On Monday, Canada lifted its ban on Americans crossing the border for shopping, tourism or visits, although at the moment the United States has maintained similar restrictions on Canadians.
Reopening the border has not been an easy task for either countries, as cases continue to rise. But with vaccination made accessible, reopening the border has become a possibility.
As of right now US citizens and legal residents must have completed their vaccination and COVID-19 test must be done three days prior with negative results. They must also fill out a detailed form before crossing.
It is unknown how many people are waiting to cross the border with the reopening. But travelers have to register in advance, according to the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA). Travelers should expect longer crossing times at the border for the required process.
The border has been closed to non-essential travel since March 2020 in an attempt to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The United States has said it will maintain the lockdown on Canadians making non-essential travel at least until Aug. 21, which also applies to the border with Mexico.
However, the Joe Biden government begins to prepare for a gradual reopening. The main requirement would be that almost all foreign visitors arriving in the United States will have to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.