Updated guidance posted on CBSA’s Remote Area Border Crossing (RABC) webpages on 26 September confirms that the long-standing RABC permit scheme will be discontinued on 1 December 2026. Travellers entering Canada through remote sections of northern Ontario or via the Northwest Angle in southern Manitoba will instead be required to report by telephone at designated sites each time they cross the border. Under the existing program, permit holders can cross specific wilderness checkpoints without stopping at a staffed port of entry, provided they carry no commercial goods. The shift to telephone reporting aligns the northern crossings with procedures already used at many small marine and general-aviation ports across Canada. The agency argues that real-time phone reporting enhances security by capturing traveller data on each crossing while still offering flexibility to local residents, anglers and outfitters who rely on back-country routes. However, permanent residents and foreign nationals who previously used RABC to avoid in-person reporting will need to plan for slightly longer processing times when phoning in. Businesses operating fishing lodges or eco-tourism camps in the affected regions should update guest arrival instructions and ensure satellite-phone access where cellular coverage is weak. Employers sending technicians to remote sites should budget additional time for the telephone-reporting step and verify that staff carry all required travel documents, including work permits where applicable.
Source: Canada Border Services Agency
