by Bryan Palmer
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has collaborated with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to create a system called NEXUS which allows nationals of both countries to cross the border and quickens immigration to Canada or America. A pilot programme has been in place for nearly a year and it has proved successful enough for the governments of the U.S. and Canada to roll it out. NEXUS currently operates at selected land crossings and airports in the U.S. and Canada, including the Woodstock-Houlton crossing in Belleville.
The way NEXUS works is by allowing U.S. and Canadian citizens to apply for a special card so they can avoid some of the wait at border crossings with NEXUS stations or lanes. The cards use a radio frequency identification chip, which communicates with an antenna at the dedicated NEXUS lane. A unique electronic file number is transmitted to the border services officer so they can review the card-holder’s data. The card-holder then proceeds to the inspection booth for a visual inspection. Unless officers have reason to believe further inspection is necessary, the card-holder will then be free to continue his or her journey across the border. At airports, members use a self-serve kiosk which uses iris identification, in order to skip the primary inspection lines. All potential members of NEXUS are screened by the border agencies of both countries.
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