Bill gives Canadian snowbirds two extra months in US

A bipartisan bill introduced last week would provide Canadian snowbirds — seasonal visitors who head south during the colder months of the year — an additional two months on their visa in the U.S. each year.

Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) reintroduced the legislation to extend the period of time that Canadian citizens over the age of 50 who own or rent a U.S. residence can spend in America from 182 days per year to 240 days per year.

This is the fifth time that Stefanik has introduced the Canadian snowbird legislation. She and Stanton were also joined by 10 other members who cosponsored the latest iteration of the bill.

“Our neighbors to the north provide more visits to the United States than any other country, and they are critically important to North Country tourism and industry,” Stefanik said in a press release Thursday. 

“Providing Canadians who own homes and property in the United States with extra time to visit and boost our economy will help revive Canadian tourism to the United States after an unprecedented closure of the Northern Border,” the New York Republican added.

Canadian visitors spent more than $20 billion in the U.S. in 2019, according to Stefanik’s office.