A motorist scans a Nexus card as another speaks with a Canada Border Services Agency officer at a primary inspection booth at the Douglas-Peace Arch border crossing in Surrey, B.C., on Feb. 5, 2020. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck
Changes are coming for Canadians applying for Nexus travel cards as a temporary measure put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic is ending, according to a recent announcement by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
Beginning April 1, 2027, applicants to the joint Nexus program for expedited passage at the Canada-U.S. border must schedule their enrolment interview within two years upon receiving conditional approval, the CBSA said in an Oct. 1 news release.
This is a change back to the original two-year timeframe after the CBSA extended it to five years following “disruptions” caused by the pandemic that delayed interview schedules and completion.
“Now with more enrolment interview capacity available, the two-year deadline is returning,” the agency said.
For applicants who were conditionally approved before April 1, 2027, the CBSA said they have up to five years from their approval date to schedule their interviews, or by April 1, 2029, whichever comes first.
As for those currently waiting for their enrolment interview, the agency advises them to book an appointment as soon as possible to avoid having their application expire.
The Nexus program, jointly run by the CBSA and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, issues a five-year membership that aims to speed up border crossings into Canada and the United States for trusted travellers who are deemed “low-risk” and pre-approved.
Under Nexus, members pay a non-refundable processing fee of US$120 to apply for pre-clearance background checks on a promise of faster processing when entering Canada and the United States at airports, land borders, and marine crossings. The fee is waived for those under 18 if their parent or legal guardian is also applying or is already a member.
Eligibility
To be eligible for Nexus, applicants must be admissible to Canada and the United States under immigration laws, the CBSA says on its site. Applicants are also required to provide true and complete information on their applications, and have not violated any customs, immigration or agriculture laws.
Should one be convicted of a criminal offence in any country, his or her application may be denied unless a pardon for that offence was granted, the border agency added.
Once applications are received, both CBSA and CBP will conduct separate background checks as part of their risk assessments to ascertain if applicants meet all requirements before granting conditional approval.
The CBSA says applicants may be asked about any arrests, charges, or convictions during the background checks, and may be requested to provide fingerprints and undergo a criminal record check to determine their eligibility. If they pass the assessments, they will be granted conditional approval and must schedule their interview with both border agencies within two years to finalize their Nexus membership.
The interview with CBSA will be conducted at a Nexus enrolment center, while the CBP portion may take place at either a CBP enrolment center or via Enrolment on Arrival at various international airports.
“Interviews include identity verification, fingerprinting, and questions from both CBSA and U.S. CBP officers,” the CBSA says in its latest news release.
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