Canadian airports are advising travellers to brace for longer wait times as the partial U. S. government shutdown has forced the closure of NEXUS and Global Entry pre-clearance programs for U. S.-bound flights. Airports in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, and Montreal all posted advisories on Sunday, warning passengers to expect delays when passing through U. S. Customs.
Vancouver International Airport explicitly linked the program suspensions to the ongoing U. S. government shutdown, noting on its website that NEXUS and Global Entry access is suspended until further notice. Calgary International Airport, in an email to The Canadian Press, stated that NEXUS is managed by U. S. Customs and Border Protection and that the airport had no further information.
The partial U. S. government shutdown began on February 14th after Democrats and the White House failed to reach an agreement on funding for the Department of Homeland Security. The dispute stems from disagreements over immigration enforcement reforms. The Department of Homeland Security announced the shutdown of the Global Entry program, though an earlier announcement about suspending TSA PreCheck was reversed.
NEXUS allows pre-screened travellers expedited processing when entering the U. S. and Canada, with dedicated kiosks at airports. The closure of these lanes will likely cause significant delays for Canadian travellers who rely on the program to expedite border crossings. A spokeswoman for the Canada Border Services Agency referred questions about the pre-clearance closure to American authorities.
