Stauber Leads Colleagues in Letter to Canada on Remote Area Border Crossing Program Announcement

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08), Senator Kevin Cramer (ND), and Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-01) sent a letter to the Canadian government inquiring about Canada’s recent termination of the Remote Area Border Crossing (RABC) permit program. On this announcement, Congressman Stauber released the following statement:

“While I am disappointed that Canada has suspended a program that Americans and Canadians in border communities rely on, I am hopeful that its new remote access program will address the needs of these unique economies," said Congressman Stauber. "I look forward to working with the Canadian government to ensure the security of our shared border while creating an environment for small businesses along the border to thrive.”

Read the full letter here.

Background: The RABC permit program is a Canadian program that allows permit holders to enter Canada at remote locations in northern Minnesota and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Its participants—which average around 11,000 annually—rely on these permits to operate small businesses and manage properties.

In 2024, Canada began a systematic review of the RABC program. During this review, Congressman Stauber had met with Canadian officials, sent three inquiries to Canadian Ministers of Public Safety, and held a roundtable that featured local stakeholders, elected officials, and members of the Canadian government.

On December 19, 2025, the Canada Border Services Agency announced that the RABC program will end on September 14, 2026. Current valid permits will be extended to September 13, 2026. It is reported that the RABC program will be replaced by an expanded telephone reporting system.

You can read the Canada Border Services Agency's release here.