Originally Posted by
hedoman
Just received new passport and am ready to apply for NEXUS, or should it be GE? Would like to have whatever by March 15.
SFO for GE would be a breeze. NEXUS at SEA not too difficult, but what about the iris scan?
Is there more to a backround check than the obvious criminal/DMV scan?
Thanks!
For the iris scan - You don't need it to have NEXUS, just to use the air portion. You can do your interview, then the next time you are at or near a port with the iris camera, you just drop in without an appointment and get it done. It takes 5 minutes or less. I made the mistake of doing my interview at Niagara Falls, NY instead of Ft. Erie and had to get my iris scan done at YYZ a couple weeks later. You don't need the iris scan for GE, so you can use that fully right away.
Originally Posted by
marklyon
It appears that NEXUS costs $50 and has the same privileges as Global Entry for my main crossing (returning from India or China at EWR).
Is there any drawback to applying for NEXUS instead?
The only real drawback is having to do the interview in Canada or along the northern tier of states. If you are anywhere near those places, there are zero drawbacks unless you think the Canadians will reject you.
One caveat - there have been stories of NEXUS applicants getting a talking to by the CBSA agent if it looks like they don't go to Canada a lot. Not at all an issue for me, since I'm there all the time, but could be for some. Its probably best to deflect on that issue.
Originally Posted by
VPescado
Technically, having Nexus does not give you GE privileges, but you can get approved for GE online almost instantly and for no charge if you have Nexus.
As for drawbacks - as other folks have mentioned, it requires you to do your interview at a much smaller list of locations (mostly Canadian airports and US/Canada border crossings).
Theoretically, Nexus might be harder to get as it requires the Canadians to clear you as well as the US, but I doubt that as a practical matter many folks are turned down by Canada while approved by the US.
Actually, GE now comes automatically with NEXUS. All non-GE NEXUS members were automatically enrolled in GE at the first of the year. I don't know if new NEXUS holders now need to go through the same process that we had to go through (basically, clicking a few buttons and waiting 20-90 minutes) or if they get it automatically on approval.
The OP seems to have no problem getting to SEA, so that's not a biggie.
Originally Posted by
ESpen36
You never know. As previously reported here, a single prior arrest for something like DUI (even from decades before) could make any foreigner inadmissible to Canada. Not sure if the USA applies the same standard.
Canada mainly wants the rehab fee, which will clear you up with them. The US does not apply the same standard, particularly to a US DUI, which will likely be expunged if that remote and unavailable for consideration on the GE application.