Thanks - I fully understand that I need to do that. My question was has anyone just dropped in and done it like that. I guess I will find out in a few hours. Thanks

The TSA agent initially refused mine as ID last month. I had to point out that it had been issued by their own department and then it clicked ("Oh, I saw an email bulletin about those recently"). He then called a couple of colleagues over so they could have a look. He pointed out the border colour around the picture. Looks like red means Canadian.

The TDC is assigned to one person. And your girlfriend is correct, the booklet serial number is attached to the individual (and that individual's credit card). You should be able to call the Surrey office and find out which booklet is yours - then put your initials on the front cover so you'll know for next time!

Thanks todd-r.

I'll do that right away. I just hope we don't get into trouble for having (possibly) filled in the wrong cards last time. There's a 50% chance we did that. But it may not matter since neither of us was over the limit.

Answering my own q for future reference to others. With old and new passport in hand I showed up at the YYZ Nexus office in T1. Signed in under the "update" list not the "appointment" list and was taken immediately. Information updated in the system and I was out in about 10 min. They do not reissue the Nexus card and indicate it is valid until expiry and has been updated with the new passport information.

Thanks for reporting back about the "update" process. Good to know. Will need to do the same shortly.

Nexus iris scanners at YYZ T1 - use the new ones
 

Today I went to the first iris scanner you come to at T1 - one of the old ones. After doing the Nexus waltz four times (please step forward a little step back a little step right a little - scan failed start again etc) I noticed people being successful on an adjacent machine. An AC crew member told me that he noticed some machines work better - though he was observing not using them. So I went to the one closest to the exit and hit approval on the first try. I noticed that machine is a newer type. I recommend that you look at the machines and choose a new one.

I haven't noticed a difference from one machine to another, how can you tell? Of course, I ask this never having a problem using them (well, at least since they got rid of the old one eye scanners).

Well, I got to try my NEXUS access on Monday leaving from YUL and it went great! Iris capture worked on the first try, and I got through in seconds. I'm sure it'll take a few weeks to get the scanner down but so far, so good! It's definitely worth the money!

... then I got selected for random screening by the CATSA agents. I got the most thorough frisking of my life - she really should have at least bought me a coffee first. Yikes.

Any particular reason besides just making it faster to return to Canada because I won't have to wait in a line of cars?

Where's the best place to park near the Blaine truck crossing if I want to just walk across into the US for the appointment? There looks to be a duty free just north of the border crossing...

Really? I have driven US rental cars into Canada twice -- once after September 11th, and once after the March snowstorm this year. At neither time did I have any hassles at customs.

No other. Could be a long wait either direction.

There's the Can customs parking lot inbetween the north and southbound lanes. I know it's accessible to southbound traffic because I've used it once. The trouble is getting to it. Seems easier if you can access it via 1st Avenue heading west.

Duty-free may not work as it may be oneway (forced to head south once you enter). At least that's how it works for the Peace Arch crossing.

Yes, at least for Canadian residents (picking up and then returning to the U.S. or technically anywhere outside Canada). There is some leeway if it's a oneway rental (never had a problem when asked when I told them I'm returning the car the next morning (as I usually cross around midnight), or there's an emergency such as your car breaking down or getting wrecked.

FWIW, even the oneway rental may be iffy. See this excerpt from National.ca's site:
http://www.nationalcar.ca/itemDetail...mID=ONE#Canada
There used to be a CanCustoms link but I can't (quickly) find it. This might be a facsimile: http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/...d2-4-1-eng.pdf

Thoughts on Global Entry and NEXUS
 

Yesterday, the US launched Global Entry, a pilot project at 3 US airports, IAD, JFK and IAH. Basically, its like NEXUS except for US citizens and residents who go overseas a lot.

To sign up, you get a background check, pay $100 (yup, NEXUS is still cheap!), do a fingerprint and interview. Once approved, when you arrive back in the US, .you skip the customs line, go to a kiosk, activate it with a machine-readable passport or permanent resident card, get your fingerprints checked and a digital photo taken, and then answer the customs questions on screen. Pretty similar to NEXUS, but with the loss of the eye scan and the addition of having your passport scanned and picture taken. More information on this article on Kiplinger: http://www.kiplinger.com/businessres...rs_080610.html

I had always kind of wished there were NEXUS machines at US airports for when you come back on an overseas flight via the US. So here comes the interesting part for us NEXUS users, which is mentioned at the bottom of the linked article: "The government also is looking at ways to marry this program with domestic registered traveler program and other trusted traveler cards such as NEXUS and SENTRI."

Anyway, just thought I might put this out there as food for thought.

Note that this one is fingerprint based, so no chance it will ever be interoperable/merged with nexus...good planning.