How to Apply for NEXUS in 2026 (Step by Step)

10 min read · Published May 14, 2026

NEXUS is the best deal in trusted-traveler programs if you cross the US-Canada border by car: $120 for 5 years, dedicated land lanes that cut a 90-minute wait to under 10, plus all the airport benefits of Global Entry and TSA PreCheck. Catch: the application is paperwork-heavy and currently takes 6-9 months end-to-end. This guide walks through every step.

Verify timelines before you apply. Fee and processing times below are current as of early 2026, but they change. The authoritative source is the Trusted Traveler Programs portal. If your math depends on a specific date — wait until you have your card before you book a non-refundable trip.

The 30-second answer

  1. Create a Trusted Traveler account at ttp.cbp.dhs.gov (use Login.gov).
  2. Pay $120 and submit the application — includes 5 years of address, employment, and travel history.
  3. Wait 6-8 months for "conditional approval" (both CBP and CBSA run background checks).
  4. Schedule your interview at a NEXUS enrollment center — or skip the wait by using Enrollment on Arrival at a participating airport.
  5. Show up to the interview with documents (passport, second ID, proof of address).
  6. Card arrives 1-4 weeks after the interview. You're "in" the moment the interview ends.

Total time from application to using the lane: usually 7-10 months if you go the regular route, 4-6 months if Enrollment on Arrival works for you.

Who's eligible

NEXUS is a joint program between US Customs and Border Protection and the Canada Border Services Agency. To apply you must be one of:

  • A US citizen or US lawful permanent resident,
  • A Canadian citizen or Canadian permanent resident, or
  • A Mexican national who is also a member of Viajero Confiable.

Children of any age can apply (no minimum), but they need their own separate application. Children's applications are free for Canadian applicants and free for US applicants up through age 17 (no fee for under-18 applicants is the current rule — verify).

Reasons you'll be denied include:

  • Past criminal convictions (especially anything involving fraud, customs violations, drugs, or violent offenses — even decades ago).
  • Outstanding warrants or pending charges in any country.
  • Past customs or immigration violations (anywhere in the world).
  • Providing false information on the application.
  • Not having a verifiable address history of at least 5 years.

Disclose everything. CBP and CBSA cross-check against federal and provincial records; the single most common cause of denial isn't the past incident, it's failing to mention it. Old charges that were dismissed, expunged, or pardoned still need to be disclosed and will usually result in approval anyway — but hiding them gets you banned for 5+ years.

Step 1 — Create a Trusted Traveler account

Start at ttp.cbp.dhs.gov and create an account. Use the Login.gov option rather than the legacy direct login — Login.gov is more reliable, supports proper 2FA, and consolidates with other US federal services you may already have accounts for.

Account creation requires:

  • Email address you'll keep access to for the full 5-year membership.
  • Phone number capable of receiving SMS for 2FA.
  • Basic identity info (name, date of birth).

Save your password somewhere durable — you'll need to log back in for interview scheduling months later.

Step 2 — Submit the application

The application asks for a lot of history. Pull it all together before you start the form — saving and resuming works but is brittle. You'll need:

  • 5 years of address history — every place you've lived, with dates and full street address.
  • 5 years of employment history — every job, with dates, employer name, and supervisor (where applicable).
  • 5 years of travel history — every country you've visited and the approximate date. International border crossings only — domestic doesn't count.
  • Passport numbers and expiration dates for every passport you currently hold (including dual citizens with two).
  • Driver's license information.
  • Vehicle information — make/model/year/VIN of vehicles you'll use to cross. (Required for NEXUS at the time of interview, not application — but the form may ask.)
  • Complete arrest, citation, or violation history in any country — including dismissed charges, expunged convictions, DUIs, and minor citations. Disclose everything.

Pay the $120 non-refundable fee by credit card. The fee is the same whether you're approved or denied.

Common application gotchas

  • Travel history asks for the approximate date — "March 2021" is fine, exact dates aren't required. Don't stress over precision; do err toward over-disclosure on the list of countries.
  • Employment history doesn't need supervisor phone numbers for every job, but having them in a side document helps if you're asked at the interview.
  • If you lived abroad during the 5-year window, list the foreign address — the system handles it.
  • Married names: list both your current legal name and any prior names (maiden name, court-ordered changes) so the background check can resolve.

Step 3 — Wait for conditional approval

CBP and CBSA both run background checks. The combined process takes 6-8 months as of early 2026 — significantly longer than the 2-4 weeks the program used to take pre-pandemic. The application status in the TTP portal will update through several stages:

  • Pending Review — Submitted, waiting for an agent to pick it up.
  • Under Review — An agent is actively working it.
  • Conditionally Approved — Background checks cleared by both CBP and CBSA. You can now schedule an interview.
  • Pending Interview — Conditional approval has been granted; the system is waiting for you to book.

Status updates also go to the email on your TTP account, so you don't have to check the portal constantly. That said, glancing at the portal once a month is reasonable.

If your application is denied instead of approved, you'll see a denial letter in the portal explaining why. The most common reasons are background-check hits — sometimes the resolution is obvious (a 1995 misdemeanor that was supposed to be expunged but wasn't), and sometimes you can appeal via the CBP Trusted Traveler Ombudsman.

Step 4 — Schedule the interview

Once conditionally approved, you have 30 days to start scheduling an interview (or the system reminds you). The interview itself can be months out.

Interview locations are NEXUS enrollment centers, all along the US-Canada border. The current list is in the TTP portal when you go to schedule. Wait times vary dramatically:

  • Major centers near big cities (Blaine WA, Champlain NY, Buffalo NY) often book 2-6 months out.
  • Smaller centers (Sault Ste. Marie MI, Sweetgrass MT, smaller Maine ports) sometimes have appointments within a week or two.
  • If you can travel to a distant enrollment center, you can often save months over your local one. Some applicants drive across multiple states for a faster interview.

Slots open up as people cancel; checking the portal every day or two for a week can shake loose a cancellation. Third-party "appointment scanner" services exist that watch for slots and alert you, but they're not endorsed by CBP.

Step 5 — Try Enrollment on Arrival to skip the interview wait

This is the most underused option in NEXUS application. CBP's Enrollment on Arrival program lets conditionally-approved applicants complete their interview when they're already at a participating US airport, preclearance facility, or land crossing.

How it works:

  1. You're conditionally approved.
  2. You have an existing international trip planned (or you make one).
  3. On arrival, look for the EoA station after deplaning (most major US international airports have one) or pull into the EoA lane (most NEXUS-equipped land crossings).
  4. The CBP officer there conducts the US portion of the interview on the spot — no appointment.
  5. For NEXUS specifically, you may need to separately complete the Canadian portion at a CBSA-staffed center, though CBP and CBSA have been rolling out a two-step process where both can be done asynchronously at different locations.

EoA participation has expanded significantly. If you fly internationally before your scheduled interview rolls around, this is by far the fastest path.

Step 6 — The interview

The full NEXUS interview takes about 30 minutes at an enrollment center: a CBSA officer interviews you, then a CBP officer interviews you, then they take fingerprints and a photo.

Bring with you:

  • Your valid passport(s).
  • A second government-issued photo ID — driver's license is fine.
  • Proof of residence — a recent utility bill, lease, or mortgage statement showing the address on your application.
  • Your conditional approval letter — printed from the portal.
  • Your vehicle registration if you'll be cross-checking vehicles on your account (NEXUS, unlike SENTRI, doesn't require this but the officer may ask).

Typical interview questions:

  • Why do you want NEXUS?
  • How often do you cross the border?
  • Have you ever been denied entry to any country?
  • Have you ever been arrested, even if dismissed?
  • Confirm the addresses and employers on your application.

Answer honestly and concisely. Officers aren't trying to trip you up — they're confirming the application is yours and your story is consistent. The interview is functionally a verification step, not an interrogation. Treat it that way: brief, accurate answers.

Step 7 — Get your card

Approval is verbal at the end of the interview — you're functionally in the program the moment you walk out. The physical NEXUS card arrives by mail in 1-4 weeks at the US address on your application (Canadian applicants get theirs sent to a Canadian address).

You don't need the physical card to use airport benefits — your PASSID (in the portal) is your TSA PreCheck Known Traveler Number, and Global Entry kiosks recognize you by fingerprint. You do need the physical card to use the NEXUS lanes at land crossings.

Renewals — easier than the first application

Your NEXUS card is valid for 5 years from the date of issuance (printed on the card, also in the portal). The TTP portal will email you starting 6 months before expiration. To renew:

  1. Log into the portal and start a renewal application.
  2. Confirm your information (most fields prefilled from your prior application).
  3. Pay $120.
  4. Background checks re-run — typically 1-3 months for renewals rather than 6-9 months for new applicants.
  5. In most cases no new interview is required. Card arrives 1-2 weeks after final approval.

Renew before your card expires. If you let it lapse, your next application is treated as a new application — full background check, full interview, full waiting period. Renew at least 6 months before expiration to be safe.

Common mistakes that cost you the application

  • Not disclosing old citations. If a background check finds a record you didn't disclose, that's a denial — even if the underlying matter was minor enough that disclosure would have meant approval. Disclose everything.
  • Inconsistent addresses. If your application says you lived at 123 Main St 2019-2022 but your driver's license shows a different address during that window, the verification fails. Make sure every system you're in agrees.
  • Crossing the border during conditional approval and "testing" the lane. You can't use the NEXUS lane until the interview is complete. Trying to use it before earns a violation record.
  • Bringing the wrong vehicle through the lane after enrollment. Unlike SENTRI, NEXUS doesn't tie cards to specific vehicles, but the system checks who's in the car. If you're in a friend's car and they're not NEXUS, the lane is off-limits — at minimum the officer routes you out; at worst a violation goes on your record.

Bottom line

NEXUS is a 30-minute interview, $120, and 6-12 months of patience. Apply early, disclose everything, try Enrollment on Arrival if you have a trip planned, and renew well before your card expires. The resulting time savings — often hours per crossing at busy ports — pay for the application many times over within the first year.

Already have NEXUS and want to see when to use it? Look up your crossing on the homepage — the NEXUS lane is listed separately from the standard lane so you can compare the savings at a glance. For more on which trusted-traveler program to pick, see our comparison guide.