I'm from Toronto, but stopped in the NEXUS office at YWG since I recently renewed my passport. They took a photocopy of my new passport "for the Canadian side," but said that in order for your passport to be updated for the American side as well, you have to go online and do it.

So I guess you're supposed to do both.

Weird... I thought they shared the information.

TDC on Whirlpool Bridge?
 

I'm still pretty new to NEXUS, and there's one thing I don't quite understand. I was given a book of TDC's with my NEXUS card (as a Canadian citizen).

Now, last time I returned to Canada through the Whirlpool Bridge in Niagara, I drove up to the Canadian customs officer booth after scanning my card, and was asked to declare what I spent.

I was only in the U.S. on a same-day shopping trip, and I exceeded my limit. I declared precisely what I spent, then asked whether I needed to fill out a TDC. I was told that I should have done this already, and was directed to fill out the card and pay fully at the adjacent customs office.

Now, it seems like I didn't follow standard procedure. What should I normally do at this particular place? Do I need to fill out a TDC and drop it off at some box before I drive up to the Canadian officer (and how does the officer know what's on the card)? Or just fill it out and hold on to it, and provide it during the verbal declaration at the booth?

One thing is that I've read that the customers officer has some discretion in waving you through without paying even if you exceed your limit. But if I have to submit the TDC card in this NEXUS lane, then I always automatically have to pay, isn't that correct? Since it is tied to my VISA card. So is it better not to use NEXUS at all on the return trip for this reason alone? I like the convenience of the NEXUS lane, but I could use a break on customs duties once in a while.

Not for all driving licenses, at least in my case GOES was static and I had to go in to update it.

Can't update DL info online. In terms of document info, you can only update passport info. online. Everything else has to be done at an office.

You have to submit it before you drive up so says the rules and so said the agent I spoke to when I picked up my TDC booklet.

I recently did a trip (my first with a TDC) with no charge appearing on my card after I put the declaration in the box at Fort Erie. I think maybe they got filed in the circular file instead of the "needs to be processed" pile.

I don't have my nexus card yet, but my interview is in a few weeks. Chatting today with people who have nexus, and they mostly said they use it going down over the border, but driving home they line up and don't fill out the form or use their nexus because it is a "hassle" itemizing everything. Quite often also the guards at the booths will let you go without paying duty even if over the limit (usually with daytrippers). These people said if they filled in the form they would have to automatically pay duty and they preferred to line up and chance a generous border guard.

Are you saying that this isn't allowed. Once you are a nexus holder are you "required" to fill out and hand in the TDC? Are you no longer allowed to line up and be waved through like everyone else?

If I understand what you're asking, then in general, a NEXUS card holder is never "required" to use the NEXUS line. Besides, I like the thought of experiencing less hassle in the regular line in certain circumstances.

Thank you. That's exactly what I was asking -probably not very clearly. People I spoke to preferred to line up and verbally declare, rather than do Nexus and itemize, guaranteeing they would have to pay duty.

TDC available as PDF
 

This was new to me:

You are able to fill out a PDF of the TDC and use that instead of the booklets.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publicati...s/e601-eng.pdf

More info here:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-vo...tions-eng.html

Has anyone used a TDC at the airport? It seems that there deposit boxes near the NEXUS kiosk. How does that work? How would the CBSA agents at the exit know that you have taken care of payment by using a TDC?

I'd been reading all this stuff with interest, having got a new passport this summer.

There is nothing on the Nexus site about visiting the office.

However, we phoned -- and the third person said that you MUST visit the Nexus office so they can get the new passport details.

I did this yesterday -- and was told that the GOES information is only for the US side; the Canadian side only gets address changes. So if you have a new passport, you MUST visit Nexus and let them get the details and take a copy.

Fascinating, because I had about 10 trips already with the new passport. Wonder what they would have done if I had been secondaried!

The agent at the exit wouldn't, but your print out card also wouldn't have a $$$ on it, so they would assume you are clear with regards to duty/taxes. If you got a secondary to check if you lied on your declaration they could pull the card from the box and compare it to what they find in your luggage.

But isn't the question on screen something like "have you exceeded your allowance?

Which means you'd have to answer yes and then would still get the $$$ card even if you used a TDC.

What am I missing here?

I went to YYZ today to update my drivers licence information. (I set up a GOES account to try to do it online, but there was only a way to update passport information - not DL info!)

The sign in sheet at the Nexus Office (for when you arrive without an appointment) says right at the top that drivers licence updates are no longer required.

But when I asked an agent, she said "Oh, that's old information. We do require you to come in and update it". (However when a friend went in last week, she was told that there's no need to update DL information (but they updated it anyway)).

So it seems like no one there really knows WHAT the policy is. So that said, probably best to play it safe and update any ID they have on file if it expires, since you never know when someone will go on a power trip.

When you get to the iris machine, there is a question if you have declared on the TDC that you have exceeded the allowed amounts. If you say yes, then you have to deal with it at secondary. The booklets are for the land borders where the card is linked to your credit card. You declare in detail what you are importing and whether you meet the allowance. The card goes into a tube to the secondary inspection area. The fellow at the Nexus booth at the border decides if the Nexus card is valid for you and if you are the lucky person to get a visit to the secondary where your TDC is compared to reality.