Canadian snowbirds are starting to flock south for the winter — but many are getting quite the surprise when they reach the American border.
U.S. officials have confirmed that anyone entering the country for more than 30 days, via land, must agree to be photographed and fingerprinted.
The new regulations stem from U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that requires many foreign visitors staying a month or longer to register with the government.
How are snowbirds reacting to the new rules? Are any refusing to be fingerprinted, choosing instead to turn around at the border and head home? Do they really have any other option?
Stephen Fine, president of the company Snowbird Advisor, was a guest this week on Village Media's new Closer Look podcast. As you can imagine, he’s been inundated lately with the same questions from worried travellers.
He said it's too early to tell how many regular snowbirds might decide to stick close to home this winter.
“We are seeing some shift this year," Fine said. "We don't know if it's related specifically to the Administration or more to the policies that started coming into play last year in February with the tariff issues, the 51st state rhetoric, the new requirements to register if you're there for 30 days or more. We won't know until the end of this season what the actual effect is and how many snowbirds did or didn't go to the U.S. who previously went to the U.S."
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