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 am not a CSA member (yet), but I receive four news supplements yearly because I am a Medipac member. Having been a snowbird for 21 years and knowing how wonderful winters in Florida (away from the cold) can be, I feel I must comment on the editor’s frank and honest voice regarding the propaganda affecting Canadians’ decision to stay home. My advice to those people is, swallow your pride and don’t read or listen to that unfair criticism. My wife and I will become Canadian Snowbird Association members forthwith. Thank you, Mr. Quigley, for helping us make that decision. John Moxey Ayr, ON Ed.: It’s hard to tune out the noise sometimes. Welcome aboard! Dear Bird Talk, Last year when we drove to Florida, we were not issued a Form I-94. We completed the Form G325-R once we arrived at our destination. My question is as follows: If we leave for a cruise (or two), do we need to complete another Form G325-R each time we enter the U.S. if our stay will be longer than 30 days? We were sent to secondary screening BEFORE we were allowed to board the ship when the person checking us in learned that we were staying for longer than 30 days after the cruise. We were also not issued a Form I-94 when we went through customs when we returned. Anita Simpson Kitchener, ON Ed.: The answer is yes! You need to confirm that a Form I-94 has been issued and, if not, you must complete the G325-R form each time you intend to remain in the United States for 30 days or longer. Dear Bird Talk, I obtained my first G-325R Certificate (Proof of Registration) in March 2025. When I returned to the states in November 2025 for my next five-month stay, I applied for a new certificate. After making my submission, I received a Courtesy Notice stating that “you have already complied with your duty to register ...”. As such, I was not issued another certificate for my second stay in the U.S. in excess of 30 days. In the event that I was asked for a certificate for my second five-month stay, I carried the original March 2025 certificate and copy of the Courtesy Notice saying that I was compliant. Should Canadians expect to be issued a new certificate for each new declaration or just for the first time (after setting up an account with the USCIS) and then subsequently just receive Courtesy Notices that they are compliant? I don’t want to risk an ICE detention. Cameron Dickie Tecumseh, ON Ed.: It remains a best practice for Canadians to complete a new G-325R registration submission for each trip to the United States that will be 30 days or longer. However, it is becoming increasingly common for individuals who have previously registered to receive a Courtesy Notice confirming that they have already complied with the registration requirement, rather than being issued a new Certificate of Registration. For this reason, travellers should retain their original Certificate of Registration and carry it with them during future stays in the United States, along with copies of any subsequent Courtesy Notices they receive. Having both documents available can help demonstrate compliance, should questions arise during your stay. Dear Bird Talk, My husband and I were in Florida from mid-January to mid-April this year. We drove down and crossed through the Ambassador Bridge land border. I was quite nervous about crossing the border, despite the fact that we were not hiding anything or breaking any laws. Fortunately, we were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a lovely border security agent who sent us on our way after a short bit of friendly banter. We were not automatically issued Form I-94s, but didn’t realize that we were supposed to fill out Form G-325R. We returned to Canada without any issues, but now I’m wondering if we might have difficulty crossing into the U.S. next winter due to not having completed a G-325R? Should we be completing this form now? If the mid-terms result in changes, is it possible that we will no longer need to worry about these forms? Thank you, Tammy Morrell-Belai Tiny, ON Ed.: Based on the information you provided, there is currently no indication that not submitting a G-325R during your January-April stay would automatically create difficulties for future travel to the United States. Since your trip has already concluded and you have returned to Canada without issue, there is no clear guidance suggesting that a retroactive registration submission is required. The Canadian Snowbird Association is actively lobbying for the elimination of this requirement for Canadian travellers and continues to raise concerns with U.S. lawmakers and officials about the impact which these measures have on Canadian snowbirds. CSANews | SUMMER 2026 | 9
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