Canadian Trucking News: Canada suspends NEXUS/FAST interviews indefinitely Due To The Covid-19 Omnicron Variant

[Mike]

The Canada Border Services Agency announced on Monday, Dec. 20, the suspension of all NEXUS/FAST interviews at enrollment centers in the United States until further notice.

The Canadian agency cited an updated travel advisory for Canadians to avoid nonessential travel outside of Canada because of the surge in omicron variant COVID-19 cases.

NEXUS is a program run jointly between the Canadian border agency and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is designed to speed up border crossings for low-risk, pre-approved travelers into Canada and the United States. The FAST – or Free And Secure Trade – program is a joint program between the CBSA and CBP that enhances border and trade security while making cross-border commercial shipments simpler and subject to fewer delays.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reopened its U.S.-based NEXUS and FAST enrollment centers on Nov. 29.

Canada suspends NEXUS/FAST interviews indefinitely

Canada has suspended interviews for the programs designed to speed up border crossings, including the FAST program for commercial traffic.

landline.media

 

[Rigjockey]

Just adding fuel to the fire of the cross border driver shortage looming with the Biden vaccine mandate coming into effect Jan 15/2022.
Many drivers don't have a passport and only use their FAST card well, if you can't interview to renew or interview to qualify, you no cross the border.

 

[Electric Chicken]

So USA-ians will be the ones running all the freight? If they can get their fast whatever on this side but the metrics can't...

Or am I misunderstanding this entire thing?

 

[Rigjockey]

So USA-ians will be the ones running all the freight? If they can get their fast whatever on this side but the metrics can't...

Or am I misunderstanding this entire thing?

That is a very good question.
That part I am not sure of because I have not heard anything aboot the US side for FAST. I don't know if they are open or closed.


(To get a FAST card they do a back ground check EXACTLY like the background check for a TWIC card and then you interview with a Canada customs border agent and then an a 'Murican border agent.)

 

[Sinister]

Just adding fuel to the fire of the cross border driver shortage looming with the Biden vaccine mandate coming into effect Jan 15/2022.
Many drivers don't have a passport and only use their FAST card well, if you can't interview to renew or interview to qualify, you no cross the border.

As of tonight Bidens vaccine mandate is tied up in SCOTUS. Enforcement is suspended pending the hearing in Jan 7.

 

[Rigjockey]

As of tonight Bidens vaccine mandate is tied up in SCOTUS. Enforcement is suspended pending the hearing in Jan 7.

That is good news for freedom!

 

[Phantom Trucker]

I was able to renew my FAST card earlier this year and it happened pretty quick too. (I think start to finish was less than a month).

I was also surprised to see that they keep your original expiry month no matter when you renew. My expiry was set for October 2021, I applied for a renewal in January 2021 and by early February I received my new FAST card and it expires in October 2026.

 

[RocketScott]

My Nexus card expired in September but they are still allowing it to work since they were backlogged with interviews and now shut down. I submitted a renewal application last summer and haven't heard boo from them

 

[389 Hood]

The Americans and Canadians can't do business with each other because of some idiotic border rules, yet the Southern border is wide open to any dumbshit that wants to walk/ride/swim across it. This government really sucks. All of it, not just a select few.

 

[Rigjockey]

My Nexus card expired in September but they are still allowing it to work since they were backlogged with interviews and now shut down. I submitted a renewal application last summer and haven't heard boo from them

That is cool man. I was wondering if they would just honor expired FAST Cards until thing get sorted out.

 

[Rigjockey]

The Americans and Canadians can't do business with each other because of some idiotic border rules, yet the Southern border is wide open to any dumbshit that wants to walk/ride/swim across it. This government really sucks. All of it, not just a select few.

This is pretty unprecedented, the longest undefended border in the world closed for the first time, in hundreds of years, by both sides for non essential travel.
I am sure this will go down in the history books, just for something that was notable in history.
I mean there is no ill will from either side. I wonder if students in history will get the gravity of this hopefully once in a lifetime occurrence?

 

[Electric Chicken]

Does this mean I can just run it a la Bridge Too Far?