Canadian travellers who like to roam to the USA have been left hanging when it comes to renewing their NEXUS passes for a few reasons, according to the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA).
Canadian NEXUS and FAST enrollment centres (ECs) closed on March 19, 2020. The closure was the result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
NEXUS is a joint program operated by the CBSA and United States Customs and Border Protection (US CBP).
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While discussions are being held on reopening Canadian enrollment centres, a few factors are holding things up, with safety being a critical issue, specifically for US customs officers.
“These discussions are focused on clarifying legal protections for US CBP officers while they are working in ECs. Until then, ECs in Canada will continue to be closed,” reads a statement from the CBSA to Daily Hive.
Productive meeting with @SecMayorkas today alongside by colleague @OmarAlghabra about improving travel between Canada and the US, including reopening NEXUS enrolment centres and expanding preclearance. 🇨🇦🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/r85CejMQ30
— Marco Mendicino (@marcomendicino) August 4, 2022
We recently spoke to Len Saunders, an immigration lawyer based in Blaine, and he had some thoughts about the ongoing issue, including suggesting that Americans don’t care.
Saunders confirmed the theory that American customs officers wanting to carry guns at Canadian enrollment centres is at the heart of the issue. Saunders knows American and Canadian officers, and both sides told him it’s because of guns.
“I’ve heard American officers are refusing to do interviews in Canada without having weapons.”
Saunders points out that the only person who has a gun during pre-flight clearance, for example, is an RCMP officer, adding that you’ve already gone through a security checkpoint, significantly reducing the likelihood that you’re a threat.
He mentioned how Trudeau was asked about this issue at a recent press conference and how Trudeau’s answer reflected Canadian values.
Trudeau’s exact words were, “It’s really important that we are able to stay true to our values as Canadians.”
Based on what Saunders told us, it seems like the ball is not in Canada’s court unless they give American officers the right to bear arms on Canadian soil, which Saunders seemed to insinuate was unthinkable.
“These are interviews for trusted travellers. For people who have already been vetted. Why on earth would an American officer need to have a firearm on them during a NEXUS interview in Canada?”
The Canadian American Business Council is also calling on the Canadian government to reopen NEXUS enrollment centres in a campaign called “travel like it’s 2019.”
They’re also calling for the mandatory use of the ArriveCAN app to be scrapped to make travel easier for Canadians. The group says there’s a NEXUS backlog of 350,000 applications, but Saunders indicates that that number could be even higher now.
If you’re still waiting for a Canadian centre to reopen, you’ll likely be waiting a while. So your best and quickest bet is to head to an American centre.
You can find the latest updates from the Government of Canada on this issue here.
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