Maybe cbsa was out of money? Now it's a new fiscal year so perhaps they can staff up a bit. No excuse for the mess of course just perhaps an explanation. If management does not provide the staffing then this is what happens. Write your MP if you want anything done (of course your MP is subject to change )

Still infinitely better than the customs/immigration design at FRA!

Since I'm a Nexus card holder and I haven't yet experienced backups such as this in YYZ I was hoping for a response from someone who actually has. I, too, am quite capable of surmising. I'm really more interested in hearing of the actual experience of others.

It may be... but I have never waited for an immigration agent in FRA for more than 15 mins. At YYZ, I have gone through the crazy line ups and waitied for over 1 hour twice.

I do believe this is a GTAA and CBSA issue. GTAA for not doing their homework on the arrivals and CBSA for not staffing the right amount of agents...

Then you haven't spent much time at FRA. I've waited over 2 hrs to exit schengen before.

Agree...will someone please report their NEXUS experience...
 

....with this mess??

Sorry if posting in the wrong place and probably off track.

I get in to YYZ from HKG at 18.05 and in transit to connect to the flight to DCA at 20.55. Do i need to go through immigration (i know i need a transit visa cos i am not a US citizen) and is there enough time to make the connection considering such long waits.

I can't speak to YYZ, but I'm a Nexus holder in YYC, and when I run into the same thing here (lines backed up to the second floor) I've just walked past everyone to the top of the stairs (where they actually have someone stationed), said 'Nexus' and they've let me through.

A colleague of mine(who flew with me), who has NEXUS, managed to go through without too much problem. He had to say he was 'Nexus' to 3 different security people doing Crowd control to enter the Immigration Hall. He told me Nexus counters were empty, so he had little trouble once he made it to the Immigration Hall.

Probably.... I have been lucky... I mostly transit through FRA...;)

I've been through crowds in the customs hall in T1, not nearly as bad as the OP describes. You can get through immigration easy enough, but for exiting the hall there's only 1 or 2 people checking cards and no priority line for Nexus card holders. So you can still wait in line a long time trying to get out. If you have checked baggage at YYZ add another 40 minutes to wait for the baggage to show up.

The arrivals hall was a mess when I got in at 9:30 last night. Huge lines everywhere, excess baggage piling up on the belts, so much so that the chutes were blocked and stalling.

Was there some kind of holiday last week that I missed?

Spring Break?

That'd explain it. Been out of school for longer than I care to admit so I don't track those dates at all.

Similar experience on March 16 – arriving from US on AC around 8:45 pm – over 700 people trapped on level 2 hallway for more than 2 hours – AC rep disappeared quickly saying simply “customs doesn’t have staff, wait here”. Peel police to “guard” but had no knowledge of situation. After release into customs waiting area, another 45 minutes to clear, less than 1/2 booths open, many staff appearing to just come onto shift (logging on, getting settled in chair). Nexus were not permitted to bypass until 1.5 hours passed. Having experienced unusually long lineups for customs and luggage at YYZ T1 in the past, I work hard to avoid int'l connect through YYZ.