Many Canadians who cross the U.S. land border this year have experienced new procedures at the crossing that weren’t common a few months ago.
Canadian visitors face queries about the 30-day registration rule, undergo secondary inspection, and may be photographed and fingerprinted before entry.
Travelers (especially RVing snowbirds) are asking what’s changed and what travelers can do to move through the border crossing faster.
Reported incidents
Several recently published reports describe Canadian travelers (frequently experienced “snowbirds” heading south in their RVs) who were directed to a secondary inspection at land ports of entry. Also, while registering for a stay of more than 30 days, some folks were photographed and fingerprinted.
In multiple accounts, couples reported that they were taken out of the primary lane, where the officer reviewed their entries and asked standard admissibility questions (work, alcohol, tobacco). Agents then took fingerprints and photographs.
Fingerprinting and photographs
The current activity can be traced to a re-energized, formal registration requirement and a broader push by U.S. agencies to collect biometric data at points of entry. [Biometric: Involving the automated recognition of individuals by means of unique physical characteristics, typically for the purposes of security.]
In March and April 2025, the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS (United States Citizen and Immigration Services) implemented an interim final rule (effective April 11, 2025). It revived and clarified an older statutory registration requirement. That requirement said foreign nationals who are in the U.S. for more than 30 days and who do not already have evidence of registration (for example, an electronic I-94) may need to register with USCIS.
It further states that visitors could be required to give biographic information and, where the statute or implementing guidance requires it, biometrics. The rule is implemented through a revised Form G-325R and related USCIS/CBP processes that you can read here.
Biometric collection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been expanding biometric capabilities for some time and states publicly that it uses fingerprint, facial imaging, and other biometric tools to verify identity as part of border processing.
Biometric collection at entry and certain land crossings may be part of that verification and the registration process. CBP’s public pages describe facial comparison and other biometric programs and explain that they are increasingly a routine tool used at many ports of entry.
What caused the delays?
The most common cause of delay in the recent reports was referral to secondary inspection. RVers were directed out of the primary lane for additional questioning or further processing.
Secondary inspection can take from a few minutes to hours, depending on workload, whether an officer needs to issue or check an electronic I-94, or whether biometric processing is required.
In one widely reported example, a couple said they waited about one-and-a-half hours before being told by a second officer they could not complete registration at the border in the way they expected. Other travelers described being taken aside while officers searched RV compartments. Reported delay times vary case by case.
The degree to which travelers were offered an alternative (for example, to register online after entry rather than be processed at the booth) seems to have varied by officer and port. Some travelers say they were told the on-the-spot process was the only option. Legal and immigration analysts note that the officer on duty is allowed some discretion.
Fees and I-94
Historically, Canadian air arrivals are generally issued an electronic I-94 automatically, while many land arrivals have not been.
Travelers who need an I-94 for a stay longer than 30 days can either request one at the port of entry or apply in advance via the official I-94/CBP online process.
Historically, the provisional online I-94 fee was $6. More recent fee changes took effect in late 2025 that raised the land-port I-94 application fee. The new total commonly reported is $30 per person.
Check the official I-94 and CBP pages for the exact current fee before you travel.
Exemptions
Many Canadians entering by air who receive an electronic I-94 are not required to take additional action.
NEXUS cardholders and others who have already provided biometrics to trusted traveler programs typically have those biometrics on file and are handled differently in practice.
Practical suggestions for Canadian snowbirds
Check whether an electronic I-94 was issued for your most recent entry. If one exists, you likely don’t need to register again. Print or save a copy to carry with you.
If you plan to stay 30 days or more and do not have an I-94, consider applying for a provisional I-94 online within seven days of arrival (or before you cross, when available). Use the official I-94 site or the CBP One app. This can avoid being processed at the booth and may reduce the chance of secondary inspection.
Keep passports, proof of Canadian ties (property, bank statements, return vehicle registration), and evidence of your planned departure at hand.
Enroll in trusted traveler programs like NEXUS if you qualify. NEXUS members have already provided biometrics and generally experience faster processing.
Be prepared for the possibility of additional inspection time at busy land ports and factor that into travel plans.
If you are stopped for additional processing, stay calm, cooperate with identity checks, record details of the encounter, and follow up with an immigration or border-related advocacy group if you need further help.
If you believe you were incorrectly required to register or were treated inconsistently, document the time, port, officer badge (if provided), and consider contacting the Canadian Snowbird Association or an immigration attorney, or filing a CBP complaint to seek clarification.
For our northern friends: How would you describe your most recent border crossing into the U.S.? Or have you postponed coming south until things settle down? Tell us using the comments below.
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RVT1232b
Experienced the 45 minute delay going into Canada at the Blaine, WA crossing two weeks ago. Too include the secondary search. Full of stupid questions. The biggest delay being the lack of personnel. Oh well. A tit for a tat.
Interesting there is no mention of the reason for this renewed scrutiny of travelers (guests) into the U.S.. As I recall, under the former US, and Canadian administrations, there was an open door/open border policy in place. Neither country had or has any idea of who or how many border crossings there were. Pres. Trump requested the CN gov’t (Trudeau) to reduce the number & qualify entrants. Several incidents of illegal CN/US border crossing apprehensions were made. Unfortunately one family froze to death attempting illegal entry to the US. The current enforcement of a formerly enforced law is a renewed effort to determine who is in our country. Certainly not unreasonable IMO!
We crossed the border end of September 2025 for our 4 month stay.
It was really unclear online if we needed an I-94 or not as we also have Nexus. We filed on online within a few days before our departure.
At the border, even though we used the nexus lane, when we showed the I-94 printed sheet we needed to go inside for photos and fingerprints.
Inside the Border Guard was very annoyed at the mis-information.
He told us, because we are Canadian citizens we should not have filed an I-94 but because we had he then had to follow through with fingerprints, photo and RV inspection. As well our dog needed an CDC dog import online form submitted. ( New since August?) Everything took an hour.
Very happy to see increased security at border crossings and the end of a policy of open borders.
do you have any friends? because this isn’t how you treat them
Both the U.S. and Canada have flag acts. It is illegal to fly a foreign flag higher than the flag of the country that you are in. Of note in the top photo (obviously computer generated), we don’t have Saguaro cactus in Canada, so this flag must be flown at least 1 inch lower than a required U.S. flag. It is all about respect.
Hi, Impavid. I’m sure that computer-generated illustration was only to reference Canadian snowbirds (remember them?😉) down south where there are Saguaro cactus, and was not intended to be politically correct. But thanks for the info.👍 (I remember learning all about flag protocol when I was in Girl Scouts 65+ years ago!) Have a great day! 😀 –Diane
To the best of my knowledge and a Google search, there is nothing in the flag act (US or Canada) which requires the host countries flag to be flown with another countries flag. IF both are flown, then protocol dictates that the host countries is required to be flown higher.
So, there is nothing wrong with the picture at the top of this article.
If anyone can quote a paragraph in the flag act that disputes this, please do so.
I think it may be implied in as much as no one ever thought that one would fly a flag of another country in a different country than that flag represented, without the flag of the host country present. Just a guess.
Many countries use biometric screening for passports, including the United States, all member states of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and Canada
So I take it that this is not just discrimination against Canadians by the US as indicated by this article. Come on enough of the one sided articles.
I don’t believe “discrimination against Canadians” was implied, Kev.
In the article I stated, “CBP’s public pages describe facial comparison and other biometric programs and explain that they are increasingly a routine tool used at many ports of entry.” That wording was meant to show that these programs are common–and not used to discriminate against anyone. I only recorded the facts of the story, without editorializing. Hope this clears up any misunderstanding.