Thanks to our loyal and engaged readers, we have received numerous testimonials from Canadian snowbirds who crossed the land border into the United States for a stay of 30 days or more in Florida. Some things seem to have changed since last spring or summer, others are gradually becoming clearer, and others are even more unpredictable, depending on the case! This is what our readers’ testimonials have revealed to us.
Crossing customs: easy or difficult?
So far, fairly easy, but depending on the case, sometimes a little difficult. It’s rather confusing, even bewildering… because the information provided confuses people, and even customs officers! This is what comes up most often in the testimonials that our readers have kindly shared with us.
Testimonials
To preserve the anonymity of our readers, we only indicate their first names.
In mid-October, Jacqueline told us that crossing the land border took only two minutes. She and her husband had pre-registered online for the I-94 form, and the customs officer did not take their fingerprints. He simply asked them where they were going and for how long.
It was a different story for Nicole’s friends, who told us in early October that they had to get out of their vehicle and have their fingerprints taken, in addition to filling out forms on the spot, which took them about 20 minutes. Luckily, there was no line, they had pre-registered seven days or less before, and they had already paid the fee, now $30.
Johanne and her partner, who had paid for the I-94 three days before their departure for the US for 30 days or more, had also taken the trouble to call the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency before leaving to find out what to do when they went through customs. The answer? “Nothing special, just go through as usual.” That’s what they did, but once they arrived at their destination in the US, Johanne tried several times to print their I-94 forms, and each time, the government website said, “No record found for traveler.” After several calls, they finally managed to get confirmation from a customs officer that they were indeed registered, but they never had online access to their I-94 forms.
Gilles told us that if you have a Nexus card and the U.S. customs officer used it when you last entered the United States (instead of your passport), you can enter your Nexus card number in the “Document Number” field when you fill out the form to retrieve your last I-94. This was Gilles’ experience last spring.
Reminders for stays of 30 days or more
• Arrival by air: The I-94 is issued automatically.
• Crossing by land: it is recommended that you register for the provisional I-94 seven days or less before crossing the border, at a cost of US$30. If the I-94 is not issued to you, you will need to complete form G-325R after crossing the border.
• The process must be repeated for each stay of 30 days or more in the US.
• Even though it is clearly stated on the website of the US Embassy and Consulates in Canada that Canadians do not have to provide their fingerprints, if the customs officer requires fingerprinting, you must follow the instructions and not argue.
Conclusion
Some readers who have contacted us believe that this decree is a way to trap tourists or lawyers, but that is not the case; it is the law.
We hope this information will be useful for your next long-term stay in Florida, because it is crucial to respect the law in order to travel in full compliance, whether you “like it or not.” But one thing is certain: we like you!
Above all, keep writing to us. Even if we don’t always have time to respond to you personally, it’s a real pleasure to read your messages, and your feedback is very useful.
