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www.snowbirds.org
CSA TRAVEL INFORMATION GUIDE
To prove your place of residence (secondary document), you must submit a photocopy of
one of the following:
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valid driver’s licence
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other provincial identification card
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other federal identification card
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any document with a current address (i.e. current bill, invoice, bank statement)
Application processing, including background law enforcement checks, generally takes six to eight
weeks.
Please note that while a NEXUS card is valid for five years and works between Canada and the United
States, it does not replace a passport for travelling internationally to other countries outside North
America.
Proving You Are Only a Temporary Visitor
Canadian citizens entering the United States for business or pleasure (as tourists) are covered by
special rules that are not necessarily extended to citizens of other countries (including Canadian
permanent residents).
In general terms Canadian citizens are admitted to the U.S. as temporary visitors for a maximum
period of “six months less one day” (182 days) in a twelve month period.
While in the United States, Canadian citizens are allowed to apply for an extension of this 182-day
initial limit, at a local office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, provided they have a
legitimate and compelling reason for needing an extension. Canadian permanent residents (not
citizens) are admitted for a maximum stay of 90 days which cannot be extended from within the
United States.
The first thing to remember when arriving at a border crossing is that, unless you are a U.S. citizen
or hold U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident status (a green card), you are applying to enter the U.S. as a
guest and therefore have no “right” to be allowed to enter. Owning property in the United States does
not change your status as a visitor. Similarly, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer
does not have to allow you to enter for a full 90-day or 182-day maximum, but may impose – at his/
her discretion – a shorter visiting time limit if you do not fully satisfy the requirements to enter. This
is not a negotiable or debatable point – it is simply take it or leave it.
While Canadian citizens do not see an actual paper visa glued into their passport, Canadian citizens
nevertheless enter the United States with a paperless visa. While there are numerous visa categories
the two most relevant classes are:
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B-1 temporary visitors for business
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B-2 temporary vistors for pleasure (such as snowbirds during the winter months) or someone
seeking medical treatment
Under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), there is a presumption in law that every visitor
visa applicant is arriving at the United States with the intent to be a permanent immigrant. It is
therefore important for the traveller to overcome this presumption when being interviewed by the
CBP officer by demonstrating with their verbal answers as well as possible paper documentation
that:
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The purpose of the trip is to enter the United States for business, pleasure or medical treatment