Planning to Enter Canada with a NEXUS Card in 2021?

Planning to Enter Canada with a NEXUS Card in 2021?

Thousands of visitors and business travelers expect to come to Canada and the United States post Covid-19 travel restrictions. But if someone wants to speed up crossing the Canadian border, they may think of applying for pre-screening programs such as Nexus. According to the Canada Border Services Agency, 1.4 million of the 1.7 million NEXUS cardholders are Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

However, recently many Nexus cardholders raised their concerns when their card got revoked for trivial reasons. Considering this, Canadian officials announced to bring some notable changes to the Nexus Program so that travelers have the flexibility to reapply in this situation.

Nexus- an Overview

Nexus is one of the most trusted and popular pre-screening traveler programs, which provides cardholders with expedite clearance through security screening and immigration across 200 airports in Canada and the U.S. The card is very beneficial for frequent travelers or individuals who want to avoid long queues at the airport. Immigration officials consider NEXUS cardholders as low-risk travelers. It also helps them focus on unknown and potentially high-risk travelers only.

With just a one-time fee, Nexus cardholders can enjoy crossing privileges across several ports of entry where the card is valid. Canada Border Services Agency and US Custom and Border Protection (CBP) work to manage the Nexus program to simplify the border processing while ensuring only low-risk, pre-approved travelers come to Canada and the United States (U.S.).

Why is the Nexus Membership worth it?

Membership in the NEXUS program allows you to reduce your wait times at designated ports of entry by:

• using dedicated processing lanes at land border crossings,
• using NEXUS kiosks when entering Canada,
• using Global Entry kiosk when entering the United States, and
• calling a marine telephone reporting center to report your arrival in the United States and Canada

 

Eligibility requirements to apply for NEXUS

 You must be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada or the U.S., or a Mexican national who is also a member of the Viajero Confiable program. Permanent residents of Canada and the U.S. must have lived as legal residents of Canada or the U.S. for a minimum of three years before the day of application. However, they can exempt from the three-year rule if they meet the following conditions:

• Individuals serving in the American armed forces in a foreign country, or
• Individuals who are a family member of a person who is a member of the Canadian or American armed forces serving in a foreign country, or
• Individuals who are a family member of a person serving at a Canadian or American diplomatic mission or consular post in a foreign country.

Both Canada and the United States must approve your application.

To apply for the Nexus card, one must:

• Be admissible to Canada and the U.S.
• Provide accurate and complete information on their application
• Have violated customs regulations and were not convicted of an indictable offense for Canadians or a felony for U.S citizens.
• Meet all other requirements of NEXUS

Individuals convicted of serious crimes are not eligible for NEXUS. The same is with the U.S., where the officials conduct thorough background checks, including criminal offenses, arrests, pardons, etc.

How to apply?

 Applicants applying for the Nexus card can visit the Department of Homeland Security Trusted Travel Programs webpage. While doing so, make sure you provide a correct answer to every question. Failure to do so results in application rejection.

All applicants must submit their personal information, including details related to passport, driver’s license, employment-related information, travel history, etc. It also requires individuals to fill out a unique application, including children. However, the $50 processing fee will not apply to individuals below 18 years.

A valid credit card is required to pay the non-refundable processing fee of US$50.

How quickly your request for the Nexus card approves depends a lot on the time you applied. The application gets approved within weeks, while for others, it can take months to process. So, it is advised to apply for the Nexus membership three or four months before the next trip.

New Rules for Nexus Card Violations

There are instances where immigration officials may reject your application or revoke your Nexus card. This can happen due to various reasons such as false information, violation of customs rules, or inappropriate use of the card. Fortunately, you can now appeal these decisions to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

How to appeal?

To appeal your NEXUS card cancellation, you may either:

Submit an E-appeal, or

Submit a request in writing to:

Recourse Directorate

Canada Border Services Agency

333 North River Road, Tower A, 11^Th Floor

Ottawa, ON K1A 0L8

This request must be filed within 90 days from the date of rejection or cancellation. While appealing, don’t forget to state why your request is for review and provide solid reasons for why the decision should be reversed.

For more information you can contact with our immigration experts at 8595338595 or mail us at [email protected]