Canada to shutter long-standing U.S. border crossing program
Canada plans to end a U.S. border crossing program that has been running for decades.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) recently announced that its Remote Area Border Crossing Program (RABC) will close on Sept. 14, 2026.
Travellers who hold an RABC permit are allowed to cross into Canada at certain remote areas along the U.S. border with minimal processing. The system will be replaced with designated telephone reporting sites as of Sept. 14.
CBSA
“As of this date, all travellers entering Canada through remote areas of northern Ontario or from the Northwest Angle into southern Manitoba, must report to the CBSA at a port of entry or a designated telephone reporting site,” announced the CBSA.
According to the government, there have been approximately 11,000 RABC members per year, and roughly 90 per cent are American.
The agency will introduce these telephone reporting sites in areas formerly covered by the RABC program:
- Northwest Angle Area
- Pigeon River through to and including Lake of the Woods
- Canadian shore of Lake Superior
- Sault Ste. Marie (upper lock system)
- Cockburn Island
“Replacing the RABC Program with telephone reporting builds on processes already in place across Canada, where travellers are required to report to the CBSA from designated sites every time they enter Canada,” explained the CBSA. “This process ensures a consistent level of security and expectations of compliance for everyone.”
The agency added that this measure also more closely resembles how travellers from Canada report to U.S. Customs and Border Protection when entering from remote areas.
If you have an RABC permit, the CBSA said that it has been extended and will remain valid until 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2026.
“The location of the new telephone reporting sites will be decided in the coming months in consultation with Indigenous communities, local businesses and law enforcement partners,” reads the announcement.
Check out the announcement for more details.