Canadians are about to start paying a lot more to get a Nexus pass as a substantial fee increase comes into effect next month.
The Nexus program allows Canadians who travel to the US often to cross the US-Canada border more quickly and easily. The application fee currently stands at US$50 (C$68), but according to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), it will more than double in just a couple of weeks to US$120 (C$163.16).
The CBSA announced the upcoming fee changes in April and said it will apply to new applications, renewals, and replacements starting October 1, 2024.
Government of Canada
The agency said the Nexus program is in “high demand” and that the current $50 fee has been in place for over 20 years and “no longer covers the cost of the program.” As of April, the CBSA said Nexus had over 1.8 million members, most of whom were Canadians.
The price increase would help keep up with the volume of applicants, cover the cost of administering the program, and further invest in and improve technology and infrastructure.
The new fee would be US$24 (C$32.64) per year for the five-year Nexus membership.
However, the fee increase is subject to approval of regulatory amendments in the US and Canada.
Between April 2023 and April 2024, the CBSA received over 510,000 applications and conducted over 10,000 interviews every two weeks.
During that time, the CBSA and the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) expanded hours of service at enrolment centres in both Canada and the US to add more interview appointments. Canadian airport enrolment centres were also reopened across the country.
The CBSA said it anticipated an increase in applications between April and October 2024 and encouraged applicants to book their interviews as soon as possible. More information on the application process can be found here.
If you’ve submitted your application and paid the current US$50 fee but haven’t completed your enrolment interviews by October 1, 2024, you will not have to pay the US$120 fee.
Are you a frequent traveller between Canada and the US? Do you think the new Nexus fee is fair? Sound off in the comments, or send us an email at [email protected].
With files from Daily Hive’s Simran Singh