Canadian students do not need a visa to enter the United States, however you must be sure to complete your I-94 record with the U.S. immigration official at your point of entry to the United States. If you enter the U.S. by land, you will be given an I-94 record. If you enter by air, your I-94 record will be entered into the online system. You will need to print out your I-94 record upon your return to the U.S. as evidence of your legal status. In both cases, you will be charged a small fee to process the I-94 record.
As U.S. immigration inspectors are accustomed to admitting Canadian citizens as visitors and not full-time students, it is your responsibility to make sure you are granted the correct immigration status when you are entering the U.S. If you are admitted as a visitor (or tourist) without receiving an I-94 record noting your immigration status (e.g., F-1, J-1, etc), you will have to return to Canada and re-enter a second time.
