Ari

Good luck with that!

len222

I live in YYZ and travel for business often to the US using my Nexus card.

Now that there are Global Entry terminals at Pearson, can I use them instead of the Nexus terminals? Is there any advantage of one versus the other?

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Edit: I just found this info on the GOES website, which answers the first question above. Not sure about the second question.

"Global Entry Benefit: As a NEXUS member, you can now use the Global Entry kiosks located at the top 20 major U.S. international airports to enter the U.S. To use the Global Entry kiosks, you must use a valid machine readable passport. Do not use your NEXUS card in the kiosk, but you may wish to carry it with you. There is no additional cost to use Global Entry, and you may use it for the duration of your NEXUS membership. Additional information about Global Entry can be found at http://www.GlobalEntry.gov/. If you do not wish to use Global Entry kiosks, please disregard this message."

Ready2Go

One advantage of GE is that you don't have to complete a paper customs declaration form. The kiosk just asks you a modified set of questions that you answer on the touchscreen. All you hand to the customs officer is the receipt that you get from the kiosk.

PhotoJim

Simply use whichever is less busy. GE kiosks are likely to be less busy for awhile due to lower familiarity by Canadian fliers and the fact that some NEXUS users won't have a full set of fingerprints on file.

len222

That sounds right. I haven't seen anyone use the GE kiosk yet. I'll try it next week.

colonius

The modified questions have another advantage: you do not need to declare all food items, just a few that you will be specifically asked about (dairy, meat, fresh fruit, etc...)

rthib

Ok found the other thread but very confused

I have Global Entry but now I will need to travel to Canada.
(MSP-YYZ-YUL)

As I understand GE will help me get back to US but is no help into Canada.

So should I get Nexus?
How long does it take to get Nexus if you have already been approved for GE?

Any other advice.

emcampbe

While you essentially have the US approval you need, you need to go through similar background checks with Canada as well to get Nexus. That's why GE doesn't get Nexus, but Nexus gets GE.

I find Nexus worth it traveling to Canada ~ once per month. It's also half the price of GE. If you're only going to Canada once, might not be worth it. Note you'll need to do an interview/iris scan at a Nexus office - which are all in Canada and a few US border towns.

tusphotog

I applied for NEXUS after getting GE. I was approved in 2 days.

I did have to interview and get fingerprinted by the US person, even though they have that on file from GE. The Canadian and I just talked hockey during the interview. All and all, really informal doing NEXUS after GE.

FWIW, YUL didn't have GE kiosks in the fall. Not sure if that's changed or not.

rubesl

Unfortunately you did things the wrong way around - Nexus, which includes GE, is $50, GE alone is $100, so now you are going to end up paying $150 for what you could have gotten for $50. BTW, Nexus is great - I usually save 15 - 60 min. crossing the border by using the special Nexus lane (either direction).

rthib

For those of us with Platinum Amex, GE was free - so no loss.

Looks like I can use GE in YYZ coming home but hopefully will get Nexus for next trip.

ben1979

Yeah I also did it the wrong order. That was the price I paid for not checking FT before I applied.


I don't remember how long my NEXUS approval was after GE but it was quick, a few days I think. Unfortunately I didn't get the easy interview. During my GE interview I was grilled pretty hard for at least half an hour. I blame it on having triple citizenship (US, Canada, 3rd country) and not a WASP. The CIS agent was very detailed with my life history.

NEXUS interview in YVR was better, but mostly because I already had GE. The CIS agent got first dibs at me and went through the app line by line (not as bad as LAX), and then the CBSA guy asked me a few questions about travelings. Neither was in the mood to talk hockey with me. However, between talking to two agents and the iris scan, I was in and out in 30 min.

Sidenote: I was late to my NEXUS interview by over two hours because my AS flight from SFO was cancelled due to WX. I called the office and no one answered so I left a message. When I showed up at the NEXUS office no one seemed to have cared or even checked the message.

BTW, to whoever is applying: Bring EVERYTHING. if you even suspect that they might ask, bring it to your interview. I had my GE interview in the time between accepting a job offer and starting that job, and the CIS agent made me email him my offer letter when I flew back to San Jose that night before he signed off the next day.

Also, I applied before they offered a card for GE. I just found out that they issue Global Entry cards now (It used to be NEXUS only). I just looked into it and looks like if you have a NEXUS card, it is the same as having a GE card and you don't need a separate GE card.

rthib

Not sure what you use the GE card for?
The GE machine wants your passport and fingers.

I only use the GE card when I want to irritate the TSA guy by not giving him a drivers license.

ben1979

I don't know either. I only realized they exist when I saw another FTer with one.


I tried my NEXUS card on a TSA guy at LAX once just to see what would happen, after he stared at it for 5 seconds not sure what to do I realized that standing there is more painful for me and just pulled out my DL instead.

vindicate

Nexus is great at the Kiosk and Canadian airports, but terrible at all US airports.
I carry my passport around because I am pretty tired of arguing with not so much TSA security, but boarding gate agents.