avgeek9995

CBP now has Nexus Enrollment on Arrival that is part two of the Nexus interview that is done at USA Pre-clerance in Canadian airports. Starting this thread so experiences can be shared as people start going through the process.

NEXUS Enrollment On Arrival At Canadian Airports

a5un

I'll report back on this when I arrive in YUL on May 9th. I can't get any appointment from ttp website, so I hope they'll let me drop in. Coincidentally, my wife will also go through Global Entry enrollment on arrival at the same time. I would be devastated if she got hers and I couldn't get mine. Imagine having your spouse went through pre-check while you have to line up on regular TSA line.

seawolf

You need an appointment for the CBSA interview which is a prerequisite for the subsequent CBP enrollment on arrival (which does not offer appointments). It’s not clear if you already had your CBSA interview or will have prior to return to US from YUL.

Varus50

Any ideas how much time can pass between the CBSA interview and the CBP one? I have a CBSA interview at YVR in mid May but no idea when I will take my next USA bound flight. I'd love to travel over the land border though but apparently not possible to complete step 2 at the land border enrollment centers. This is absurd lol.

a5un

5 years according to TTP site, but usually done at the same time at enrollment centers. The CBSA officer will do the interview and next to the officer will be the CBP officer. Not sure how it'll be at airports, but I assume they'll have no problem staffing both CBSA and CBP officers in Canadian airports that have transborder flights.

That's how it's supposed to be, but either the appointments are all snatched up or it's not online yet. Only Winnipeg airport has any appointment slot available as far as I can see.

seawolf

Allowing CBP land interview (with/without appointment) after the CBSA airport interview wouldn’t make sense because of land border capacity constraints. Land border appointments are tying CBSA/CBP officer’s time together. Allowing an airport interviewee just for the CBP part at land border will just waste the CBSA portion of the slot for someone else.

If one were able to make it to the land border, one should have just made a land border appointment to begin with.

If you haven’t done the CBSA interview yet and don’t see any appointments for YUL, they are all booked (appointments were released on March 20).

If you have already done the CBSA interview then you can do the CBP portion without an appointment departing Canada for US at an US pre-clearance airport such as YUL.

Varus50

Indeed however literally no land border appointments were/are available in Blaine. Will keep checking.

seawolf

They are all booked. Having those who completed CBSA airport just show up at the land border for CBP interview is going to make it even worse. Allowing them to book the CBP-only portion will waste the CBSA slot as mentioned in prior post.

Last several land borders interviews I/family members had were all on-time (minimal wait at the reserved time). This likely will be affected if walk-ins are required to be accepted under policy. I’m ok with walk-in due to a no-show but not due to policy as long as there are capacity constraints.

Xyzzy

I recently had my CBSA NEXUS interview at YYZ. Upon arrival they handed me a questionnaire which had questions about what I knew about the two step program. One of those questions was when I intended to have a CBP interview. The range of possible responses went out past 1 year and nothing was mentioned about any length of time to do so. I believe that the length of time is at least a year. I'll try to remember to ask when I have my CBP interview.

If you completed a CBSA interview at an airport you can not do a CBP interview at a land border. This was made clear in all cmmunications about the two step program -- and at my CBSA interview.

seawolf

That's exactly my point and was listing out reasons why it's not allowed (nor is not allowing it absurd).

nrgiii

I snagged one of the new split Nexus interviews for my 18 yr old son at YVR for this past week.
This was an expired Nexus renewal with an interview required since my son was under 18 when he got his first Nexus card.
My understanding is that interviews are always required when minors holding Nexus cards renew as adults, as it has been for both my kids.
Canadian CBSA interview started on time and took 15 minutes. The interview is at the YVR Nexus office near USA departures and before security.
The Canadian CBSA agent was very nice and reviewed all documents and program details.

USA interview with CBP took place in the USA customs/immigration preclearance area at a podium (not in the secondary area).
There is no appointment needed for the USA interview, but officers appeared to do them only when they have free time so you may have to wait.
After initial CBP inspection, we were asked to be seated. There was one person ahead of us and the wait time was about 30 minutes before we were called up to a different podium for the interview with a different CBP officer.
Interview took about 15 minutes and my son's photos and fingerprints were taken. This CBP officer was also very nice.
If you are doing a renewal, it is helpful to the officer if have your old card or your KTN with you. We didn't and it took him a few minutes to lookup my son's KTN.
Full approval on the TTP website came the next day with new expiration date on his birthday in 2028.
Expecting his Nexus card in the mail in 2-3 weeks.
The CBP officer told us he could use Nexus & PreCheck at the airport as soon as approved on the TTP site, but should wait until his card arrives before using Nexus lanes at the land border.

For anyone doing the split interview, be sure to leave yourself at least 1 hour of extra time for the USA interview.
Our total time from check in to gate was 80 minutes: 30 mins (!) CATSA (non-Nexus) security line, 5 min wait for CBP inspection, 30 min wait for interview, 15 min interview.

I read somewhere (CBSA website?) that the CAN and USA interviews are required to be done on the same day (as my son's was), but saw no evidence that CBSA or CBP cared one way or the other.

nrg

seawolf

Thanks for the data point. The CBP portion of a split CBSA/CPB interview does NOT have to be done same day.

Rare

Correct.

CBSA to reopen all NEXUS airport enrollment centres

Xyzzy

Mrs. Xyzzy and I recently went through the enrollment on arrival process at YYZ. We arrived at the US preclearance area before the CBP "suggested" window of 9:30am-2:30pm so we were a bit nervous as to how long things would take. Once there, we looked for any signs regarding the interview but found none. We didn't want to end up in the gate area and thereby miss a our shot at interviews. So, I asked about this. I was told to follow the normal exit of the preclearance area and to wait in the area immediately outside, and that one officer was working on NEXUS interviews that morning. After exiting via the double doors, we saw this:




Note the "take a number" machine -- it was empty. Fortunately, there were only two people ahead of us, so everyone knew where in line they were. It took about 15 minutes of processing per person. When our turns came, the officer took us together. Mst of the interview consisted of verification of documents, but there were also a number of updates to make since our initial applications. The officer was quite pleasant. We received our approvals while we were still with him. From the time we arrived at the waiting area until the time we left our interview was about 1:10.

RockSmithington

Thanks for those details Xyyzy. What time were you flying out? I have to do a renewal with my son who's a minor next time we fly out, and the flight to DCA is at 07:20 from YYZ.
Did you happen to catch if there are CBP officers there from when pre-clearance opens first thing in the AM? Naturally there is only so much time when it's an early AM flight.