The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) say they have a plan to reduce the backlog for the Nexus trusted-traveller program.
In order to address the significant backlog in NEXUS applications, CBP and CBSA have increased the number of interview appointments available to applicants by extending hours of service at enrollment centers in the United States and expanding the locations where interviews are conducted on the land border.
CBP and CBSA have also been able to accelerate approval for over 80% of renewing applicants and to extend benefits for the remaining qualified renewing applicants for up to five years beyond their membership expiration date while their interviews are pending.
These efforts have been effective. Since October 1, 2022, CBP and CBSA have completed a record-breaking 203,000 NEXUS enrollments and reduced the net backlog of applicants by 100,000.
“We expect a new enrollment option for air travellers to be available by the spring that will include CBSA interviews at reopened enrollment centers in Canada and separate CBP interviews in Canadian airport preclearance locations for departing applicants. Details for this new interview option will be available shortly from CBP and CBSA. In the meantime, applicants may continue to take advantage of existing options for interviews, including combined interviews at U.S. enrollment centers and two-step, separate Canada-U.S. interviews at designated land borders,” the joint statement issued by two countries mentioned.
