes longer and documentation practices diverge by mode of entry:

• Air and sea…