There is more than one non-emergency exit in the T1 Customs hall. CBSA can (and sometimes do) utilize two or more during peak periods, but they all too frequently do not. That's not a design problem. That's a resource management problem.

I'd say less than 10 seconds. The bottleneck develops because of:

1. Passengers who forget where they put their card.
2. Those who know where they put it, but don't think to pull it out of that interior pocket of their bag until right in front of the officer.
3. Bags falling off trolleys at the exit.
4. People asking questions, usually about rental cars, public transit, or how to get to the other terminal.
5. Officers who think they should interrogate people at that location. They shouldn't.

In addition to the main exit, there are two additional exits. Only one of those can be used. The other side cannot be used for traveller egress. When that second exit is used, it's really only visible to travellers at about three baggage carousels. At least half of those passengers within sight of the second exit will walk right by it and queue up with everyone else at the main exit.

If I ran things, we would have a red channel / green channel system.

Opening the exit is only half the solution. You also need a proactive officer or superintendent to interface with those in the queue to inform them of it's existence, or better yet, coordinate with the AC staff at the extremely close by customer service desk to make an announcement on the PA. It's not rocket science.

If CBSA was half as proficient at facilitation (of travel and trade) as interrogation, it would be a world-class organization.

I agree.

thanks
 

@emcampbe
Thanks for your input. It seems to be the case when updating information with a Canadian NEXUS office, it doesn't register with GOES.
With GOES, I can change my surname (if I were to get married, etc.), my residential address and update my passport information which makes me think CBP is only concerned with these particulars.
Yes, I'll do my due diligence as per the rules.

CBSA Professionalism?
 

My Taiwan based partner company CEO went to customs secondary at YVR, I and another person were in between him with our Nexus vouchers when we went through customs exit. He got sent to customs secondary and was there for 1 hour. His whole time waiting was to get seen by a secondary customs officer. His actual interview was 2 mins.

I was already out and complained to landside CBSA, who had a snooty plain clothes person say "We are law enforcement first, we don't do customer service". I gave her a rough enough time on her attitude that a uniformed officer called a supervisor. He was quiet nice, went in and found out where the guy we were waiting on was - came back and apologized and said he should be out in 5 mins (he was - this after I waited 50 mins or so to complain).

The snooty plain clothes CBSA employee did in fact tell me when I had my tiff with her "complain to your MP, we're understaffed here". I told her; "Don't you collect fee's to ensure your staffing is right" her retort it "wasn't enough"... Absolute bad attitude from this women who believed they can tromp all over people and not be accountable. Our CFO did send a nasty letter to our local MP.

I can understand secondary needs to be done - but the random BS is beyond me. Why send a load of people to random if you can't get them out in an hour. If they are that much of an unknown why are they allowed through immigration only to be stopped at customs? I complain about how bad the US CBP guys are; but they are a heck of a lot more up to servicing the secondary queue a lot quicker - they may have poor people skills - but I've NEVER seen anyone at a US CBP secondary take an hour to get through.

In general, an hour is too long to wait. We need the support of the public and having people wait an hour for no good reason does not increase that support.

Sounds like you gave it as good as you got it.

Nexus Card as ID
 

On occasion while in the US, some 17yo kid asks for ID when using a credit card...and I flash them my Nexus card, which they accept, probably not knowing what it is, which would defeat their purpose (I am also sure that the teenager in Alabama wouldn't know where Quebec is either if I showed him a Medicare card and if I even mentioned "medicare" she would think I was an Obama-lover forcing socialism on her)....but my know-it-all neighbour claims that a Nexus card is not to be shown for ID anywhere/anytime/anyhow except at the Border. I couldn't find any mention of that in the materials they sent me at one point in time. Anyone else with thoughts/ideas? I asked a CBSA agent and they told me it does count as "government-issued photo ID" when requested...i.e. for domestic Canada or domestic US flying.

That's up to the entity requesting proof of identity. There are no legal restrictions like there are with Ontario health cards.

Changes in NEXUS/Global Entry
 

I am not sure of the practical changes, but the CBP has posted this on the www.GlobalEntry.gov website:

"Global Entry Members In Possession of a Global Entry Card May Utilize NEXUS and SENTRI Lanes Coming Into The United States.
(07/12/2011) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will begin issuing Global Entry radio frequency identification (RFID) cards on July 12, 2011 to qualified U.S. citizens, U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) and Mexican citizens (not already in possession of a SENTRI card) who are approved for membership in Global Entry. There is no additional cost for the RFID card as it will be included in the application fee. Global Entry members who were approved for the program prior to July 12, 2011 and wish to obtain a RFID card may request one via their Global Online Enrollment System (GOES) account for a $15 fee.
Global Entry cards are Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative compliant documents for land and sea travel. Additionally, these cards will be valid for use at the SENTRI and NEXUS lanes coming into the United States. However, Global Entry cards will not be valid for entry into Canada via the NEXUS lanes and kiosks; and members must use a passport or U.S. LPR card at the Global Entry kiosks. Please note that as of the above date, members can use any CBP issued Trusted Traveler Program card when traveling inbound into the United States via the SENTRI or NEXUS lanes.

Any Global Entry member who wishes to drive their vehicle in the SENTRI lane must register their vehicle and have a 7-point inspection conducted at a SENTRI Enrollment Center. For more information on locations of SENTRI Enrollment Centers as well program requirements, please go to www.sentri.gov. "

It's a good thing they've done such a poor job of explaining this. Guess it's typical government.

So sounds like this is mostly for land border crossing. It's clear that you can't use a GE card for entering Canada at an airport using the Nexus kiosk, but not clear about whether you can use the kiosk's when entering the US at CBP pre-clearance in Canadian airports.

Looks like if you have Nexus proper and got a Nexus card that you can't get a GE card?? Saw no option for this.

Seems also like everyone (US Citizens/Residents) are enrolled in all programs including Sentri. Showed up on GOES as "Trusted Traveller" NOT GE or NEXUS. But under details shows as able to enter US from Canada or Mexico via land crossings, use of Global Entry kiosks in arrival airports, Kiosks for entering Canada and from Canada to US.

This is what they are implying. GOES GE enrolled persons can use Nexus ONLY from Canada to the US (e.g in the US CBP transborder screening area) NOT when entering Canada!

That is how I read it. I have my NEXUS interview in Toronto next week and will see if I can get the issue answerd (although I hope that there is some clarification on CBSA and/or CBP's websites.

The Nexus land borders use RF detection for your card - the airport system uses iris scanners. GE members don't get iris scans. So the new cards duplicate the usage of Nexus card but only on entering the US. It will be easy to tell if the card works into Canada - try to enter the Whirlpool Bridge from the NY side (and first they would have to try to put toll money into it). My guess is that it won't work into Canada.