Bird Talk Dear Bird Talk, We checked our travel history on the U.S. internet site and it shows that our latest trip was on Jan 11, 2025. So, we do not have to complete an I-94 when we drive down in October, correct? Since we are staying at our U.S. home for longer than 30 days, do we still have to fill out any other registration forms when we arrive at our destination? Kenneth Walker Fort Saskatchewan, AB Ed.: For all trips of 30 days or longer, you need to be registered with the U.S. Federal Government by either having a valid Form I-94 or filing the general registration form (G325-R) with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Therefore, request the I-94 when you cross the border and get a printed copy within the first 30 days of your visit, to keep with your passport. Alternatively, if you are not issued an I-94, file USCIS Form G325-R and keep a printed copy of your receipt with your passport. Dear Bird Talk, Good day. You mention when crossing the land border to ask the agent to submit a I-94 document. I was under the impression that this now was issued automatically? Gary Jardine Collingwood, ON Ed.: It is often issued automatically when you cross the land border into the United States. However, sometimes it is not. We recommend that you check your registration online within the first 30 days of your visit, so that you can print a copy and carry it with your passport. If your I-94 registration hasn’t been completed automatically, you can complete the G-325R registration with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). Dear Bird Talk, I just renewed my licence plates at Service Ontario, but my permit was not updated. It still says that my plates will expire next month. What proof can I give a Florida police officer that my licence plate has not expired. Yes, there is a licence plate expiry checker online, but it does not show the plate, registration and expiry date on one page for printing. I guess that I have to hope that the Florida police officer has internet and wants to check my registration before writing me up for an expired licence plate or, even worse, putting me in front of a judge. Arthur Crandell Thornhill, ON Ed.: Mr. Crandell’s followup: I asked a question about expiring licence plates. I have an answer from Service Ontario with a response. I set up an account and I could print the expiry date, along with my licence plate number. “If you require physical proof of renewal beyond the information provided through the licence plate checker, that reflects your licence plate number and the updated expiry date, you have a few options: Visit a Service Ontario Centre: You may request a replacement vehicle permit showing the updated expiry date. This is free if you bring your current permit. If the original permit is not presented, a replacement fee of $32 will apply. Create or log in to your My Ontario Account: From the home page of your account, you can view and print your licence plate information, including the plate number and expiry date. This printout can be attached to your vehicle permit as proof that your details are current.” Ed.: Thank you for this helpful information, Arthur. We also recommend removing the expired stickers from your licence plate to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. Dear Bird Talk, I have been reading about the new visa requirements that the U.S. has put in place where we will now have to pay $250. for a visitors’ visa. We spend five to six months in Arizona each year. Will this affect us? Marc Leclair Stanley Bridge, PE Ed.: The Visa Integrity Fee does not apply to Canadian citizens. If you have a Canadian passport, you are good to go. It applies to persons who are not citizens of countries designated under the United States Visa Waiver Program. Persons who are citizens of countries designated under the United States Visa Waiver Program may be permitted to enter the U.S. for visits of 90 days or fewer without applying for a non-immigrant visa and without paying the $250. fee. Dear Bird Talk, We are snowbirds who drive to Florida annually and stay for close to six months. We submitted our online registration forms on April 10. Confirmation of our registration was received more than four months later. The actual document that we are supposed to carry with us does not contain any expiration date. It just says that we have registered. We are now less than four months from our next planned trip south and the question is, do we need to resubmit a registration request for our amended dates, or was it a one-time process? Can the CSA get to the bottom of this, as Homeland Security was unable or unwilling to answer this question? Raymond Nichols Huntsville, ON Ed.: Repeat this process. Check online to see if an I-94 was issued after you cross the border. If an I-94 was not issued, file a new G325-R. You must do this for every visit to the United States that is 30 days or longer. 8 | www.snowbirds.org
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