As of April 11, 2025, visitors aged 14 and over will be required to register with the U.S. federal government if they are staying in the U.S. for 30 days or more and have not obtained an electronic I-94 form.
As a general rule, Canadians arriving by air automatically receive this form, which means they are already registered. On the other hand, those entering by land may not obtain an electronic I-94 form, and will have to register with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) by submitting form G-325R.
IMPORTANT: many Canadian readers are asking: if they arrived in Florida in January 2025, for example, and plan to return to Canada on April 20, 2025 – i.e. less than 30 days from April 11 – are they required to register? Philippe Maisonneuve, administrative coordinator for the Exeo team of immigration lawyers, replied to the Florida Sun: « The 30-day period begins upon arrival in the U.S., not when the decree is applied on April 11. So, if your readers have been in the U.S. for more than 30 days on April 11, they must be properly registered and have their proof of registration with them at all times. »
Do you have Form I-94?
To check if you have Form I-94, simply visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/home and select the « Get Most Recent I-94 » option. After accepting the terms of use and providing your travel information (first and last name, date of birth, country of citizenship and passport number), if your most recent I-94 appears on the screen, no further action is required. The presence of the electronic I-94 form confirms that you are already registered with the U.S. federal government.
Canadian snowbirds should print out their latest I-94 and keep it with them as proof of registration and legal entry into the USA.
If the answer is « no », complete a G-325R form.
If no electronic I-94 form was generated when you last entered, you’ll need to submit Form G-325R to USCIS. Here are the steps to follow:
First, create a USCIS account by visiting https://my.uscis.gov. – We invite you to click directly on the Create an Account tab and consult the guide https://www.uscis.gov/file-online/how-to-create-a-uscis-online-account for detailed instructions on creating an account.
Once your USCIS account has been created, you will be able to complete the G-325R, Biographic Information (Registration) form online, providing the following information: full legal name, date and place of birth, date and place of entry into the U.S., current address, contact information and immigration status, as well as criminal record, if applicable. Form G-325R can only be submitted online.
Once you have registered, USCIS will generate a confirmation (USCIS Proof of G-325R Registration) which will be accessible in your online account. You can download this certificate in PDF format and print it out.
According to ABC News and the Canadian Snowbird Association, Canadian citizens are not required to provide fingerprints (biometric data), but they must print and keep a copy of their proof of G-325R registration with them as proof of registration.
And according to Richards Immigration Law, the NEXUS program is designed to speed border crossings, but it does not replace the legal obligation to register for immigration purposes. So it’s necessary to register too.
History of the I-94 form
The origins of Form I-94 can be traced back to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1952, which established the obligation for foreign nationals to be inspected upon arrival on U.S. soil.
Initially, Form I-94 was a paper document issued to non-immigrant travelers by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents upon arrival in the United States. This document contained information such as the traveler’s name, date and place of entry, authorized length of stay, and so on. The form had to be retained by the traveler and then handed over to the U.S. authorities upon departure to officially register the traveler’s exit from the country.
Over the years, the process has undergone technological advances, and it was in April 2013 that CBP launched an electronic system for the I-94 form, phasing out the use of the paper document for arrivals by air and sea.
However, travelers entering by land do not automatically receive an electronic Form I-94 and must apply for one if they need official proof of their entry into the United States.
Recently, with the implementation of the January 20, 2025 Presidential Executive Order, visitors aged 14 and over staying in the U.S. for more than 30 days and who have not been issued an I-94 form must now register with the U.S. authorities. The executive order directs the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that foreign nationals comply with their legal obligation to register with the government, in accordance with section 262 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (8 U.S.C. 1302). A White House statement issued on January 20 explains that individuals who violate immigration laws are subject to civil and criminal penalties, such as fines and prosecution.
On the Canadian side
Global Affairs Canada is closely monitoring recent directives issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which require foreign nationals aged 14 and over to register if they are staying in the U.S. for 30 days or more.
As a reminder, the Government of Canada publishes travel advisories and recommendations on entry requirements for destinations on Travel Reports and Warnings – Voyage.gc.ca – as well as on the X (formerly Twitter) accounts: @TravelGoC, @VoyageGdC and on Facebook accounts : Travel.gc.ca and Voyage.gc.ca.
The Canadian Snowbird Association, an organization that seeks to defend and enhance the rights and privileges of Canadian travelers, states on its website that it is actively working with government authorities to rescind this requirement for Canadian citizens. For the time being, the new requirement must be applied as of April 11, and the process is simple to follow and comply with. Canadians will also soon need an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) for short-term stays in the European Union and the UK.
