How long can we stay and what is required?
The passport requirement is currently waived for most citizens of Canada. These travelers have been required to satisfy the inspecting CBP officer of their identities and citizenship at the time of their applications for admission. Since January 31, 2008, these nonimmigrant aliens also have been asked to present document proving citizenship, such as a birth certificate, and government-issued documents proving identity, such as a driver's license, when entering the United States through land and sea ports-of-entry.
A nonimmigrant temporarily enters the United States for a specific purpose such as business, study, or pleasure. When you entered the country as a nonimmigrant, a U.S. immigration inspector should have examined your passport and visa and then give you a Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record). This record should tell you (in the lower right-hand corner) when you must leave the United States. Typical length of stay allowed for Canadians is 6 months.
If you want to extend your stay in the United States, then you must ask for permission from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) before your authorized stay expires. Proof that you are willing to obey U.S. immigration laws will be important if you want to travel to the United States as an immigrant or nonimmigrant in the future. If you break immigration laws, you may also become subject to removal (deportation). The filling fee is $300.
