Conditionally-approved NEXUS members who re-applied for membership before their card’s expiry date will now have a five-year grace period to complete their interview and receive a new card. That same rule applies to new applicants although they will not enjoy NEXUS benefits until they actually receive a card allowing them to use the NEXUS lanes. The previous grace period was two years.
Applicants might need that grace period. Most enrollment centers in the U.S. show no open interview slots until well into 2023 and some show no slots open between now and 2030. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson Jason Givens, “Trusted Traveler Programs (Global Entry, SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST) are currently experiencing unprecedented increased numbers of application submissions. For example, in July 2022, CBP received an average of 11,500 new and renewal applications every day. These events have created an extensive processing and interview backlog that CBP continues to diligently work hard to reduce.”
According to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) spokesperson Rebecca Purdy, there are currently 339,887 NEXUS and 10,698 FAST applicants waiting for an interview as of August 9. Canadian enrollment centers remain closed while the 12 U.S. centers are operating at reduced capacity due to Covid-19 protocols.
“Canada and the U.S. are in discussions about the timing of the reopening of Canadian enrolment centers. These discussions are focused on clarifying legal protections for U.S. CBP officers while they are working in ECs. Until that time, ECs in Canada will continue to be closed,” Purdy said.
For more information regarding NEXUS and the CBSA, go to bit.ly/3QN8zMH. To see how long it will take you to get an appointment, go to bit.ly/3cedWFY.
