Passengers traveling to the US have been delayed due to the NEXUS dispute at the Canadian border. (Lucas … [+]
NEXUS, a widely used and well-received program to facilitate travel from Canada to the United States, has been put on hold due to a longstanding dispute between U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Canadian authorities. NEXUS is an immigration program designed for frequent travelers between the United States and Canada that includes expedited transit at land, sea and air borders. In addition to offering the same benefits as Global Entry for entry into the U.S., the NEXUS Card is a broader program that includes other countries, is cheaper, and allows for both air and car travel between the two countries. Yes. Once approved to participate in NEXUS, applicants will receive an ID card that can be used to enter the United States and Canada at designated NEXUS ports of entry by air, land, or sea. The key is entries to the Canadian component that are not part of the Global Entry.
Membership in NEXUS is relatively easy and so far Canadians apply from the US.
Benefits of NEXUS
Membership in the NEXUS program allows successful applicants to use dedicated processing lanes at border crossings, use NEXUS kiosks when entering Canada, use Global Entry kiosks when entering the United States, and use sea phone calls to: You can shorten the waiting time at the designated port of entry. A reporting center that reports maritime arrivals to the United States and Canada.
nature of conflict
However, the controversy has led to the closure of 13 NEXUS registration centers in Canada. The disagreement is that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) personnel would be given the same legal protections within Canada’s Nexus facilities that they currently enjoy at ports of entry, such as Canadian airports and the Canadian-U.S. border. It’s about whether you should Canadian officials don’t understand why they have extra protection in such offices, but Americans don’t know how they can do their job otherwise.
NEXUS process
As far as such application is concerned, the process includes completing a questionnaire to determine eligibility, paying the fee, and attending an interview at the NEXUS office. To prove NEXUS eligibility, applicants must submit documents such as a valid passport, valid driver’s license, and possibly other identification.
Naturally, applications will be denied if the applicant has a criminal record or had immigration issues prior to applying. The same is true if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the applicant may be confused with terrorism, espionage, war crimes, etc. Or overthrow.
US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen was informed of the NEXUS dispute by Canadians. … [+]
Business Council Complaint
The Canadian Business Council recently issued a letter to U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David Cohen, expressing concern about the continued closure of Nexus’ Trusted Traveler program. CEO Goldy Hyder said it was “extremely worrying” that the US government had not reopened his Nexus enrollment centers.
Is the dispute about firearms?
The debate over whether US officers can carry firearms in NEXUS offices appears to be over, according to reports, but that is not the case. In practice, there is disagreement about extending immunity from prosecution. The United States has reportedly argued that Nexus office employees deserve the same level of protection as diplomats from Canadian prosecution while working in Canada.
American jurisdiction
To get a clearer picture of what’s at stake in the NEXUS controversy, it’s helpful to understand how pre-clearance at Canadian airports works. Theoretically, the area beyond the entrance to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance kiosk is closed and is theoretically a US jurisdiction. Legally speaking, when you do a deal with an American officer through pre-clearance, that person is no longer in Canada, but in the United States. For this to work, both countries had to agree that USCBP personnel would be exempt from prosecution for performing their duties on the same level that American diplomats are recognized in Canada.
Canada’s reluctance to extend the exemption in this way stems from what appear to be concerns or legal obstacles to extending US jurisdiction to Canada. The point was complex and seemed to be more theoretical than practical, so it was not easy to solve. There seems to be hope that the dispute can still be resolved, perhaps even before President Biden’s visit to Canada has been promised.