With a huge backlog of applicants to the NEXUS expedited border crossing program, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have developed solutions they say will return the program to “efficient and effective processing.”

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 CBSA says the re-opening of these centres 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.

The CBSA says more Canadian enrolment centres will open at additional select land border crossings in the future.

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).

"NEXUS and FAST are a win-win for Canada and the United States – and we're working hard to find creative solutions to reduce wait times, address the backlog and help more travellers get NEXUS cards, said Marco Mendicino, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety.

“This new, two-step process is further proof of our commitment to it. We'll keep finding solutions that leverage technology and streamline renewals."