- Starting April first, twenty twenty-seven, new conditional approvals get two years to schedule a NEXUS enrolment interview.
- Approvals issued before the cutoff keep up to five years, but no later than April first, twenty twenty-nine.
- Applicants must interview with both Canadian and U.S. agencies; adult applications cost one hundred twenty U.S. dollars.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will restore a two-year deadline for applicants to arrange an enrolment interview starting April 1, 2027. Under the revised NEXUS application rules, conditional approval received on or after that date starts the clock, replacing the temporary five-year window introduced during the pandemic.
The date of approval controls. It is not the date an applicant first submits paperwork.
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CBSA described the change as a return to the “original two-year rule.” The agency said it made the temporary extension when interview capacity was constrained and is restoring the earlier period now that capacity has improved.
People already approved get a transition period. Their deadline depends on when approval came through and cannot extend beyond April 1, 2029.
The change concerns how long applicants have to arrange the interview. It does not remove the requirement to complete steps with both countries.
A scheduling deadline and the membership term are separate clocks. The table sets out which scheduling period applies.
The approval date sets the deadline
| Approval date | Time to schedule an interview |
|---|---|
| Before April 1, 2027 | Five years from approval, or April 1, 2029, whichever comes first |
| On or after April 1, 2027 | Two years from the approval date |
Someone approved before the cutoff keeps the longer period, subject to the fixed April 1, 2029 end date. An applicant approved on the cutoff date or later falls under the two-year rule.
That difference makes the approval date the key record to check when working out a deadline. Missing the applicable window can lead to the approval expiring, according to the CBSA guidance.
Applicants still need both countries to finish the process
CBSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) jointly operate NEXUS. Applicants must complete interviews with both agencies before they can receive a membership card.
The Canadian interview takes place at a NEXUS enrolment centre. On the U.S. side, applicants can meet at a CBP enrolment centre or use Enrolment on Arrival.
Officers verify identity, collect fingerprints and ask questions. Both CBSA and CBP officers take part in the process, so scheduling one side does not by itself complete the two-country requirement.
The change sets a limit for arranging the interview; the two-agency review remains part of enrollment. Applicants need to account for both interviews as they move through the process, rather than treating the scheduling deadline as a substitute for either meeting.
The interviews also give each agency a chance to conduct its own review. A card is issued only after the applicant has completed the interviews with both sides.
The interview window is separate from membership and fees
The temporary five-year interview period did not extend the length of NEXUS membership. Memberships remain valid for five years, a separate term from the time an applicant has to book an interview after approval.
The application fee remains US$120 for applicants age 18 and older. Applicants under 18 pay no fee.
Applicants must be admissible to both Canada and the United States and submit complete, accurate information. Customs, immigration, agriculture or certain criminal disqualifications can also affect eligibility.
Those conditions sit alongside the interview steps. Applicants still need to satisfy the requirements of both countries, and the two agencies conduct their interviews before issuing a card.
The CBSA notice describing the change was published in September 2026. It sets out the restored scheduling period and the transition deadline.
