Cross-border commuters eager to renew or apply for a NEXUS pass may not have to wait as long to get approval.
The Canada Border Services Agency and Customs and Border Protection in the U.S. have come up with a solution to address the backlog of applications, which includes opening more NEXUS enrolment centres this spring.
Currently, only two centres are open in Canada, one at the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie and one in Lansdowne at the Thousand Islands Bridge.
U.S. border officials will also start interviewing enrollees at Canadian airports this spring. CBP and CBSA expect to release details of that program soon.
The two agencies have boosted the number of interview appointments available to applicants by expanding hours of service at enrollment centres in the U.S.
"CBP and CBSA have also been able to accelerate approval for over 80 per cent of renewing applicants and extend benefits for the remaining qualified renewing applicants for up to five years beyond their membership expiration date while their interviews are pending," said a release from the federal government.
The federal government said their efforts are already showing results.
Officials completed a record 203,000 NEXUS enrolments since October 2022, reducing the backlog of applicants by 100,000.