US-VISIT Enrollment Requirements, Applicability to Canadian Citizens

Most citizens of Canada are not subject to the US-VISIT process, including:

Canadian citizens who are visa-exempt.
Canadian citizens traveling on Canadian passports with diplomatic visas or visas for international organizations (A, G or NATO).
Canadian citizens who are studying or working in the United States, who normally do not have a non-immigrant visa in their passports.
Canadian citizens who are permanent residents of the United States.
Children under 14 and persons over the age of 79 are exempt.
Applicants for admission at primary vehicle inspection presenting a valid, unexpired, multiple-entry Form I-94 may be admitted without being subject to secondary inspection even if the applicant is not yet enrolled in US-VISIT.

Note: Customs and Border Protection Officers retain the discretion to refer a visitor for US-VISIT processing as part of the inspections process if there is a concern about the nature of travel.

Canadians who are subject to the US-VISIT process include:

Citizens of Canada applying for admission with a non-immigrant visa such as Canadian citizens with K visas (fiancés) and E visas (treaty trade investors).
Canadian permanent residents. Under U.S. regulations, Canadian permanent residents are identified by their citizenship (i.e., the nationality of the passport that they carry), not by the fact that they may be permanently residing in another country such as Canada.
Canadians with dual nationality who present a non-Canadian passport when seeking to enter the United States.

Others who are subject to the US-VISIT process include:

Current Canadian permanent residents who are participants in NEXUS and/or FAST who may be required to enroll in US-VISIT when they renew their multiple entry Form I-94s.
Visitors renewing their multiple-entry Form I-94. All current, valid Form I-94s remain in effect. US-VISIT biometric collection requirements will be either at the time of the next issuance of the Form I-94 or at the discretion of the Customs and Border Protection Officer.

This page was last reviewed/modified on February 12, 2008.