Short story...Applied for Nexus, recieved Global Entry as a bonus from Homeland Security today. Feels good. $50.00

Just searched for a prior post about this and hadn't seen anything on this.

Back story of proud moment... I applied online for Nexus a few weeks back with the intention to get Global Entry on the next go round. I was called by Canadian Border Patrol promptly about some court appearances that were unclear but on FBI records. :/ Called the courthouse and rounded up a few abstracts from courts. All minor childhood things. Recieved approval letter via email in about three weeks. In toronto, found an appointment this week in Port Huron, rented a one way car to detroit. Had a nice talk about my travel pattern and was "upgraded with Global Entry" at no charge. everyone in my room recieved this welcomed bonus. thought i'd post.

What I did not know. The initial iris scan is available only at airports, many airports will do this frst scan free no appointment necessary during normal hours after you get your card. The nexus pass may be used in place of a passport in countries that participate in WHTI.

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Nexus Information Thread ... currently 127 pages with 5043 responses.

Every NEXUS member gets GE for free, no matter where they get accepted, even those that had NEXUS before GE even existed.

Only for land crossings.

Actually, any WHTI-complaint document is valid when using both land and sea crossings to enter participating countries in the Western Hemisphere. The most common example would be cruises around the Caribbean, where many countries now will accept the US Passport Card (a WHTI-complaint document) instead of a passport book. At the end of the cruise, you could use the Passport Card to re-enter the USA, as long as your cruise did not call at any ports outside of the USA/Canada/Mexico/Caribbean/Bermuda.

More details at:
http://www.getyouhome.gov

In order to use designated NEXUS reporting stations when entering Canada via private vessel, the WHTI-compliant document must be a NEXUS card. Same goes for entering Canada by land using designated NEXUS lanes. In both cases, this restriction is because NEXUS membership involves vetting by CBSA in addition to US CBP.


Based on the way the marketing and discourse are evolving on the NEXUS and GlobalEntry websites, I suspect that CBP and CBSA are in the process of integrating all of these programs (NEXUS, SENTRI, GE, and perhaps even FAST) into a single Trusted Traveler program, valid for land, air, and sea entry to participating countries. Other countries (such as the Netherlands) are getting involved as well.

It would be fantastic if a majority of developed countries in Europe and the Americas could join together and offer reciprocal privileges for trusted travelers who have passed extensive background investigations and meet the "low-risk" criteria. It certainly would make life a lot easier for those of us who travel extensively and dislike waiting in lines and using up the time of passport control agents who really should be focusing on others.

Can't they also be used for air travel from Canada to the US using the pre-clearance kiosks in Canadian airports, where those kiosks are available?

The traveler must be in possession of both documents to use NEXUS and GE at pre-clearance airports.

You need only the passport to use the GE kiosks. Neither the NEXUS nor the GE card is necessary.

Get secondaried and let me know how that works out.

Why would you need the card at secondary? Your passport is sufficient to prove eligibility to use GE.

I was talking about NEXUS pre-clearance kiosks in Canadian airports. These do not accept Passports.

Specifically, let's say you fly Toronto-Pearson to New York-La Guardia. There is no customs in the US at this airport, so the US pre-clears Customs and Immigration in Canada, prior to departure. NEXUS members --- not GE however --- are eligible to use the pre-clearance kiosks instead of waiting in the line. In this case, since those kiosks do not accept passports, NEXUS members would be able to enter the US without a passport book.

GE members would need a passport book and can use the GE kiosks where they are available.

Since all preclearance airports now offer GE kiosks, a NEXUS member can, if he or she wishes to, enter the US by air without his or her NEXUS card.

I see. Thanks for the info. So in effect, GE and NEXUS are virtually identical for entering the US, and the only major difference is when entering Canada.

Using GE when entering the US allows you to skip completing the Customs Declaration (6059B). Not a huge benefit over NEXUS, but one to consider.