The Government of Canada has updated its travel advice, cautioning Canadians and other foreign nationals visiting the U.S. for over 30 days to register their trips with the U.S. government.
Global Affairs Canada updated the entry and exit section of the U.S. advisory on March 21, 2025, noting that "failure to comply with the registration requirement could result in penalties, fines, and misdemeanour prosecution."
Travellers are also advised to consult the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website to determine if they need to register with USCIS and how to do so.
Alternatively, they can verify if they were automatically registered upon entry to the U.S. by looking up their I-94 admission form on the U.S. Customs Border Protection (CBP) website.
A spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada told V.I.A. it issues travel advice and advisories (TAAs) about safety and security conditions abroad to help Canadians make informed decisions and travel safely while outside of Canada.
"Before travelling, we encourage Canadians to visit our Travel advice and advisories for the latest information, and to sign up with the Registration of Canadian Abroad system to receive important updates," the department spokesperson said.
Why has Canada updated its United States travel advisory?
The updated travel advice comes amid a wave of detentions at the U.S. border, including travellers arriving from across the globe.
In a high-profile case, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials detained Canadian Jasmine Mooney on March 3 for two weeks after she tried to enter the U.S. from Mexico. The department said she was detained because she did not have legal documentation to be in the country but she was kept in a cell holding 30 people with limited bathroom facilities.
Germany, Finland, Denmark, and the United Kingdom have also updated their U.S. travel advisories amid border detentions. Advisories note that visas to the U.S. will "not guarantee entry."
The Canadian advisory update also comes ahead of a new U.S. Alien Registration Requirement that comes into effect on April 11, which affects any non-citizens planning extended stays of a month or more.
President Donald Trump issued the Protecting the American People Against Invasion executive order on Jan. 20 to the Department of Homeland Security to ensure non-citizens register with the U.S. government prior to entering the country. The order notes that failure to comply is "treated as a civil and criminal enforcement priority."
What do some Canadians need to do before travelling to the U.S.?
The U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) requires all non-citizens 14 years of age and up to apply for registration and fingerprinting for stays over 30 days. Parents of children under 14 must also ensure the registration of youth.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) states on its requirements website that "Canadian visitors who entered the United States at land ports of entry and were not issued evidence of registration" are not registered.
To register, travellers must first create a USCIS online account. USCIS provides help to do this on its How to Create a USCIS Online Account page.
Registration not necessary for U.S. trips shorter than 30 days
Canadians do not need to register for trips to the U.S. under 30 days. However, they should monitor Canada's latest travel advice for any changes.
Global Affairs Canada advises travellers always to register trips they take online before they leave so that the Canadian government can contact them in an emergency, regardless of trip length. Additionally, registration allows the government to alert them about important changes or updates to the Travel Advice and Advisories for the country they are in.
Canadians can also follow Global Affairs Canada on X (formerly Twitter) @TravelGoC and @
With files from the Canadian Press.
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