Blaine, Washington - Canadian visitors to the US have reported facing increasingly invasive search procedures at the border.

Rules introduced by President Donald Trump require foreign visitors staying 30 days or more in the US to register their fingerprints and picture with US authorities.

Speaking to Canadas' CBC, elderly Canadian travelers Jacquie and Steve Ree described their experience when trying to cross the border into Washington state on October 9.

Known colloquially as "snowbirds" due to their habit of traveling south to escape the harsh Canadian winter, the Rees said that while they were aware of the need to register with authorities, they hadn't been informed about the extensive process they had to undergo, which included a time-consuming search of their RV.

"I'm watching them open all our hatches, and we're thinking 'Oh my god," Jacquie Ree told CBC. "They went through our whole RV!"

The whole process took more than 1.5 hours and, after being fingerprinted and photographed, they had to pay a $60 fee.

The Rees' experience is not unusual, it turns out, as Canadian travelers are increasingly complaining about lengthy and expensive new procedures at the border that have come as part of Trump's border crackdown.

"These measures are required under US immigration law to enhance border security, verify travelers' identities, and ensure compliance with US entry and exit requirements," CBP spokesperson Jessica Turner told CBC.