Bird Talk Featuring the letters & concerns of our members SEND YOUR LETTERS TO Bird Talk, c/o CSANews 180 Lesmill Road Toronto, Ontario M3B 2T5 Online at www.snowbirds.org/bird-talk or by e-mail: csawriteus@snowbirds.org Bird Talk Dear Bird Talk, I read the article in Issue 133 by your editor, Ross Quigley, with both horror and surprise. Horror about the experience which Ross and his family are going through with the virtually complete loss of their cars and property in Florida. Surprise regarding the statement...“Apparently, flood insurance does not cover anything on the main floor.” While Ross goes on to laud the car insurance coverage from Hagerty and Chubb and to call them out, there is no mention of which company provided the [apparently useless] flood insurance. I am guessing that there may be future litigation reasons for not mentioning them – or some other reason – but it certainly begs the question of why the flood insurance company was not similarly called out. Making a throwaway statement that flood insurance does not cover the main floor seems a bit irresponsible. I, for one, called my insurance broker who was quite surprised to hear this and was very curious as to the details. I think that your readers deserve a more fulsome explanation. Paul Casey Washago, ON Ed.: When the claims adjuster came to the property to assess the damage, he asked three very simple and direct questions. Do you have a washer and dryer on the first floor? Do you have a chest freezer on the first floor? Do you have a working air conditioner properly installed in a window on the first floor? Because that is all that is covered by flood insurance on the first floor! We pointed out the upright refrigerator. Not a chest freezer; not covered. The laundry equipment was on the second floor unharmed. And the house has central air conditioning. It was also pointed out that there was no coverage for drywall removal or replacement or for painting on the first floor. This all falls under “read your policy carefully.” Everything on the second and third floors was covered for flood, but the water never got that high and it is hard to imagine that it ever would. The insurance company’s name is irrelevant, it is the policy wording that matters. Dear Bird Talk, We just read that the U.S. has started (or reinvigorated) a requirement effective February 25, 2025 for aliens to register if they are currently in the U.S. or intending to enter the U.S. for more than 30 days. They state that an online account should be created so that when the registration form/ process is implemented, it will be easier to meet the new/renewed law. What does the CSA know about this? Ronald Wilson Kelowna, BC Ed.: Canadian snowbirds spending 30 days or longer in the United States should visit i94.cbp.dhs.gov to see if they have been issued an electronic Form I-94 (an arrival/departure admission record) for their latest entry. If an I-94 was issued for your latest trip, you are not required to register with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). If an I-94 was not issued for your latest trip, you will need to file Form G-325R with USCIS. Instructions and further information can be found under the Snowbird Alert on page 8. Dear Bird Talk, We live near the U.S. border and usually fly from Buffalo. This means that we cross the land border and were not issued an I-94. Does it make sense to apply online in advance for an I-94, instead of submitting form G-325R? Elena Bistritskaia St. Catharines, ON Ed.: Canadian snowbirds entering the United States at a land port of entry may be issued an electronic Form I-94 automatically, or they may not. You can apply in advance for a provisional I-94 for a fee of US$6.00 within seven days of your arrival at i94.cbp.dhs.gov. You can ask the Customs and Border Protection officer to issue a Form I-94 when you cross the border and ask for permission to visit the United States for 30 days or longer. Once you are already in the United States, if an I-94 was not issued, you can complete Form G-325R with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for free within 30 days of your arrival to comply with the registration requirement. Canadian citizens do not need to provide fingerprints. They are exempt from the biometric collection requirement of INA 262. CSANews | SPRING 2025 | 7
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