There's A Backlog Of Nearly 300K Nexus Applicants Right Now & Here's Why It's So Chaotic

There is currently a backlog of 295,122 people waiting to be approved for the NEXUS program, which makes travelling across the Canada-U.S. border more efficient for some frequent border crossers. Canadian travellers hoping to join might even have to head down south to get their applications processed.

NEXUS is a program organized by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). It allows for express border crossings between the two countries for preapproved "low-risk" travellers.

To be eligible for the program, individuals must send in an application and, if they're approved by both countries, they then have to sit down for a scheduled interview at an enrolment centre.

According to the CBSA, that latter step is what caused the recent major backlog.

As of April 19, 2022, the U.S. reopened its enrolment centres for the first time post-pandemic, and applicants from either side of the border are now able to schedule interviews.

But, Canadian enrolment centres have yet to reopen.

In a statement to Narcity, the CBSA said that "Canada and the U.S. are in discussions about the timing of the reopening of Canadian enrolment centres."

"Until that time, [enrolment centres] in Canada will continue to be closed."

But, for the many Canadians who want to get NEXUS approval, all hope is not lost.

If your need to be interviewed for your NEXUS application, you will have to schedule your interview on the other side of the border.

According to the CBSA, "Canadian citizens and permanent residents can book their enrolment interviews at any U.S. NEXUS [enrolment centre]."

This can be done using the online NEXUS portal.

Additionally, if you already have a NEXUS pass that's about to expire, you can renew it before the expiry date and get a 24-month extension.

While there is no known date for when Canadian enrolment centres are expected to reopen, you can check back at the NEXUS website for regular updates.

This isn't the only long wait that travellers in Canada have had to endure lately. Wait times for passport renewals have been extensive, with some people waiting in line for hours. Some individuals even went as far as paying others to wait in line for them.

Toronto Pearson has also been plagued with long wait times and disorganization due in part to staffing issues and the sheer volume of travellers post-lockdown.