You have to declare Cheerios?

Wow. Can't wait to drag my two little ones thru nexus...

Got Cheerios? Check
Chocolate bar..Check
Granola Bar...Check
Puffs...Check
Teddy Grahams..Check.

;)

Honestly, I'd rather tick the box to declare food unnecessarily than lose out on the wonderfulness that is NEXUS/GE.

To the US, if you fill out a paper customs card, you have to declare "food." That is the exact word used, and yes, that includes everything.

Welcome to Flyertalk!

I think not. When you are on advanced parole you enter the US uninspected (the official inspection is deferred until you have status; currently your status is officially 'pending status'). When I got approval for my green card, the agent in downtown Chicago stamped my passport and the asked me if I had anything to declare, as she was inspecting me for all my non-status border crossings under the AP. Essentially a border agent cannot allow you to enter the US without some sort of status, thus the need for the AP. I would be surprised if they let you use Nexus or GE to enter the US as your approval for them is based on your status. But, stranger things have happened and it makes sense to call an enrollment centre and ask.

Rule of thumb: if it comes out your back end eventually, it's "food".

Hard candy that dissolves, gum, etc. don't count, but most foods do count.

If in doubt, declare. Better to overdeclare than to underdeclare.

My guess is that hard candy rule is YMMV based on the agent you get.

That is a real plus with GE, no generic "food" is listed, so there's a lot more you can bring while legitimately selecting "no".

It's a tough question to answer.
I did have a run-in with the INS fifteen years ago.

I erroneously left the US to visit my family in Canada in the midst of a green card application, without realizing that the submission of an advance parole form was required. At the time, the local INS office was in the habit of handing new immigrants their conditional work permit with the phrase "Here's your Green Card!" No mention of the necessity of advance parole was made during the entire application process, much of which was done in person.

I was (apparently incorrectly) allowed to re-enter the US, and then, after arriving home, told that I'd have to "voluntarily withdraw" my green card application, return to Canada and apply again. This was the subject of a lengthy front-page Wall Street Journal article at the time. In fact, my case shed light on several issues within the INS and it led to the "early retirement" of at least one high-ranking INS official. Today, it's made very clear to all new immigrants that leaving the country without completing the correct paperwork is a no-no.

After this fiasco, which caused me to lose my job teaching at a College, I immediately reapplied for a green card and received it four months later. I then moved to the US, have worked at a College for 14 years, and became a naturalized US citizen in 2005, all legally, all without any issues whatsoever.

Lawyers have told me that even if the INS were holding this chain of events against me (which they shouldn't be, since I didn't violate any laws), the fact that I was subsequently given a Green Card and later naturalized is an indication that all is forgiven.

So, while I've been a thorn in the side of immigration officials, I have not broken any laws. Maybe they're choosing to hold it against me, all these years later.

The only other thing I can think of that might make me seem like I'm not "low risk" is that I'm on a mission to visit every country in the world. My list of places visited in the past five years contained more than fifty countries, including Venezuela, El Salvador, Vanuatu, Paraguay, Nicaragua and other less-visited locales. Maybe this did me in? Who knows?

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This looks the most likely to my completely unqualified eye. I have a friend with a similar pattern of travel to you who has faced MANY secondaries which focused on the South American travel she took; a lot of questions. She has never (and wouldn't ever) been involved in any kind of transgression. I don't believe she has Nexus.

There might be a war on drugs angle here (stupidly) which is preventing you getting approved.

Again purely an opinion.

Submitted app on GOES on Jan 10 -awaiting 'Pending Review' to change to conditionally approved. Hoping within next week and will visit Lake Champlain location.

I read parts of this thread and wish to confirm the following milestones/assumptions remain accurate for GE add on to Nexus (after approval) from any recent experiences??

1. Conduct Nexus interview and fingerprint (@ Nexus location)?
2. Apply for GE online (which should approve immediately at no cost?) (Does it have to wait until interview completed or as soon as application approval)? Does one even need to apply or automatically in the system as Nexus?
3. Does one need to visit a GE location for the sticker at a US airport? How soon after Nexus interview or delay before system recognizes user or instant?
4. Get IRIS scan at Canadian airport location?

Just trying to avoid misinformation by immigration personnel when trying to execute the above.

No GE application is needed - assuming you're approved, they'll do an interview with the canadian and us sides, and you should be valid for both. They should give you a CBP sticker for your passport in case needed for GE.

Awesome!

Any idea how long renewals are taking these days? Submitted my renewal via GOES Dec 7 and have been in the "Pending Review" state ever since.

I have a few trips coming up and am dreading having to stand in an actual line!

The current wait time seems to be about 6 - 8 weeks, just FYI, so you're not disappointed.

Yes.

When I applied in August, I marked the box saying I also wanted GE. When I did my interview, I asked the US CBP officer and he confirmed that I was good to go with GE as of that day.

The US CBP officer at Blaine, Washington informed me I didn't need the sticker. I've entered the US twice since I got NEXUS/GE in November: Once in YUL and once in IAD. No one cared about the lack of a sticker.

If the interview location you're at doesn't have the iris scanning equipment, you'll have to do it elsewhere. I did this during a 4 hour layover at YUL in December.

The only issue with not having the iris scan is that you'll have to go through the normal Canadian customs line to get into Canada.