At least twice in recent years, legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Congress, but not passed, to extend the length-of-stay limit to 240 days for Canadian citizens over 50 years old and their spouses.
However, that proposal is now caught up in the debate over U.S. immigration laws. Now that the White House is bypassing Congress on the issue, and using executive orders,
Canadian snowbirds shouldn't hold their breath.
Canadian snowbirds shouldn't hold their breath.
There could soon be changes to the rules that affect U.S.-bound Canadian snowbirds.
A Canada-U.S. agreement is in the works to share information on who's entering each respective country, and when, for example. The Entry Exit Initiative already covers non-citizens of the two countries, but the plan to start covering citizens as well has been delayed.
Once that's in effect, the U.S. government will be able to easily check whether snowbirds overstay their welcome.
The Canada Border Services Agency cautions that legislative and regulatory changes need to happen before that can be implemented, and says it will provide additional information about the timing "in due course."
There have also been initiatives in Congress over the last few years to extend the time some Canadians can spend in the U.S.
While those proposals are still being debated by American legislators, Canadian snowbirds continue to head to the U.S. in droves under the current rules, which have been in place for some time.
Here's a short checklist for snowbirds about the rules on visas, taxation, insurance, and so on.
