British Columbians hoping to get their fingers on a NEXUS card to ease cross -border journey lastly have an enrolment choice in Metro Vancouver, although the method won’t be as straightforward as some had been hoping.
The NEXUS enrolment centre on the Vancouver Worldwide Airport (YVR) reopened on Monday, and the Canada Border Service Company says it hopes the power will assist clear an enormous backlog of purposes that’s piled up over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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“We’re going to have extra interviews opening up from Might onwards and our operation shall be operating seven days every week,” mentioned CBSA Performing Chief of Operations at YVR Manbir Moore.
“So slowly however absolutely it will assist with the backlog and we’ll catch up.”
Would-be candidates, nonetheless, are being warned that the airport enrolment centre operates as a two-step course of.
Candidates will need to have a legitimate flight ticket to a U.S. vacation spot booked on the identical date as their interview with CBSA officers. They have to then proceed by way of safety as regular, and conduct a second interview with a U.S. official within the U.S. pre-clearance space of the airport.

NEXUS enrolment centres have been closed since March 2020 because of the pandemic, and as of March 1 the estimated NEXUS waitlist sat at 269,000.
The U.S. absolutely reopened its 13 NEXUS enrolment workplaces final April, however Canada’s 13 amenities haven’t resumed joint interviews with U.S. and Canadian officers amid a dispute over authorized protections for American customs officers in Canada, together with the authority to have the ability to carry a gun.
For the final yr, that has left would-be candidates in B.C. with a single choice — attending the U.S. border crossing at Blaine for a joint interview with U.S. and Canadian border officers.
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Len Saunders, an immigration lawyer primarily based in Blaine Washington, advised International Information the reopening of airport enrolment centres could assist to chip away on the backlog, however that he’s already listening to a variety of confusion in regards to the two-step course of.
“You first need to ebook a flight on the identical day as your Canadian NEXUS interview, time that out, then it’s a must to undergo safety. That will take an hour or so since you don’t have a NEXUS card. You then go and converse to an American officer,” he mentioned.
“So that you’re ready on your second interview after you’ve gone by way of customs, your aircraft could also be taking off quickly, and now it’s a must to try this second interview and hopefully not miss your flight … looks as if a variety of leaping by way of hoops.”

Saunders mentioned the two-step course of will seemingly work for individuals who journey continuously to the U.S. and have flexibility about after they can ebook their flights.
However he mentioned he had questions on how many individuals could find yourself finishing their Canadian interview, however not the second half within the U.S. pre-clearance space.
“I don’t know what’s going to occur to these folks, in the event that they’re going to be put behind the road and need to reapply,” he mentioned.
“I believe it’s going to make lots of people pissed off.”
Moore mentioned anybody reserving their appointment on the YVR NEXUS workplace will get an e mail with clear instructions, and urged them to learn the data all through.
You possibly can study extra about learn how to apply for or renew a NEXUS card on the CBSA’s web site.
— with recordsdata from Emily Mertz
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