Government Relations Report Johanne Blain First Vice-President On Tuesday, November 5, 2024 the United States Presidential election was held. While at the time of printing some jurisdictions continue to count votes, Republican nominee Donald Trump has been declared the winner. The Republicans have also maintained their control of the United States House of Representatives and they have won control of the United States Senate, gaining four seats. CSA members have inquired about how the election results will impact our advocacy efforts to pass a Canadian Retiree Visa in the United States Congress. This is our legislative proposal to increase the amount of time that retired Canadians, aged 50 and older, can spend in the United States from the current limit of six months to an eight-month period. To begin, it is easier for legislation to be passed when a single party has a majority in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. That being said, two of the association’s long-time champions of a Canadian Retiree Visa – New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Florida Senator Marco Rubio – have been nominated for Cabinetlevel positions in the upcoming Trump administration, Ambassador to the United Nations and Secretary of State, respectively. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate both Congresswoman Stefanik and Senator Rubio on their nominations and thank them for their tireless efforts in supporting our Canadian Retiree Visa initiative. When the new session of Congress commences in January 2025, CSA representatives will begin searching for new potential sponsors of our Canadian Retiree Visa legislation. Once bills are re-introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, CSA representatives will continue building support for these bills by seeking out bipartisan co-sponsors. Further updates on our advocacy work will be sent to members via email through our electronic member advisories. Beginning on January 8, 2025, Canadian travellers visiting or transiting through the United Kingdom will need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) prior to their trip. Canadian travellers will be able to apply for an ETA starting on November 27, 2024. The United Kingdom Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is an advance travel permission required for foreign nationals who intend to visit or transit through the United Kingdom without a visa. An ETA will be required for anyone planning to visit the U.K. visa-free but will not be required for British or Irish passport holders. The ETA will be linked to the traveller’s passport and will cost 10 British pounds. It will permit multiple trips to the U.K. for stays of up to six months at a time over two years, or until the holder’s passport expires, whichever is sooner. If you get a new passport, you will need to apply for a new ETA. Once you apply, you will receive an email confirming that you have an ETA. The decision generally takes three business days. Travellers will still need to see a Border Force officer to enter the U.K. and an ETA does not guarantee entry. More information about the UK Electronic Travel Authorization, including a link to apply, can be found here, www.gov.uk/ guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travelauthorisation-eta. Canadian travellers should also be aware of upcoming changes to travel requirements for entry into 30 European nations starting next year. Beginning in 2025, Canadian citizens travelling to certain European countries will be required to obtain a permit known as a European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) travel authorization. An ETIAS travel authorization is an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals travelling to 30 European countries including France, Spain, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Finland, Germany and Portugal. A full list of all 30 countries can be accessed at travel-europe.europa.eu/etias/ who-should-apply_en#ETIAS-countries. The ETIAS travel authorization is linked to a traveller’s passport and is valid for a threeyear period or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. With a valid ETIAS travel authorization, you can enter the territory of these 30 European countries as often as you want for short-term stays – normally for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Applying for the ETIAS travel authorization will cost seven Euros. More information about what to expect when crossing EU borders is available at travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en. Currently, the ETIAS is not in operation and no applications are being collected at this point. The Canadian Snowbird Association will be providing members with updates about this new requirement as soon as more information becomes available. Gilles and I wish you a safe and happy winter. CSANews | WINTER 2024 | 11
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