Staff Writer
HOULTON — Frequent cross-border travelers have one more option to explore when choosing proper identification for both the United States and Canadian customs.
NEXUS is a partnership program between the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP). It is designed to provide border clearance for low-risk, pre-approved travelers into both countries. This means that NEXUS cardholders can clear the border faster.
Passport rules and tighter border restrictions have been a factor since the attacks of 9/11. The Department of Homeland Security has been pushing for more security measures at the Canadian border, which is the largest border lining the United States. Lawmakers have argued that passport options are far too expensive, especially for frequent travelers and their families. With the NEXUS card, the expenses are more manageable for those who qualify.
Adults who qualify pay a one-time fee of $50 U.S. or $80 Canadian. The NEXUS is good for a five-year term and is available to children under 18 for free, which eliminates the burden of additional costs for larger families.
According to information listed on the NEXUS Web site, in order to qualify for a NEXUS card, applicants must be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada or the U.S. and have lived in either country continuously for the last three years.
Those who do not qualify for the NEXUS pass are those who are inadmissible to Canada or the United States under applicable immigration laws; those who provide false or incomplete information on their application; individuals who have been convicted of a criminal offence, in any country, for which they have not received a pardon (for U.S. background checks applicants may be questioned about full criminal history, including arrests and pardons, which may exclude them from NEXUS); have been found in violation of customs or immigration law; or have failed to meet other requirements of NEXUS.
Both Canada and the United States must approve all applications. Those who do not meet the specified requirements of the NEXUS application will be denied.
Memberships for the card are approved at an enrollment center. Children under 18 must be accompanied by at least one custodial parent and proof of custody must be shown. Applicants will be subject to an interview — those living in Canada will be interviewed by a U.S. CBP officer and those residing in the U.S. will be interviewed by a CBSA officer. The officer will review the information, verify identity, review original documents such as proof of citizenship, residency, work permits and visas; finalize eligibility requirements and take the applicant’s fingerprints.
Those qualifying for the NEXUS card will be shown how to use the self-serve kiosks for the air, land and marine travel. Members using the air mode can enter Canada using the kiosks regardless of where they are coming from. For example, a NEXUS member returning from France arriving in Montreal can use the self-serve kiosk.
NEXUS cardholders could still be subjected to random search while passing through border stations. The process to determine eligibility takes six to eight weeks.
For more information on how to apply call 1-866-NEXUS-26 or go online to www.nexus.gc.ca.
