By expediting the border crossing process for trusted travellers and traders, the NEXUS and Free and Secure Trade (FAST) programs generate billions in economic activity and are vital to local economies on both sides of the border. With the program working to return to efficient and effective processing, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have developed solutions to help more travellers enrol in it now.
The CBSA has reopened two NEXUS and FAST enrolment centres in Canada. Applicants can now schedule interviews at the Lansdowne, Ontario (Thousand Islands Bridge) and Fort Erie, Ontario (Peace Bridge) enrolment centres. The re-opening of these centres with CBSA officers is the first phase of the solution to address the NEXUS and FAST backlog. As a result, more appointments will be available to applicants, and wait times for interviews are expected to be reduced.
Travellers booking interviews through the re-opened centres will be required to complete a new, two-step process. Applicants who are conditionally-approved for NEXUS can complete the first portion of their interview at a Canadian enrolment centre (Lansdowne, Ontario, or Fort Erie, Ontario) and complete the second portion at a nearby U.S. enrolment centre just across the border (Alexandria Bay, NY, and Buffalo, NY, respectively). Interviews are by appointment only and can be scheduled through the Trusted Traveller portal.
As this initial phase continues, more Canadian enrolment centres will open at additional select land border crossings in the future. Canada is committed to working with the U.S. on efficient and effective processing of NEXUS applications. Applicants continue to have the option to schedule their complete interviews, under the one-step process, at enrolment centres in the U.S. Existing members can also renew their membership prior to the expiry date to retain their membership benefits for up to five years while they await an interview (should they need one).