CATSA Verified Travellers / NEXUS Lanes at Canadian Security Checkpoints
 

I’m a bit confused by this. As a NEXUS member, I’ve used that lane (when it’s available) to fly within Canada, and at least one international flight. What makes this different except the new name, and flying with minors and seniors.

I'm also confused. i used the Nexus lanes when they were open. Left electronics in bag and shoes on.

This new process will make the lines longer won't they? Now I can bring non nexus with me through security, but customs they still need to line up while I use kiosk.

Last time I went through YVR transborder, the PreCheck/Nexus line required shoes off. Hopefully this means the end of that.

CATSA NEXUS (finally) == TSA PRE ?
 

I’m getting my hopes up this means CATSA Nexus line will finally be the same as TSA Pre.
In the past CATSA Nexus still required shoes and belts off and electronics out, at least for me at YVR and YYZ. This is long overdue.

nrg

Where/when was this. Canada has required laptops come out, even in TT lanes. There have been exceptions for trials of new procedures/ equipment.

Last year T3 in the Nexus lane at YYZ. I left everything in, sweater on, shoes on and walked through.

I get to try out the new experience next week, but - at YUL - it was always laptops and tablets out of the bags/sleeves and empty pockets.
At US departures in February, the X-ray machine dedicated to the NEXUS line was broken, so additionally we had to take shoes off among the "regular people", but normally as a NEXUS member I could keep them on.

Leaving my belt on will also be a perk.

YYZ-YHZ June 1: Early morning there were zero people ahead of us in the Nexus line. Everything stayed in bag. Both my partner and I had iPads. Shoes stayed on.

YHZ-YYZ June 4: Early morning flight maybe 3-4 ahead of us in the Nexus line. Everything stayed in bag and shoes on. They did ask people to remove jackets. YHZ was using a full body scanner.

Anyway, both times we were done in under 5 minutes.

In all fairness, they state that "light jackets" can stay on.

https://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca/en/verified-travellers

True. I was wearing my fleece, but I took it off anyway.

New CATSA Verified Traveler Program at YYZ
 

CATSA is rolling out the new Verified Traveler program as detailed here: https://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca/en/verified-travellers
This week I got to experience the new program at YYZ for both domestic and USA departures.
Domestic departure screening was just like TSA precheck: shoes and belts stay on and laptops stay packed away. No muss, no fuss.
USA departure screening was mostly the same EXCEPT laptops and iPads still had to come out. Shoes, jackets and belts stay on.
I verified with CATSA staff that the new procedure still requires large electronics to be taken out for both USA and Intl departures.
Both lines were very short and getting through was a breeze.
Hope someone finds this info helpful.
nrg

That is no longer allowed unless the no status companion is under 17 or over 75.

The screening has changed to be similar to Pre.

Not my experience from four times passing through security with my (adult) spouse and young kids in the last month, at YLW (only checkpoint), YVR (domestic connection to US departures), and YYC (US departures; it was a connection, but they routed us landslide to the only open checkpoint for US departures). No difference in the screening with a NEXUS card, but no-NEXUS adult companion joined me no questions asked.

Maybe at other airports or other checkpoints they have Pre-like procedures for NEXUS holders but not companions? Of course for domestic flights Canadian security is mostly like Pre anyway.

Ok, so indeed no changes to companion access for any of the checkpoints I go through. It says for transborder flights and airports with only front of the line privileges, companions can still go with NEXUS card holders.

FWIW YUL didn’t even ask for any TTP card to access this lane. Passenger just self declare they are GE:

YYZ-FRA on June 25th we were asked to present our Nexus cards.

On the subject of Nexus, did Pearson change the arrival process? Back in Dec 2022, we went through what looked like a subway style turnstyle, with an electronic display to one side. It directed us back to one of the vertical kiosks to have our photos taken. When we arrived last week, we didn’t see the “subway” style kiosk.

BTW, those vertical kiosks are the worst.

Moderator's Note
 

For those who do not frequent the Canada forum, there is a parallel thread there which may contain additional useful information:TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

Ack. You’re correct. We went through T3 (Condor). We registered on the vertical kiosk at T1 back in December.

Nexus Not
 

Been thru YVR US terminal a lot lately. Nexus gives front of the line or different "privileges", but still the same old witless screening procedure as late as Tues Jul. 18. Witless security is shoes off, laptops in a separate bin, casts swabbed (don't ask), liquids and gels subject to hand inspection and on and on and on.
Then CATSA sends me an E-mail stating

"... Good day,The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), in collaboration with Transport Canada, launched their Verified Traveller program on June 21, 2023.
As a NEXUS member, you will benefit from an improved screening experience at select airports across Canada. This program will replace CATSA’s existing benefits offered to trusted travellers.Program benefits
Improved screening experiences are available to you depending on location and checkpoint, including:
· Leaving permitted liquids, aerosols and gels in your carry-on
· Leaving laptops and electronics in your carry-on
Keeping shoes, belts, light jackets and headwear on
· Keeping small items in your pockets
· Access to dedicated screening lines, or front of the line service (including for certain co-travellers)..."

I guess YVR US departures airport is not a "selected location or checkpoint"

And I see that the current status is YUL and YYZ for cross-border flights. Sigh! YVR. Pretty airport. Run by fools.
Anyone have any knowledge of roll-out of TTP at other CDN airports?

if you follow the link in the email, it lists the “selected locations”. For US transborder,
it’s

I should have been more clear. Although I did post exactly those airports as currently having VT for trans-border ( as I had found from following your posted link), by "knowledge of roll-out", I was trying to ask if anyone knew when this improvement is likely to arrive at other pre-clearance trans-border terminals.

I came through YVR yesterday and used the VT line being a GE member. I was asked to show my physical card before joining the line and that person already warned me that it would be shoes off etc.

There was separate screening for Nexus/GE but the procedures were still the same as the non-VT line - shoes off, laptops out etc as pointed out earlier. I fail to understand the purpose of a VT line if they are being screened the same as non-VT. The only benefit was that the line was shorter and so got done with screening quicker.

I noticed according to the CATSA website that only certain locations have Precheck type screening. Again not clear why consistent screening cannot be offered.

It's normal in all industries, and in fact quite smart, to roll things out over time in order to capture data and feedback, train additional staff, refine procedures, etc before another stage of rollout.

This idea was of course first pioneered with software development (alpha test, beta test, etc) and then adopted by the broader world. We even see it now with restaurant soft openings etc.

I'm sure at some point it'll be available at all airports, but given how fast government moves, it could take a few years.

YYC on Aug 19. NEXUS line basically threaded into the regular line, but they were (kinda) expediting the card holders. However, it was electronic devices out. Shoes stayed on unless you were wearing boots.

Third time I’ve flown domestically this summer. Both YYZ and YHZ were consistent … separate line, everything stays in bag, shoes and light jackets stay on. My partner and I both agreed YYC was the messiest security we’ve seen in awhile.

Am I the only one who has issues with the full body scanner EVERY TIME? At YYC they had me go through 3 times, each time hiking my pants up enough to get a wedgie.

I'm an engineer that develops electronics and software so I understand the concept of a rollout. But here all we are talking about are some relatively simple steps - verify TT status and then have people not take off shoes, take out laptops etc. Not sure why you need years of training and rollout for something like that. If I recall the previous fast track lane at YVR was similar to precheck other than needing to take out your laptop.

Just returned from YVR today. A new lobby side NEXUS/Global Entry lane. Shoes on now applies to YVR also.

On a YYZ-YUL trip a few weeks back, I didn’t even see the Verified Traveler lane at YYZ. However, no one was taking their shoes off.

Does YUL even have a VT lane? It looked like everyone was just funneling through one, regular lane. Same thing, though … shoes on.

Flew from Toronto YYZ to the US recently from the Terminal 1 transborder area. You go around the front side to the back entrance, scan your GE/NEXUS, then scan your boarding pass again at the security line. Take your laptop completely out but otherwise everything can generally stay in, light jackets on, shoes on, belts on. Other than the laptop it seems identical to TSA Precheck, although VT lanes at other checkpoints that serve non-transborder US flights do not have to remove their laptops for whatever reason. Walk right to the immigration point (meet up with the regular travellers without VT), and about three minutes to complete the GE/NEXUS photo and chat with a CBP officer.

Just went through this at YVR today (specifically, the E gates for transborder — I think domestic has had VT already). Really nice. They're still calling it a "trial" right now, which is why it doesn't show up on the CATSA website, but hopefully they make it official soon.

Shoes normally stay on for domestic travel in Canada.

I went thorough this earlier this week. Definitely new and improved over what they had in the summer. First thing I noticed was that I was allowed to use the VT lane due to showing precheck on my mobile BP. I was not asked for a GE card like in the past. This could be good news for those with GE but are not eligible for a card. I noticed that the CATSA website still does not mention the new setup at YVR. The actual process is also exactly like precheck - shoes on, no need to take the laptops out etc. However the line did move very slowly and they seemed to be taking ages to process some people. While I could not see how others were being handled when I walked through the detector it beeped. I was then told to stand aside and the they swabbed my hands and a couple of places - looking for traces of explosive perhaps? - not sure what that was all about but it was pretty quick. Still not as quick as Precheck at my local airport SAN but hopefully they will improve things over time.

The GE processing at CBP also seems to have been updated - a different layout to the GE line with new facial recognition machines - recognized me immediately (no one else in the line at the time) - went up to be called by agent, was asked where I was heading and allowed to exit. Took less than a minute.

Overall a decent experience.

Interesting because the VT website has from the beginning said transborder flights require laptops to be taken out, which was the only difference between those and international flights.

I don't specifically recall seeing any signs listing out the rules of the VT lane but I had a laptop and was not asked to take it out. But the website is also not up to date since it has no mention of the new VT lane at YVR.

Does anyone know if the verified traveler lanes are set up in T1 at Pearson (YYZ) for connecting passengers going to the USA? I have a connecting flight to the USA in April from Canada at YYZ, but debating going through arrivals and to the main security checkpoint to use the Nexus lane if there isn't one set up for connecting passengers.

Verified Travellers / NEXUS Lanes at YYZ
 

Most of my travel is on AC or other Star Alliance lines. It's been many years since I flew out of T3 and in the interim I became a NEXUS member. The NEXUS line at T2 isn't the easiest to find and was wondering about T3 as I have an upcoming Porter flight to the U.S.

It’s hidden at the very far end of T3 departures past Delta check-in along a small corridor. Keep walking until you can’t walk anymore.

Nexus holder and travelling through YYZ T1 on Air Canada arriving from domestic (D gates) and connecting to the USA (F gates)...does anyone know if it is worth it to leave the secure area when you land and instead of following the F connections sign, exit and go through the security and customs in the main lobby where they have a Nexus verified lane? I don't think the connections area has a Nexus lane for security.
Anyone ever done this when connecting?