Buffalo, NY-From Friday, Canadians aged at least 14, cross the border on the ground or by car and stay in the United States for 30 days or more must register with the United States immigration and citizenship services.
“I don’t think it’s terribly forced. I tried it myself. It’s free,” said Rosanna Berardi, director of the Berardi immigration law.
The lawyer said that the rules are retroactive, but that you register and fill out the form only takes 10 minutes. Canadians must then transport recording evidence.
“If you look online, each year there are up to a million snowbirds in the United States. Many people have property,” said Berardi. “They go to the same place every year. It is therefore a new requirement but overall, quite easy to respect. ”
However, a group of democratic members of the Congress of States which are based on Canadian travel and tourism are concerned, in addition to prices and other federal policies, this will discourage cross -border travel more. Directed by the Buffalo Congress Member Tim Kennedy, they wrote a letter to the heads of the Immigration and Internal Security Services requesting clarification on the rules.
“Because our economy is so closely linked to the inhabitants of Canada in my district and across the country, is struck in their wallet,” said Kennedy.
Berardi said that she already knew the answers to many questions from the congress. She thinks that the law is clear, these Canadian travelers will not need fingerprints like other foreign nationals.
She said that if travelers are already registered with pre-elimination programs, this should satisfy the new rule and that registration should not maintain traffic on the border.
“Customs and border protection, at least locally in Buffalo, have indicated to us, as a community of immigration practitioners, that individuals are responsible for it once they arrive here,” said Berardi. “They go online. They fill it. If they present themselves on the border and say that they do not want to register, they do not do this because it saves traffic forever. ”
The lawyer believes that the new rules will mainly affect snowbirds looking for warmer time, because people who have goods in the west of New York tend to go back and forth.
“It must have 30 consecutive days. So if they enter and go out every weekend, as usual, but I think it will have a more impact on states like Florida and Arizona than west of New York,” she said.
Penalties represent a fine of $ 5,000 and six months in prison, which is why members of Congress and Berardi said that education, conscience and awareness is important.