BUFFALO, N.Y. — An executive order targeting immigrants lacking legal status will also impact Canadians coming into the U.S. legally.

A registry recently announced requires anyone who isn’t a lawful permanent resident, and staying in the U.S., to register with the government.

That includes Canadians here for more than 30 days, mostly impacting snowbirds escaping the winter.

It’s estimated that one million Canadians make the trip across the border every winter seeking the warmth of the U.S. 

Historically, they could stay here, visa-free, for up to 90 days.

That’s changing.

New regulations tied to President Donald Trump’s “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” executive order will require those staying more than 30 days, including Canadians, to register with the government.

“It's just a way for the government to enforce this registration requirement and keep better tabs on individuals that are entering, specifically Canadians, through land ports of entry,” said Zach Ahlstrom, a senior attorney at Berardi Immigration Law. 

Those flying in already get an I-94, which is a record of arrival and departure. That exempts them from registering on the new system.

You can get an I-94 at a land border, but it just takes longer because of required fingerprinting.

It’s not yet known if the new registry would also require this.

Right now, people are just asked to create an online account, in preparation for the process. 

“It might be a hassle. It might be a pain, depending on what this process is going to look like,” said Ahlstrom. “But assuming that it is fairly straightforward, I don't think it's anything that they're going to have to be concerned about.”

He says the biggest impact might be on elderly snowbirds who don’t have computers or have difficulty navigating the web. They might end up needing to do the I-94 at the border.

Those who don’t comply could face civil or criminal penalties up to a misdemeanor.

“We're just waiting to see what this is actually going to look like, what the form is going to look like and then go from there,” he said. 

Many of these immigration laws are reciprocated, meaning Canada could put similar requirements on Americans coming in.

How effective it’ll be at getting immigrants lacking legal status to register is yet to be seen.

Many note that if someone is here illegally, they’re unlikely to give their information to the government willingly.