FYI : No more NEXUS lane at Rainbow Bridge
 

As a heads up, it's been awhile now that they've closed the NEXUS lane at the Rainbow Bridge.

I read that. Not really a bad idea actually, just drive down the road (not far) to the Whirlpool bridge. Less chaotic anyway, though a different toll system on the way home I guess.

except that when you've gone on a day trip and have stuff to declare at the whirlpool bridge do you still need your paper forms or can you just verbally declare, i've not got a straight answer from Cdn immigration yet…

You can do a verbal at the Whirlpool Bridge. On Canada Day we came back across, I said "I would like to make a verbal declaration", agent said "go ahead", I told him what I had and he said "see ya!"

how much did you buy? was it just a day trip?

Quick question: I had my interview on July 6th in Ottawa and was told my card would arrive in the mail in a couple weeks. I still haven't received it and from a few posts up I see someone who got theirs within a week. Should I call the office at YOW? The GOES website still has my status as "Interview Scheduled" and doesn't really give much direction on who to contact.

Call the office at YOW for a start. I interviewed at YYZ on July 21; GOES showed my status immediately as approved (while I was waiting for my flight later that day), and I received the NEXUS card about 5 days later (in New York). I can't remember from where the card was sent (I think somewhere in northeast US).

So a call to the YOW office told me I was misinformed - it's 4 to 6 weeks to get the card delivered. But the officer offered to look into my application to double check and found that the little button on the application that says "Approved" hadn't been checked off!

He changed it and said the clock starts now on the 4-6 week delivery time frame. Hopefully I'll be as lucky as other posters and get it sooner than that :) So glad I called!

Yes it was a few hours, crossed at 09:00 and back in time to have a picnic lunch on the Niagara Parkway; got some clothing, medical stuff, and groceries, total value around $60.

But didn't want to take any chances re the groceries - if you can poop it you must declare it, we were told when we joined the program.

Glad I suggested the call! Are you a Canadian or US resident (I would be surprised if it takes so long to get the card as a US citizen)?

For MIA-YYZ, where does customs/immigration happen? In MIA or YYZ? If YYZ, how long does it take to get through there on a weekday ~4pm?

Is it still possible to walk-in to the enrollment center at YYZ to get retina scans done or do I need an appointment? I already have a NEXUS card.

Lastly, I have an 8:40pm weekday International flight out of YYZ. Assuming I get my retina scan done earlier that afternoon, what time should I get back to the airport to make my flight? I'd like to go out for some dinner before my flight.

Thanks!

As far as I know all US and Canadian customs/immigration takes place in Canada. Then you are on a 'domestic' flight into the US. I got my retina scan done at YVR, walked in without an appointment. Problem is, you can't use it right away, I think there's a 24 hour or 2 day wait so you could potentially use it on your way home but not same day.

Hm, that's problematic. Where would I go about confirming this?

All Canadian customs & immigration takes place in Canada. US bound flights departing from a 'major' (YVR, YYC, YEG, YWG, YYZ, YOW, YUL, YHZ) Canadian airport also clear here, but ones from smaller airports (key example: YTZ) still have to clear on arrival.

No, you got your iris scan done at YVR. Nexus does not use retina identification, but rather iris identification (the pattern of flecks of colour in your iris, versus the pattern of blood vessels at the back of the eye).