Canadian snowbirds caught up in new registration requirements

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An estimated one million Canadian “snowbirds” – seniors and retirees who winter in southern states such as Florida and Arizona – inject billions in tourism spending during their months-long stays in the United States. But under an executive order from President Donald Trump, these visitors will soon have to register to travel south of the border, as part of an effort to curb illegal immigration.

Mr. Trump’s order, called Protecting the American People Against Invasion, is believed to be the first time in history that the United States has included Canadians in a crackdown on undocumented migrants. Immigration lawyers in the U.S. said the order targets the wrong people and will further hurt the disintegrating Canada-U.S. relationship.

“Our immigration house is on fire, and we’re worried about the curtains,” said Rosanna Berardi, an immigration lawyer in Buffalo. “This is just stupid. This is picking on people that are coming as snowbirds. They own property here. They pay taxes. They are higher-level income earners. They spend a lot of money in the U.S. They are not part of the immigration problem.”

The order, issued by Mr. Trump the evening he took office, has received little attention amid the chaotic first weeks of a presidency dominated by tariff threats and orders that have isolated the U.S. from its allies. It requires all “aliens” 14 years or older staying for more than 30 days in the U.S. to be registered and potentially fingerprinted, unless otherwise exempted.

Canada has no similar requirement for Americans visiting the country for longer-term stays. Officials from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada could not immediately be reached for comment.

Although the details of the new rule are still being worked out, immigration consultants say that Canadians who arrive by air should already be considered registered because they receive what’s called an I-94 form. But many thousands of Canadians who cross into the U.S. by land typically don’t get those forms, and should expect they’ll need to register, Ms. Berardi said.

She’s worried that some snowbirds who aren’t aware of the rule change or have trouble registering online may wind up with a fine, or in legal trouble, once enforcement begins. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services portal to be used for registration is not yet active.

“Of all the things to fix, why are we doing this? This is silly. Canadians have a bad taste in their mouth already about the U.S. and some unprecedented things that have happened in the last six weeks or so,” she said. “Normally, there would be an exemption carved out for Canadians. But this applies to everybody in the world, which is not something that Canadians are used to. I’ve never seen this before.”

White House spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment. Mr. Trump’s order directs the Department of Homeland Security to “ensure that aliens comply with their duty to register with the government” and ensure that failure to comply is treated as a “civil and criminal enforcement priority.”

Canadian tourism injected about US$20-billion into the U.S. economy last year, according to the U.S. Travel Association. In Florida alone, Canadian travellers contributed an estimated US$6.5-billion to the state’s economy. The tourism group warned that even a 10-per-cent reduction in Canadian travellers could mean two million fewer visits and 14,000 job losses.

Already, a weak loonie and high insurance costs are fuelling an exodus of Canadian homeowners from the Sunshine State. Canadians made up nearly one-quarter of foreign sellers in Florida between April, 2023, and March, 2024, compared with 11 per cent a year earlier, according to the National Realtors Association. It’s estimated that roughly half of Canadian snowbirds own real estate in the U.S., according to Snowbird Advisor.

Evan Rachkovsky, spokesperson for the Canadian Snowbird Association, said the true impact of Mr. Trump’s order won’t be known until late in the fall, when Canadians typically begin moving south again. But considering this and other factors, including a poor exchange rate, inflation, rising insurance costs and a growing U.S. boycott movement, he expects more Canadians to choose to travel outside the U.S. in 2026.

“This is a requirement that should be rescinded immediately. You’re sending the wrong message with these policies and this rhetoric,” he said. “The whole point of the executive order is to get illegal migrants to register. Yet Canadians are being lumped in, so we see it as just another headwind in an already very difficult environment for Canadian snowbirds.”