Clear Nexus backlog by conducting interviews over Zoom, U.S. lawmaker proposes

Legislation has been introduced in Washington that, if passed, would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to deploy video conferencing to replace in-person interviews.

A New York congressman wants to add some Zoom to the sluggish effort to clear a bilateral backlog of Nexus trusted-traveller applications.

Rep. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.), a frequent champion of streamlined travel between Canada and the United States, introduced legislation on Capitol Hill that, if passed, would require the Department of Homeland Security to deploy video conferencing to replace in-person interviews.

The bill, dubbed the “Make Nexus Work Act,” is just the latest response to a long-standing legal and jurisdictional glitch that prolonged the pandemic-driven closure of Nexus enrolment centres in Canada for nearly a year and brought the vetting process of applicants to a standstill.

“We’ve always looked at infrastructure, including technology, as a way to expedite the customs process at the border,” Higgins said in an interview.

On the U.S. side, where enrolment centres have been open since April 2022, what had been a 16-month wait between making an application and receiving a Nexus card is now down to between 12 and 14 months, he added. The backlog of applicants has been reduced by more than 100,000.

“But we can certainly do better, and I think one of the ways you can do better is through the interview process taking place virtually.”

Higgins also cited a pilot project U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched in 2021, with U.S. centres still closed by COVID-19, that allowed agents to meet virtually with existing trusted-traveller members, including Nexus card holders, in order to process renewals.

“It’s pretty simple — it’s not novel,” he said of the two-page bill. “It’s in place for the trusted-traveller program, so why wouldn’t we expand it to include Nexus?”