logo
#

Latest news with #RosannaBerardi

New U.S. visa integrity fee to affect some travellers including from Canada
New U.S. visa integrity fee to affect some travellers including from Canada

CTV News

time21-07-2025

  • Business
  • CTV News

New U.S. visa integrity fee to affect some travellers including from Canada

A Duty Free sign is shown at the Canada-U.S. border crossing in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que., on April 10, 2025. (Graham Hughes / The Canadian Press) Some people travelling to the United States from countries including Canada will have to pay a 'visa integrity fee' of US$250, but an immigration lawyer says most Canadian citizens won't be affected. 'This one won't hit Canadian citizens too hard, and they can continue to enter the United States as usual,' Rosanna Berardi, managing partner of Berardi Immigration Law, in Buffalo, N.Y., said in a video interview with on Monday, noting Canadian citizens generally just need their passport to enter the U.S. 'Ninety-nine per cent of Canadian citizens are visa exempt. ... Those individuals will not have to pay the new visa integrity fee, unless they are investors or fiancés of U.S. citizens.' The visa integrity fee will apply to Canadian permanent residents entering the U.S. both by land and air who are not American citizens or who were not born from Visa Waiver Program countries, Berardi added. People who have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization through the Visa Waiver Program can stay in the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without a visa, according to the U.S. government's website. The fee is part of the Trump administration's spending legislation called the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' which became law on July 4. The U.S. government didn't state when the fee would go into effect. The US$250 fee would be for the current federal fiscal year, the act states. It may be adjusted annually for inflation and won't be waived or reduced, according to the act. Visitors to the U.S. may be reimbursed for the fee after their non-immigrant visa expires under certain conditions, the act states. For instance, people may get their money back if they followed all conditions under the visa, such as not accepting unauthorized employment. When asked for more details about the new fee on Monday, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security wrote in an email: 'President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill provides the necessary policies and resources to restore integrity in our nation's immigration system. The visa integrity fee requires cross-agency coordination before implementation.' A U.S. State Department spokesperson wrote in an email to on Monday that the fee is part of the Trump administration's efforts to help strengthen immigration enforcement, deter visa overstays and fund border security. 'We will provide more information regarding the implementation and impact of the law for the Department of State as soon as practicable,' a spokesperson wrote. 'All updates will be posted to our visa information page at Global Affairs Canada didn't immediately respond to request for comment and more information.

Driving into Canada over the long weekend? How to avoid border wait times
Driving into Canada over the long weekend? How to avoid border wait times

Vancouver Sun

time15-05-2025

  • Vancouver Sun

Driving into Canada over the long weekend? How to avoid border wait times

Border crossings between Canada and the U.S. are down, particularly so for those going north to south, according to Statistics Canada , but with the Victoria Day long weekend ahead, the Canada Border Services Agency is expecting more traffic at its checkpoints. To facilitate a smoother trip all around, particularly as it relates to entering Canada, the agency has advice for travellers. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. For those returning to or visiting Canada from the U.S., the agency's first piece of advice is to cross early in the morning when it's typically less busy, but if that's not an option, travellers can check wait times at 28 of the busiest land border crossings online. As of Thursday afternoon, the Peace Bridge crossing between Fort Erie, Ont., and Buffalo, N.Y., — one of the busiest borders by volume of traffic — has the longest delay at 13 minutes. The vast majority show no delay for travellers. 'If you encounter wait times at the border, it is likely because we are working behind the scenes to conduct examinations, seize drugs, firearms or stolen vehicles or prevent high-risk individuals from entering Canada,' CBSA advised. The information is also available on the CanBorder app, available for Apple and Android devices. If it looks like your preferred crossing is backed up this weekend, the agency says to 'consider an alternative port of entry with shorter wait times or less traffic.' Travellers headed into the U.S. can also go online to gauge wait times at the CBP checkpoint at their preferred or alternate crossing. Both current and average wait times are listed. Earlier this month, after it was reported that some B.C. residents returning from the U.S. were met with an additional screening before checking in with Canadian officials. The CBSA told National Post it was a routine inspection conducted as part of a national security agreement with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Immigration lawyer Rosanna Berardi told National Post such checkpoints, where 'CBP officers may ask about immigration status and refer travellers for secondary inspection if necessary,' are legal under U.S. federal regulations. The checkpoint was removed at the end of the weekend. First and foremost, don't pull up to the window and then start looking for your travel documents. Have your passport, NEXUS or applicable paperwork ready to go. Travellers should also 'be prepared to declare' any goods they've purchased in the U.S. and be ready to pay regular duty and taxes on anything above the personal exemption limits , which only apply to visits that extend beyond 24 hours. 'Make sure you know how much you are bringing back in Canadian dollars and have your receipts readily available for the officer,' reminds CBSA. It also doesn't hurt to consult the list of prohibited and restricted goods , and it should go without saying that items such as firearms, weapons, narcotics and cannabis should not be in the vehicle. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here .

Some drivers returning to Canada report additional checkpoint at B.C.-U.S. border
Some drivers returning to Canada report additional checkpoint at B.C.-U.S. border

Vancouver Sun

time06-05-2025

  • Vancouver Sun

Some drivers returning to Canada report additional checkpoint at B.C.-U.S. border

Some travellers who were returning to Canada from the United States over the weekend said that an additional checkpoint was set up at the a B.C.-U.S. border crossing. Drivers trying to cross back to Canada at B.C.'s Peace Arch said their vehicles were searched as they were pulled aside by U.S. Border and Customs Protection agents, delaying their trip, Global News reported . The Peace Arch crossing is located in Surrey, B.C. on the Canadian side. The American side is located in Blaine, Washington. One B.C. resident, who only wanted to be identified by her first name, Leslie, told Global News she thought she made a mistake when she first saw the checkpoint on Friday morning. She had crossed the border for groceries and to get lunch with her husband. When they approached the crossing with their vehicle to return home, they were forced to stop 'a couple hundred metres south' of the Canadian border due to the traffic building up. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'I don't want to call it a blockade but… they were stopping people and I held up our Nexus cards and the U.S. customs agent waved us through but as I passed, because our windows are down, he said, 'Let's stop and check the next one,'' she said. The searches on other vehicles made her 'very, very uncomfortable.' The X account for DriveBC, a mobile app by the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit, showed that there were major delays for travellers going from the U.S. to Canada at the Peace Arch crossing on May 1. In a post on X, it said the delays were due to 'ongoing (Customs and Border Protection) operations). A photo from a traffic camera showed a lineup of cars waiting to get into Canada. 🇺🇸➡️🇨🇦 Continue to expect major northbound delays approaching the #PeaceArch & #PacificHwy crossings due to ongoing @CBP operations. #I5 #SR543 #BCHwy99 #BCHwy15 🇨🇦➡️🇺🇸Southbound volumes are light. #Blaine #SurreyBC @wsdot_north @wsdot_traffic @CBPNorthwest In response to a question on X about what was occurring at the border on May 1, DriveBC responded : 'Unclear exactly what's going on. US Customs has been conducting an operation throughout the afternoon.' 'These inspections are a vital tool in apprehending wanted individuals, as well as in seizing a variety of contraband, which ultimately makes our community safer,' according to a statement from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Global News. National Post has reached out to the agency for comment. According to immigration lawyer Rosanna Berardi, putting up such a checkpoint is completely legal. 'U.S. Customs and Border Protection legally operates interior checkpoints up to 100 miles inside the United States from any land or coastal border, including near the U.S.-Canada border. This authority is based on federal regulations established in 1953 and upheld by the Supreme Court in United States v. Martinez-Fuerte (1976 ), which allows brief stops and questioning of travellers without individualized suspicion,' she said in an emailed statement to National Post on Tuesday. 'At these checkpoints, CBP officers may ask about immigration status and refer travellers for secondary inspection if necessary, but more invasive searches require probable cause or consent. Checkpoints are a longstanding law enforcement and national security tool, with dozens active along both the northern and southern borders at any time.' She advised that Canadians should make sure they have extra time when travelling. She added that they should carry valid travel documents like passports or NEXUS cards, and answer questions clearly and respectfully. 'These practices help ensure smooth processing at checkpoints, which have been part of border enforcement for decades,' she said. The checkpoint was reportedly taken down by Sunday. However, it may have added to already heightened tensions between Canada and the U.S. amid new travel policies, people being detained at the border and others being turned away. In February, it was announced that all foreign nationals staying in the U.S. for more than 30 days would have to register online and get fingerprinted, per U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Canadians were later exempt from having to be fingerprinted , but still have to register. Travellers have also been detained at the border. At the Ambassador Bridge crossing, at least 213 people have been detained between January and mid-March, Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib said at a press conference in April . She said that in 90 per cent of the cases, the driver had mistakenly arrived at the crossing. The Ambassador Bridge crossing connects Detroit, Michigan to Windsor, Ontario. It is the busiest international crossing in North America. One woman ended up getting detained after taking a wrong turn while trying to go to Costco , it was reported in April. In another case, a man delivering McDonald's was detained , and later deported, in January. In another incident, a French scientist was denied entry into the United States after immigrations officers reportedly found messages criticizing President Donald Trump on his phone. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .

US to require Canadians who are in the country for longer than 30 days to register with government
US to require Canadians who are in the country for longer than 30 days to register with government

Yahoo

time12-03-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

US to require Canadians who are in the country for longer than 30 days to register with government

Canadians who are in the United States for 30 days or longer and cross the land border will soon have to register their information with the U.S. government, according to a notice obtained by ABC News. Foreign nationals who plan to stay in the U.S. for longer than 30 days will be required to apply for registration with the federal government and be fingerprinted starting on April 11, according to the rule, which was posted on the federal register on Wednesday. Canadians are exempt from fingerprinting, which applies to other foreign nationals, according to an immigration lawyer who spoke with ABC News. Traditionally, Canadians who cross the northern border by land and stay for longer than 30 days have not had to register with the federal government, but the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security can unilaterally change that rule. Canadians who stay in the U.S. for 30 days or more and were not issued evidence of registration, such as Form I-94, at entry will need to complete the new Form G-325R through the myUSCIS online portal. The rule would not require Canadians to apply for a visa but rather a different federal form to enter in the U.S. MORE: Tariffs could impact longstanding electricity trade between US and Canada Rosanna Berardi, an immigration attorney based in Buffalo, New York, told ABC News her firm has heard from many Canadians who have expressed "strong disappointment" in the new rule. "It's important to clarify that this measure specifically impacts Canadian citizens crossing land borders who intend to remain in the United States for periods exceeding 30 days," she told ABC News. "Casual travelers visiting for tourism or shopping will not be affected. However, Canadian business professionals who regularly enter the U.S. for extended assignments will now face these new registration requirements." Berardi told ABC News that some Canadians are reconsidering their travel to the U.S. as a result of the "recent tensions" between the U.S. and Canada. "Historically, Canadians have enjoyed visa-exempt status and have never been required to formally register their presence in the United States," she said. "This development appears to align with recent tensions in U.S.-Canada relations, including the threat of the 51st state, the trade tariffs and other policy shifts." The Canadian Snowbird Association, which represents Canadian "snowbirds" who travel around the U.S. during the warmer months, said it is working with Congress to see if Canadians will be exempt from having to register. US to require Canadians who are in the country for longer than 30 days to register with government originally appeared on

US to require Canadians who are in the country for longer than 30 days to register with government
US to require Canadians who are in the country for longer than 30 days to register with government

Yahoo

time12-03-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

US to require Canadians who are in the country for longer than 30 days to register with government

Canadians who are in the United States for 30 days or longer and cross the land border will soon have to register their information with the U.S. government, according to a notice obtained by ABC News. Foreign nationals who plan to stay in the U.S. for longer than 30 days will be required to apply for registration with the federal government and be fingerprinted starting on April 11, according to the rule, which was posted on the federal register on Wednesday. Canadians are exempt from fingerprinting, which applies to other foreign nationals, according to an immigration lawyer who spoke with ABC News. Traditionally, Canadians who cross the northern border by land and stay for longer than 30 days have not had to register with the federal government, but the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security can unilaterally change that rule. Canadians who stay in the U.S. for 30 days or more and were not issued evidence of registration, such as Form I-94, at entry will need to complete the new Form G-325R through the myUSCIS online portal. The rule would not require Canadians to apply for a visa but rather a different federal form to enter in the U.S. MORE: Tariffs could impact longstanding electricity trade between US and Canada Rosanna Berardi, an immigration attorney based in Buffalo, New York, told ABC News her firm has heard from many Canadians who have expressed "strong disappointment" in the new rule. "It's important to clarify that this measure specifically impacts Canadian citizens crossing land borders who intend to remain in the United States for periods exceeding 30 days," she told ABC News. "Casual travelers visiting for tourism or shopping will not be affected. However, Canadian business professionals who regularly enter the U.S. for extended assignments will now face these new registration requirements." Berardi told ABC News that some Canadians are reconsidering their travel to the U.S. as a result of the "recent tensions" between the U.S. and Canada. "Historically, Canadians have enjoyed visa-exempt status and have never been required to formally register their presence in the United States," she said. "This development appears to align with recent tensions in U.S.-Canada relations, including the threat of the 51st state, the trade tariffs and other policy shifts." The Canadian Snowbird Association, which represents Canadian "snowbirds" who travel around the U.S. during the warmer months, said it is working with Congress to see if Canadians will be exempt from having to register. US to require Canadians who are in the country for longer than 30 days to register with government originally appeared on

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store