In an unusual mid-winter travel advisory, Global Affairs Canada has amended its United States entry guidance to urge First Nations people to present a valid Canadian passport—as well as their Secure Certificate of Indian Status—when crossing the land border. The notice, updated February 20, replaces earlier language that said Indigenous travellers could “freely” enter the U.S. for work, study or immigration purposes under the Jay Treaty. (620ckrm.com)
Although Jay-Treaty rights theoretically allow Native people born in Canada to live and work in the United States without restriction, enforcement is inconsistent. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers sometimes deny entry if status cards are worn or lack machine-readable features, and secure cards are not accepted for air travel.
For travellers who now need to secure or renew passports quickly, VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) can help by providing streamlined online applications, real-time tracking, and optional courier services for Canadian passports and U.S. visas—tools that can spare Indigenous commuters and their employers from unexpected border delays.
![Ottawa advises First Nations travellers to carry passports at U.S. border]()
Recent cases of secondary inspections and refusals—particularly at smaller crossings—prompted Indigenous leaders to lobby Ottawa for clearer advice.
The updated guidance recommends travellers carry a machine-readable secure status card and a passport to avoid delays; it also reminds communities that acceptance “remains at the discretion of U.S. officials.” Border-crossing service providers have begun circulating the notice to bus operators and tribal enterprises whose members commute daily across the frontier.
For mobility teams moving Indigenous employees to U.S. assignments, the change raises documentation requirements and potential immigration-law exposure if staff rely solely on status cards. Employers are advised to budget for passport fees and to schedule additional lead-time for land-border relocations or project travel.
Indigenous advocacy groups welcomed the clarification but called on both governments to develop joint training for border officers and to modernize the secure-status-card program so that it meets international travel-document standards. Discussions on a dedicated Indigenous lane at high-volume crossings are reportedly ongoing.
Although Jay-Treaty rights theoretically allow Native people born in Canada to live and work in the United States without restriction, enforcement is inconsistent. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers sometimes deny entry if status cards are worn or lack machine-readable features, and secure cards are not accepted for air travel.
For travellers who now need to secure or renew passports quickly, VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) can help by providing streamlined online applications, real-time tracking, and optional courier services for Canadian passports and U.S. visas—tools that can spare Indigenous commuters and their employers from unexpected border delays.
Recent cases of secondary inspections and refusals—particularly at smaller crossings—prompted Indigenous leaders to lobby Ottawa for clearer advice.
The updated guidance recommends travellers carry a machine-readable secure status card and a passport to avoid delays; it also reminds communities that acceptance “remains at the discretion of U.S. officials.” Border-crossing service providers have begun circulating the notice to bus operators and tribal enterprises whose members commute daily across the frontier.
For mobility teams moving Indigenous employees to U.S. assignments, the change raises documentation requirements and potential immigration-law exposure if staff rely solely on status cards. Employers are advised to budget for passport fees and to schedule additional lead-time for land-border relocations or project travel.
Indigenous advocacy groups welcomed the clarification but called on both governments to develop joint training for border officers and to modernize the secure-status-card program so that it meets international travel-document standards. Discussions on a dedicated Indigenous lane at high-volume crossings are reportedly ongoing.
