Preparing for a new reality of Canadian travel to the U.S.

by Carolyn Ray

Along with other countries around the world, Canadians are facing a new reality when travelling to the U.S. On April 4, a Canadian travel advisory advised travellers to “expect scrutiny” at the U.S. border, including smartphone searches. On April 11, a new registration rule for visitors to the U.S. was announced, prompting concern among many Canadians, including snowbirds. One can only wonder ‘what’s next’? 

Jenn Houtby-Ferguson, a tourism and hospitality professor at Vancouver Island University and the Justice Institute of British Columbia, recommends that Canadians pay close attention to travel warnings from the Government of Canada (Global Affairs Canada) if they are planning to leave the country.

“In recent weeks, travel warnings have been updated for Canadians/permanent residents as it relates to additional scrutiny at the U.S. border, and registration if you intend to stay in the U.S. for more than 30 days,” Houtby-Ferguson says. Houtby-Ferguson advises women to make sure you have an I-94 form, an arrival-departure record form that indicates how long Canadians can stay in the U.S and shows the “date of entry and exit” from the U.S.

“When you fly this is automatic, however when you register in person at a land crossing, you will be handed an I-94 Arrival/Departure Record,” she says. “If you fly, you will need to login to Customs and Border Patrol to locate your I-94 record. This registration process is new and failure to do so could result in detainment or deportation.”

The new requirement that Canadians visiting the country for more than 30 days must register with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is a result of an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on January 20 requiring “all aliens 14 years of age or older” who remain in the United States for 30 days or longer to be registered, and to carry that proof with them. According to CBC, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says that the number of people overall who stand to be affected by the rule, not just Canadians, could be between 2.2 million and 3.2 million.

The age of 14 to carry travel documents is different from the age air carriers require a government-issued photo ID to board an aircraft, which is age 16. This is particularly important for youth travelling to the U.S. without a parent say to a sport tournament and/or school outing.

Many Canadian women are choosing not to go to the US

According to the U.S. Travel Association (USTA), Canadians are the largest group of foreign visitors to the U.S. annually and accounted for $20.5 billion in spending last year alone. The USTA estimates that even a 10 per cent reduction in Canadian tourism to the U.S. would spell a $2.1 billion drop in spending and a loss of 14,000 American jobs.

More people are losing interest in traveling to the U.S. due to the Trump administration’s policies and tariffs. Canadian women are choosing other destinations, due to concerns about their personal safety and to show our opposition to the trade tariff and the derogatory ‘51st state’ comments made by the current administration. That impact is being felt. Recent reports show that Canadian travel to the US is down 70% from a year ago, and  Statistics Canada data shows that return trips from the United States by car fell in March by more than 30 per cent, compared to 2024.

Six tips for safe travel to the U.S.

Houtby-Ferguson recommends six things that Canadians can do to safely travel to the U.S.

1. Fly from a Canadian destination with U.S. pre-clearance

When choosing your route, try to fly from a Canadian destination with U.S. pre-clearance, Houtby-Ferguson recommends. Pre-clearance refers to an arrangement between two countries that allows customs and immigration officials from the country of destination to be located in the country of origin in order to clear or deny the admission of travellers or goods to the destination country.

Airports with pre-clearance include:

• Calgary International Airport
• Edmonton International Airport
• Stanfield International Airport (Halifax)
• Trudeau International Airport (Montréal)
• Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (Ottawa)
• Pearson International Airport (Toronto)
• Vancouver International Airport
• Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport

“If you are deemed not eligible to enter the U.S., you are still in Canada,” Houtby-Ferguson, says. “If you try to enter through a US land crossing and are denied entry, you will be detained in the US system. Consider your FULL itinerary. If you fly direct to one country, but stop in the U.S. en route back to Canada, pre-clearance is likely not possible, and this is riskier. In B.C. The Blackball Ferry, which departs Victoria, BC to Port Angeles, WA (on the Olympic Peninsula), is also a good choice as travellers from British Columbia clear customs in Canada prior to departing for Washington State.”

She also recommends that travellers download and use a free app called Mobile Passport Control (MPC): U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) also offers an expedited processing option for those eligible.  This is an option for those who do not have a Nexus / Global Entry card.  It does not replace a passport.

2. Consider who you will be travelling with

Houtby-Ferguson says that anyone with ties/originally from one of the 43 countries on the U.S. banned list may not be eligible to enter, and could be detained.

“This is true even if they have Canadian permanent residency status or are a Canadian citizen,” she says. “Individuals with ties to this “banned list” should proceed with extreme caution.”

(Note: as of April 1 this has been delayed, however, individuals are seeing their visas revoked, even if they are currently in the U.S. legally).

3. Have valid travel documents

Make sure you have the appropriate documents, including passports, Visas, Lawful Permanent Resident Cards are a few of the approved documents. You must provide proof of your Canadian citizenship upon entry to the U.S., either through a valid passport or a valid NEXUS card.

If you have ever overstayed a visitor/student visa, even if it was decades ago, you may be detained, Houtby-Ferguson warns.

Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and Belgium have all issued warnings about new U.S. policies affecting transgender travellers. In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order recognizing only two sexes — male and female — prompting many countries to update their travel advisories. She also notes that non-binary individuals travelling with a ‘X’ on their passport could be targeted. Unlike Canada, the U.S. now only recognizes individuals as male or female only.

4. Register your trips outside Canada

As we advise to all women travelling, remember to register your travel. For trips outside of Canada (including to the U.S.) it only takes a few moments to complete the Registration of Canadians Abroad service. This is a free service that allows the Government of Canada to notify you in case of an emergency at your destination or a personal emergency at home.

Add this information to your phone:

CALL: 1-613-996-8885 (collect)

TEXT: 1-613-686-3658

EMAIL: [email protected]

WhatsApp: 1-613-909-8881

Signal: 1-613-909-8087

5. Sanitize’ your devices

U.S. border agents are entitled to search your electronic devices and “don’t need to provide a reason when requesting a password to open your device.” However, under the current policy, U.S. border agents are only allowed to look at information stored on the device, and not anything that’s kept in the cloud.

Global Affairs Canada notes that “if you refuse, they may seize your device. The border agent could also delay your travel or deny entry if you are not a U.S. citizen. Before crossing the border, put your device in airplane mode to ensure remote files don’t get downloaded accidentally.” Learn more about proper cybersecurity precautions here.

Houtby-Ferguson recommends that women ‘sanitize’ all devices, including phones, laptops, tablets, smart watches and digital cameras, and remove anything that may cause a problem. Specifically, she says:

• Change all social profiles and networking apps (like LinkedIn) to private. If you are travelling with friends or family, they need to do this too.
• Completely log out of all social media apps and ensure facial recognition and two-factor authentication is ON. With a phone and a laptop/tablet your data can still be accessed if it is just a text only.
• Delete any images, comments, likes, shares or tags disparaging the current U.S. administration or commenting on DEI initiatives or the current American political climate in your email and social profiles. This includes removing any tags on social media from friends or family (and you may not recall being tagged).
• Completely log out of your email and sign out of your Chrome/browser profile so you cannot be automatically logged into any device.
• Delete your browsing history, bookmarks and cookies
• Remove any questionable photographs or leave your device at home.

She notes, “If you use an Apple device you can likely move everything to the cloud and return your phone to “factory” settings. However, a caution if one is also travelling with a laptop, the cloud is subject to the Patriot Act (and accessible by U.S. agencies) and/or may still be accessible on your laptop.”

6. Lock your WhatsApp chats

In WhatsApp, Houtby-Ferguson says it’s important to move group chats to ‘locked’ so that a fingerprint or pin is required to reopen. To do this: Open the WhatsApp chat you want to lock and hide, Tap on the contact name or group name. Scroll down and tap on “Chat lock”. Enable “Lock this chat” via fingerprint or PIN. Optionally, set a secret code to access the locked chats.

If you have questions about our safety when travelling to or from the U.S., please post them in the comments below and we’ll find experts who can assist.  

We want to hear from all women. How have your travel plans changed in 2025? Share your comments below.

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