Friday, March 29, 2024
ADVT 
National

U.S., Canada unveil details of new Nexus scheme

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 25 Jan, 2023 04:25 PM
  • U.S., Canada unveil details of new Nexus scheme

WASHINGTON - Canada and the United States are laying out the details of their new bilateral workaround for the Nexus trusted-traveller system.

The biggest change, to take effect in the spring, will allow U.S. border agents to interview Nexus applicants at select Canadian airports before boarding a U.S.-bound flight.

That will happen only after applicants take part in a separate, appointment-only interview with Canadian agents at a Nexus airport enrolment centre.

The Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are urging travellers to allow extra time for the U.S. interview, which will not require an appointment.

A new enrolment centre staffed by officials from both agencies is also being set up in Ogdensburg, N.Y., near the Prescott, Ont., land entry point south of Ottawa.

Eligible airports — where passengers can pre-clear U.S. customs — are in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Winnipeg.

"The U.S. portion of the Nexus interview will be conducted by CBP officers in the preclearance area of a Canadian airport before the applicant departs for the United States," the two agencies say in a news release.

"Applicants will not need to schedule appointments for the U.S. interview but are encouraged to build in time to their travel plans to allow for this interview to take place before their departure."

Existing Nexus members who renew their cards before they expire will have their benefits extended for up to five years to allow time for the interview process, if necessary.

The news release also confirms that the two countries are exploring whether to expand the new "split interview" process now in place at the Thousand Islands and Peace Bridge land entry points in Ontario.

That process requires applicants to submit to an interview with Canadian agents before crossing the border to sit down with their U.S. counterparts.

The agencies say they have completed more than 200,000 enrolments since Oct. 1 and reduced the application backlog by 100,000 since it peaked last summer.

The U.S. also has 13 enrolment centres where applicants have the option to schedule same-day interviews with agents from both countries.

While those centres reopened in April after closing during the COVID-19 pandemic, most enrolment centres in Canada remain closed for lack of U.S. agents to staff them.

Customs and Border Protection has refused to provide agents to work on Canadian soil without a guarantee they would receive the same legal protections and authority afforded to their counterparts working at the land border or airport preclearance windows.

"CBP officers conducting trusted-traveller program enrolment in the preclearance areas of Canadian airports for travellers departing for the United States will have the same legal authorities as when performing other preclearance functions," the release says.

That, the two countries agree, constitutes "preclearance activity" as spelled out in the 2015 agreement that allows the system to operate.

"Therefore, in the future, should Canada conduct preclearance in the United States, CBSA officers performing Nexus enrolment in those preclearance areas for travellers departing for Canada would similarly be covered by the provisions of the (agreement)."

MORE National ARTICLES

BOC hikes rates for 8th consecutive time, key interest rate at 4.5%

BOC hikes rates for 8th consecutive time, key interest rate at 4.5%
Inflation is projected to come down significantly this year. Lower energy prices, improvements in global supply conditions, and the effects of higher interest rates on demand are expected to bring CPI inflation down to around 3% in the middle of this year and back to the 2% target in 2024.

BOC hikes rates for 8th consecutive time, key interest rate at 4.5%

Industry committee meeting on Rogers-Shaw deal

Industry committee meeting on Rogers-Shaw deal
Speakers at the meeting include members of the Competition Bureau, outside competition experts and company representatives including Rogers chief executive Tony Staffieri. The meeting comes a day after the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by the Competition Bureau to overturn the Competition Tribunal's approval of the deal.

Industry committee meeting on Rogers-Shaw deal

Pressure builds on Canada to send tanks to Ukraine

Pressure builds on Canada to send tanks to Ukraine
The goal is for Germany and its allies to provide Ukraine with 88 of the German-made Leopards, which would make up two battalions. While the Canadian Armed Forces has 112 Leopard 2s in a number of different variations, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to say this morning whether Canada will send any of them to Ukraine.

Pressure builds on Canada to send tanks to Ukraine

Trudeau, premiers to meet on health-care deal

Trudeau, premiers to meet on health-care deal
The prime minister announced the planned meeting during a news conference Wednesday morning in Hamilton, Ont., where the Liberal cabinet is finishing a three-day retreat ahead of the return of Parliament next week.

Trudeau, premiers to meet on health-care deal

Plan around challenging avalanche season: survivor

Plan around challenging avalanche season: survivor
Experts have compared this year's snowpack, with a weak layer of sugar-like crystals buried near the bottom, to that of 2003, when avalanches in Western Canada killed 29 people, most of them in B.C. Five people have died in three B.C. avalanches so far this January.

Plan around challenging avalanche season: survivor

B.C. sets aside some timber supply for value-added

B.C. sets aside some timber supply for value-added
Forests Minister Bruce Ralston says the goal is to build a stronger, more resilient forest industry with value-added products such as mass timber, plywood, veneer, panelling and flooring. The statement says the program will be restricted to those facilities that have minimal or no forestry tenure and are approved as a value-added manufacturer.

B.C. sets aside some timber supply for value-added