Ontario Nexus applicants wait in limbo as backlog balloons to more than 333,000

Ontarians applying to renew their Nexus cards might have to wait even longer for an interview as the Canada's border service now estimates the current backlog has grown to 333,500, leaving applicants across the country in limbo.

The Nexus program allows pre-approved Canadians to pass through separate, generally faster lines when travelling to and from the U.S. Each applicant must be assessed for risk by both the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and interviewed. But those approvals haven't been happening since the pandemic began.

"You don't have any ability to contact anybody live to find out what's going on. And that's part of the frustration." said Mississauga resident Keith Lockman, who applied to renew his card in the spring of 2020 but still hasn't been able to schedule an interview.

Lockman is not alone: many in the Greater Toronto Area have been waiting months to formally renew their cards. At the heart of the issue: Canadian enrolment centres, where interviews take place, closed in March 2020 and have not reopened. Some experts suggest it's not just COVID-19 that's behind the backlog, but also an ongoing issue with a pre-clearance agreement between the United States and Canada.

Over his years of travelling, Lockman says the Nexus card has benefited him greatly. 

"I can think of at least two trips where I would have missed a connection in the U.S. if I didn't have the Nexus card, because I could bypass the line," said Lockman, who applied to renew his membership after he got a notice of expiry in April 2020.

He said he received a conditional approval after he applied for renewal and was instructed to set up an interview. The problem is, the interview centres in Canada were shuttered and he wasn't able to schedule one. 

Lockman says he was able to schedule a Nexus interview on the U.S. side at the Rainbow Bridge crossing; however, he says the office changed the days it was open and his interview was cancelled. It closed soon after altogether, and only re-opened in April.

"Even if I wanted to go back, the best I could do would be October and still nothing in Canada" said Lockman. Further complicating the matter is that he's moved to another city since his initial renewal and says he's been unable to reach anyone to confirm his new details.

Toronto resident Mitchell Salz is still waiting for his application to move ahead.

"We're coming up on close to 10 months now, and nothing's happened," said Salz.

He says, unlike Lockman, he never received a notice to renew his Nexus card, and had to apply again after the fact last summer. He says on the online portal it still shows approval of his is pending.

"I've called three times, spoken to somebody each time, and they say that it's going to be delayed and expect it to be at least six months. And that was maybe seven months ago," said Salz.

"I paid the fee last year … If you're going to take the money at least follow through. That's usually common courtesy in any transaction."