Canadians planning to travel to the U.S. for more than 30 days will no longer have to be fingerprinted, after a change to an upcoming policy.
On Feb. 25, a new policy was announced that would make it mandatory for all foreign nationals, including Canadians, to register in order to be in the U.S. for longer term stays. The Alien Registration Requirement, as it is called, at first stated that all foreign nationals would also have to be fingerprinted when it was posted online by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
However, on Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published an interim final rule that said for Canadian nonimmigrants the fingerprint requirement was waived. “The U.S. government uses the term nonimmigrant to refer to foreign nationals who are admitted to the United States temporarily for a specific purpose,” per DHS.
Immigration lawyer Rosanna Berardi told the National Post in an emailed statement that Canadians should be aware that the new rule “only applies to visitors who enter the United States by car and remain in the U.S. for more than 30 days.”
Travellers who enter the U.S. by air are automatically issued a form (I-94 or I-94W) that qualifies them as “already registered.”
“The new rule requires registered Canadians to carry proof of registration at all times,” said Berardi.
The policy will go into effect on April 11.
USCIS also revealed more information about the registration process on the Alien Registration Requirement webpage. In order to register, a USCIS account must be created and a new form, G-325R, established by the agency must be submitted.
“If you are not required to appear for a biometric services appointment (for example, Canadian visitors and aliens under 14 years of age), USCIS will provide you with evidence of registration,” the USCIS webpage explains.
The proof of registration will be available for download and can be printed.
The USCIS says that “any alien who willfully fails or refuses to apply to register or be fingerprinted (if required)” will be guilty of a misdemeanour and if convicted, could be fined up to $5,000 or be imprisoned for up to 6 months, or both.
The new policy comes amid a trade war between Canada and the United States, prompted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs imposed on Canadian goods. On Jan. 20, an executive order, called Protecting the American People Against Invasion, was put in place by Trump in an effort to enforce immigration laws and to stop “millions of illegal aliens” from entering the U.S.
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