Nuts and coffee beans are technically speaking plant seeds, one of the categories of items that require inspection. Obviously they are processed so it's up to the screening agent to decide to send you to secondary or let you go. Same with booze. Buy those 2 litre specials at duty free shops and check off that you're over your 1.5 litre limit. They'll usually let you go through without going to secondary or paying for the extra 500 mls.

With GE, I can bring granola bars through without having to check off the food question as a "yes", but if I used the standard blue form and NEXUS, I must indicate I have a food item and may be sent to secondary because it is far more general in its phrasing.

Obviously. Would also have to change my passport details with the HKG officials as I have one of their Fast Track customs numbers.

BTW are you saying an interview isn't always required for a renewal? I did do a refresh of my file when I went in last year to get my GE, including fingerprints which weren't taken (at least not a full set) when I originally got my CANPASS.

I realize coffee is a bean, but I guess when it's already ground I've never really thought of it as a plant -- I often bring coffee as a gift when I go places and have never declared it on the form/at the NEXUS kiosk...

Exactly, my beans where whole and silly me I had them shipped instead of carrying them with me, which is also one of those questions, will goods be following you. Oh well, one of those inconveniences for being honest.

No need to declare coffee, tea and many foods if you ship them home. Let them go through postal Customs normally. There is no duty nor tax on coffee and tea since they are grocery items.

Some posters upthread are indicating they were not requested to do an interview when renewing. I'm still on my first Nexus card (for 3 more years) so I can't really comment personally. It seems reasonable to assume most people get interviewed at renewal though, based on what everyone replied.

Ground beef is also a grocery item and I recommend you don't follow the same advice. ;)


Back to Nexus: I declared coffee and was told in YUL that a) I was not allowed to use Nexus if I was checking anything as Yes in the first section and b) I don't have to declare coffee. I went to the Nexus office immediately and they agreed with him on both counts.

However in reading the regs later I only found reference to being required to declare cash etc. over 10k$ to an agent and not through nexus. Even that seemed odd, seeing as I have used nexus and gone to secondary with the forms already filled out on several occasions without difficulty. I found nothing in the law or regulations regarding their interpretation of a) above.

I have never been told anything like a), and this completely seems counter to the premise that you are automatically sent to secondary if you tell the kiosk that you did check yes to one of the items on the form. I suppose its the same with carrying commercial items too, but that is at least stated in the Nexus guide, and at least IME, mentioned at the interview.

I have read the Nexus guide, and unless there was a change in the last year or so, there has never been a qualification in there that you can not use Nexus if you are checking yes to any of the questions. I'll be coming into YYZ later in the month where I will have a declaration that will require me to check yes - I'll report back if I have any trouble (but have done this a few times both into the US and Canada, and never had an issue).

Not sure I'd send any meat back home by the mail, or even FedEx. Meat products for the most part are not permitted into the country without special permit. Always makes me annoyed when I see those strips of filet mignon in Argentina or SAfrica that I'd love to take home with me.

As mentioned before, it is up to the agent at the exit to the customs hall who scans your card(s) -- or the agent at the exit of the hall -- to determine if you need to go to secondary based on your response. That person should ask you what the "yes" related to and based on your answer will direct you accordingly. Also will depend on the volume of people in customs, and from where flights have arrived, that determines how "strict" they will be.

Update - I received my card yesterday, SO and kid have not. Have to check mail when we get home.

Not bad, one week after interview (for me anyway).

quick question -

Wife and both have Nexus. When travelling (air) together, do we:

a) Fill in 1 blue form and each use the kiosks separately
b) Fill in 2 blue forms (one each) and use the kiosks separately

I couldn't find anywhere this was specified, so on our last flight we just went to the regular agents (since we were in 2AC and no other flights landing at the same time)

That said, I travel solo 95% of the time, so someone probably told me, but I didn't pay attention :)

Either would be acceptable. Families can use one blue card, but are not obligated to. If you use one blue card, you just hand it in with both cards from the Nexus machine at the exit.

SO and me have always used just the one blue card. Just make sure you have both Nexus cards available to show if you get the hard-nosed takers-of-the-blue-card (or the one idiot that insists on stamping something across your BP barcode).

Note: don't do this unless you and your SO are married. Got yelled at by CBP for sharing a form with my common-law partner. It's apparently fine entering Canada (only requirement there is that you live at the same address), but not the US.