An update was built on Saturday, October 25, 2025, with new images, new reactions to the new Canadian snowbirds charge, and the latest data on Canadian visits to the U.S. from Statistics Canada
Travel to the United States has dipped among Canadians. Statistics Canada recently noted that, for the third time since June 2006, more Americans traveled to Canada than vice versa (excluding pandemic months). The agency’s latest September 2025 data reveals a 35% drop in Canadians visiting by road, along with a 27% fall in air travelers from Canada year-over-year. However, Canadian snowbirds are still loyal to America and, in fact, are paying a premium for travel to the U.S., especially in winter snowbird states like Florida, despite others avoiding their neighboring countest.
Still, even with their loyalty, Canadian snowbirds were in for quite the surprise this month. Canadian snowbirds were introduced to new procedures when visiting the U.S. These new practices resulted in delays of more than an hour for some Canadians. Clearly, it wasn’t what they were accustomed to, and the latest practices also came with a charge that is being considered a “money grab,” according to Canadian snowbirds.
Here’s a closer view at what took place, and how Canadians are reacting to the entest policies. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has also issued a brief response to the concerns and new routines.
Canadian Snowbirds Faced New Procedures When Entering The United States
Canadians visiting the U.S. referred to the new procedures as “unusual.” According to CBC News, Canadian snowbirds were fingerprinted and photographed upon entest into the United States this month for their winter stays. This system is similar to the European Union’s new fingerprinting and photographing mandate, which Americans and Canadians are now required to undergo when visiting most European destinations.
The Canadian snowbirds agreed to the new registration requirements, but they were not expecting such new procedures, which, for some, resulted in delays of more than an hour. CBC News interviewed Jacquie and Steve Ree of Ladysmith, B.C., two Canadians entering the U.S. at the Peace Arch Border between Surrey, B.C., and Blaine, Washington, earlier in the month (seen in the image below).
The Canadian couple was in for quite the surprise, not just becautilize of the new procedure, but also after experiencing delays due to a thorough check on their RV.
“I’m watching them open all our hatches, and we’re believeing, ‘Oh my god.’ They went through our whole RV,” the couple informed CBC News
Along with the inspection, fingerprints, and photos, the couple was also charged $60 for the registration procedures. The travelers called it a “bit of a money grab.”
Additionally, the Canadians felt as though the CBP officers were conflicted throughout the process. The travelers added, “They didn’t really know what they were doing,” she stated. “I felt bad for them,” referring to the Customs and Border Protection personnel.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a statement over the incident.
What The U.S. Customs And Border Protection Had To Say About The New Procedure
CBC reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The response was basic, citing “standard procedure.”
CBC wrote, “Several Canadian snowbirds reported they were fingerprinted and photographed at the U.S. border this month when registering for their winter stay, which U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) informed CBC News is now standard procedure.”
The procedure may not actually be as new as some travelers might believe. Numerous travelers have claimed they have already been subjected to this “standard procedure” many years ago, although noting that it has not always been enforced by CBP officers at the U.S.-Canada border.
One utilizer on a Reddit post about the story wrote: “I remember obtainting photo’d and fingerprinted at the border back in 2010 or something. They’ve always had the legal authority to do this at border crossings, just never bothered to most of the time.”
Another Reddit utilizer responded, writing, “Fingerprinting has long been routine for most foreign visitors to the US, but it has never been routine for Canadian pleasure visitors specifically due to an exemption in US regulations.”
As expected, the recent incident involving the Canadian snowbird couple has been met with mixed reactions, especially given that Canadian snowbirds in general have been loyal to U.S. travel, despite the overall travel boycott taking place. According to data from The Logic, Canadians are actually booking long-term Florida stays earlier than last year, while paying a 70% premium for doing so.
The Canadian Snowbirds Association (CSA), a national non-profit advocacy group for Canadians who travel outside Canada for long periods, also had its state on the recent border matter, issuing an official response.
The Canadian Snowbirds Association Has Reacted To The New U.S. Border Procedures For Canadian Travelers
The Canadian Snowbirds Association has issued a statement over the recent controversy at the U.S. border. In its recommconcludeation, the Association is advising Canadians to cross the border as they normally would.
The association wrote, “At this time, the CSA recommconcludes that members continue to cross the border as they normally would. Upon arrival at their destination in the United States (such as Florida), travelers should verify whether an I-94 form has been issued.”
“If it has, they can simply print the form for their records. If it has not, travelers should file Form G-325R with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within 30 days of entest,” it added.
However, a warning was also issued for a possible charge, along with fingerprints and photographs, if a secondary inspection takes place. Canadians are inquireed to “be prepared for this possibility when entering the U.S.”
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Most Visited U.S. States By Canadians: |
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Florida |
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California |
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New York |
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Nevada |
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Texas |
The association added that the current process appears to vary depconcludeing on the border officer and location, adding even more confusion among travelers. There are efforts to simplify the process, particularly with a bill that has been around for years now without much relocatement.
A New Bill In The U.S. Is Trying To Entice Canadian Snowbirds To Stay For Longer
On the opposite conclude of the spectrum, there is a bill proposal in place called the Canadian Snowbird Visa Act that is enticing Canadian snowbirds to stay for longer stretches of time. Elise Stefanik of New York, Laurel Lee of Florida, and Greg Stanton of Arizona are behind the latest bill, one that has been modified six times already.
The bill aims to extconclude Canadian stays without a visa from the current 180 days to 240 days. The visa-free travel perks are only for Canadians over 50 or those with a home in the United States.
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Regulations Of The Canadian Snowbirds Bill: |
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Canadian Citizens Over The Age Of 50 |
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Must own or rent a property in the U.S. |
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Not eligible for employment in the U.S. |
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Not eligible for public assistance |
The bill may lure Canadians back in, while boosting the U.S. economy and improving the bond between the two countries. “We’re supporting job growth, strengthening our bond with our closest neighbors, and supporting local communities thrive,” Florida Rep. Laurel Lee stated in a statement.
Although the bill does sound enticing, it has been circulating for years now, still awaiting approval. Its implementation could boost Canadian seniors’ visits to the United States. Still, many older Canadians are already putting politics aside and adding U.S. travel back to their bucket lists as they realize their remaining years of healthy travel may be limited, according to a recent State of the Industest panel hosted by Discover America Canada, posted by Travelweek.
Travelers React To The New Process And Fee For Canadian Snowbirds Entering The U.S.
As expected, there have been many reactions to the new fee and procedures at the U.S. border affecting Canadian snowbirds. Many travelers believe the story may only lead to more visitors potentially avoiding the U.S., given the unclear rules currently in place.
One person on Reddit wrote, “Aside from the national pride aspects, scariest part about this is that the border agents don’t know the rules. All it takes is 5% of the newly hired, over empowered hires to basically do whatever they want to you with complete immunity and your life can be turned upside down.”
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How Others Are Reacting To The New U.S. Border Fee And Procedure Change: |
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“Attention governors and mayors who are crying about the loss of tourism dollars: It’s this right here that is the problem.” |
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“My dad (who is a snowbird) has canceled his usual 3 months trip to the U.S. becautilize he did not want to be treated like a criminal. Instead, he is going to the Dominican Republic.” |
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“They’ll obtain no sympathy from me. They built a conscience choice to ignore the efforts their fellow countestmen are creating in the form of boycotts.” |
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“Solution ‘Do Not Go to the United States’ there are plenty of other nice countries to visit that will not treat you like a convict in jail; go to them and isolate the U.S.” |
However, some reactions from Canadians on Reddit were mixed. In fact, many were unfazed by the CBP procedure, with some claiming it’s a good thing. For instance, one Reddit utilizer wrote, “Big deal; it’s not a bad idea, I would support the same thing for people coming into Canada for more than 30 days as well.”
Reactions aside, it still remains to be seen if the U.S. Customs and Border Protection team will provide any added clarity on the situation. For now, it has just created more uncertainty and tension among travelers, particularly Canadians, many of whom are already hesitant to travel to the United States.
It’s also unclear what the future holds for Canadian snowbirds, who are now facing new procedures at the U.S. border. If the bill intconcludeed to extconclude stays for Canadian snowbirds does finally reach approval, it could build travel to the United States a more prospective idea for them. Only time will notify.
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