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NEXUS and FAST Application Processing to Resume November 29

November 18, 2021 | Immigration Blog

Starting November 29, 2021, interviews will resume for NEXUS and U.S./Canada FAST applicants in the United States and Canada, according to an announcement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Monday and an email received from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on Wednesday.

The CBP announcement stated the following:

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection is pleased to announce that the NEXUS and U.S./Canada FAST enrollment centers in the United States will reopen on November 29, 2021. It should be noted, however, that the NEXUS and FAST enrollment centers in Canada will continue to be closed until further notice.

Starting today, conditionally approved applicants may schedule interviews at available NEXUS and U.S./Canada FAST enrollment centers in the United States. Appointments must be booked through the Trusted Traveler portal: https://ttp.dhs.gov/ and will have dates available starting November 29.

Applicants entering the U.S. to complete their interview must meet all applicable travel requirements: Fact Sheet: Guidance for Travelers to Enter the U.S. at Land Ports of Entry and Ferry Terminals | Homeland Security (dhs.gov) CBP asks all applicants to be patient with the system as there is large backlog of applications to be processed by a limited number of open enrollment centers. In order to prioritize new applicants needing interviews, CBP is asking existing NEXUS and FAST members to refrain from booking an appointment at this time. However, existing members are encouraged to renew their membership before their expiry date on their cards to maintain their membership privileges until able to complete their interviews at a later time.

NEXUS is a program run jointly between the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Customs and Border Protection. It is designed to speed up border crossings for low-risk, pre-approved travelers into Canada and the United States. FAST is a joint program between the CBSA and CBP that enhances border and trade security while making cross-border commercial shipments simpler and subject to fewer delays.

Interested travelers can apply through the Trusted Traveler Programs website. The non-refundable application fee for a five-year FAST membership is $50 and applications must be submitted online. Once the applicant successfully passes a background check, a CBP officer will conduct an interview with the applicant at select locations in the U.S. to make a final eligibility determination.

The CBSA email stated the following:

Dear NEXUS Member,

We wanted to provide you with updates on many developments within the NEXUS program.

NEXUS and FAST interviews will resume at enrolment centres in the United States (US) on November 29, 2021. Applicants wishing to schedule interviews can now do so at their nearest US enrolment centre through the Trusted Traveller Programs system. NEXUS and FAST enrolment centres in Canada continue to be closed.

Existing NEXUS and FAST members who renew their membership before the expiry date on their card will retain membership privileges until they can complete their interview. Please renew your membership before it expires to avoid losing your privileges.

We are pleased to inform you that Toronto Pearson Airport recently installed electronic processing gates (e-gates) for NEXUS travellers. Located in Terminal 1, these new e-gates are reserved for travellers over the age of 16 and utilize RFID chip technology and facial biometrics to expedite your process. Families with children are invited to use the existing NEXUS kiosks for expedited processing. All members are asked to ensure they have activated their membership card in the online membership portal prior to arrival. For information on how to activate your card, please visit CBP Customer Service. For more details on NEXUS air processing, please visit the CBSA NEXUS webpage.

At this time NEXUS services remain available at major international airports and most NEXUS highway lanes. Please consult the NEXUS Land web page for updates and more information.

Before you plan to travel, check to see if you qualify as fully vaccinated, and learn about the mandatory requirements to enter or return to Canada such as having a valid pre-entry COVID-19 molecular test result and submitting your mandatory information into ArriveCAN, including your proof of vaccination. Antigen tests, often called “rapid tests” are not accepted.

Finally, an improved user experience for exempt essential service providers is now available in ArriveCAN. This means that exempt travellers, such as cross-border workers and essential service providers, are able to save time by entering their mandatory information in ArriveCAN once and using the same ArriveCAN receipt for each entry into Canada as long as their information does not change. Travellers using the mobile App must ensure they have the most up-to-date version available in the Google Play Store or the App Store for iPhone.

Please see the provided links for more information on how to schedule an interview.

Disclaimer: The information in this post is provided for general informational purposes only, and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information contained in this post should be construed as legal advice from our firm or the individual author, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through, this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.

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Elizabeth M. Klarin
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