Snowbirds targeted by changes to U.S. border rules

Snowbirds likely know to track how many days they spend in the U.S. each year.  There are tax and other consequences for exceeding the guidelines. Prior to 2014 Canada and the U.S. did not track how many days someone had spent within their borders, only when someone entered the country.  Now they will exchange data and thus know exactly how long travelers are within their jurisdiction. Both countries will know, in real time. which country snowbirds are in.  Thus, snowbirds must be much more careful about counting and reporting days in and out of each country.

Canadians who spend more than 180 days in a rolling 12 month period risk being deemed unlawfully present and could be banned from the U.S. for a time of three years or more. Canadians could also find themselves liable for U.S. income tax or U.S. estate tax, and even lose their provincial health insurance coverage.  If you, or anyone you know spends a considerable time in the U.S., please be aware of the changes to monitoring and the possible negative consequences of spending more than half of the time in the U.S.