New deadlines for Canadians applying for Nexus travel cards were announced by the Canada Border Services Agency. Here’s everything you need to know. Starting April 1, 2027, applicants must schedule their enrolment interviews within two years of receiving conditional approval, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said Thursday in a news release. This is an update from the five-year timeframe CBSA temporarily extended due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Now with more enrolment interview capacity available, the two-year deadline is returning,” the agency said. According to CBSA, applicants who were conditionally approved before April 1, 2027 must schedule their interview within five years of their approval date, or by April 1, 2029, depending on which day comes first. For anyone still waiting for an interview, CBSA said to “book your appointment as soon as possible so your application does not expire.” After submitting an application, would-be Nexus travellers need to schedule an interview with both CBSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBSA says that both border agencies will conduct fingerprinting, identity verification and questioning from both CBSA and CBP officers. Nexus cards expedite the border clearance process for travellers between Canada and the U.S. and may grant access to priority lanes at certain points of entry. T Travellers are also granted TSA PreCheck in the U.S. and Global Entry benefits. Nexus memberships are valid for five years and require a US$120 application fee. Every traveller in a party needs their own card, although the fee is waived for children. Nexus applications in Canada dropped by around 50 per cent in 2025 amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war against Ottawa. In 2024, 695,533 Canadians applied for membership, but in 2025, that number dropped to 344,257. With files from CTVNewsCalgary.ca reporter Timm Bruch
