Arizona business leaders keep eye on new Canadian visitor registration requirement

PHOENIX – Arizona business leaders are keeping a watchful eye on the impact of a new federal immigration requirement for some Canadian visitors.

Canadians ages 14 and older who stay in the U.S. for more than 30 days are now required to register with the Department of Homeland Security as foreign nationals under the Alien Registration Act or face potential fines, imprisonment or both.

“That stuff is pretty scary,” Danny Seiden, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Tuesday, four days after the policy went into effect. “So, hopefully, we staff DHS correctly at the federal level so they can manage this in a way that doesn’t inconvenience our friends who’ve been coming to our country and our state for years.”

Seiden said it’s too soon to tell if the registration requirement, which is part of the Protecting the American People Against Invasion executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Jan. 20, is having an impact on Canadian tourism.

“But it’s worth noting that adding any kind of complexity or red tape to cross-border travel between Arizona and Canada, I wouldn’t argue it was a great thing because we enjoy so much economic benefit,” he said.

How important are Canadian visitors to Arizona economy?

Seiden said approximately 820,000 Canadian visitors, many who stayed throughout the winter, spent an estimated 775 million in Arizona in 2023.

“This new registration requirement, what I worry about the most, is will it cause fear and uncertainty for these friends of Arizona,” he said.

Last month, Mike Huckins of the Greater Phoenix Chamber told KTAR News’s Arizona’s Morning News he was already seeing an impact, even before the policy went into effect.

“This new enforcement action is just affecting those that are going to stay for more than 30 days. But … you’re already seeing some of those short-term visitors pull back on their travel plans, as well, which is concerning,” Huckins said.

For now, Arizona businesses can only monitor the situation closely and let the state’s Congress members know about any negative impacts.

“We have to track any negative and collateral consequences, report that back to our federal delegation. … And if we see no side effects, that would be great, but no matter what, we have to pay attention,” Seiden said.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Colton Krolak contributed to this report.

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