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Windsor “snowbirds” are voicing frustration over a new U.S. travel policy that could require them to register with American immigration authorities if they stay south of the border longer than 30 days.
“If there was not already a deterrent to not visit the United States, there is now,” said Mark McCondach, a retiree who has spent the past three winters in Savannah, Georgia. “It’s frustrating and does nothing but sow confusion.”
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The new policy stems from U.S. President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order and is expected to take effect on April 11.
Under the “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” order, all visitors aged 14 and older — including Canadians — who were not issued an electronic I-94 admission record upon entry will be required to register with the U.S. government if they stay across the border for 30 days or longer.
Canadians travelling to the U.S. by air are automatically issued an admission record and are considered registered. However, those entering through a land port-of-entry — such as the Ambassador Bridge or Windsor-Detroit Tunnel —may not receive this form and will need to register with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The policy comes amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Canada, including on-again, off-again tariffs on Canadian goods and Trump’s repeated remarks about making Canada the 51st state.
Unnerved by the political uncertainty, McCondach said he decided to cut his trip short this year.
“This is the first time we’ve cut our stay short and the first time that we’ve not reserved for the next year,” he told the Star. “We sort of soured on the place this year because of all the political rhetoric.
“It’s deeply offensive and personal.”
Asked about his experience as a Canadian snowbird in the U.S., McCondach called it “bizarre,” noting most locals were “largely unaware” of the rising tensions between both countries.
“It’s like their sleepwalking through all this stuff that’s affecting them,” he said. “How we’re feeling is not reflected in how the people that are living around us are feeling.”
Drew Porter, a Windsor immigration lawyer licensed in Ontario and Michigan, said the policy change could become a burden for Windsor-Essex residents who prefer to spend their winters south of the border. But “there’s nothing in place” currently, he said, so it’s not yet a major concern.
“It’s frustrating and it is disconcerting, but this is being played out right now,” Porter said. “I don’t see any proactive action that can be taken in light of an impending requirement.”
According to the Canadian Snowbird Association, a national non-profit organization representing over 100,000 members, Canadian snowbirds will need to print their I-94 and carry it with them as proof of registration and legal entry into the U.S.
The association encourages snowbirds to check to see if they were issued a form, which can be done by visiting the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.
As for McCondach, he has no plans to return to the U.S. anytime soon.
“The relationship has been so severed,” McCondach said. “I certainly wouldn’t think about going back in the United States until there was a regime change and Trump is out of office.
“I can’t control policy, I can’t control rhetoric, but what I can control is where and how I spend my money.”
— With files from The National Post
mholmeshill@postmedia.com
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