A few questions about renewal of my nexus card.

-Will I have to complete the full form again?

-Do I have to wait until it expires before I renew, or can I renew within the last valid year? (Somewhat like a passport)

-I've read in this thread about tips on obtaining a scheduled interview. Do these interviews for renewal follow much of the same formula as the initial, first time interview?

thanks

Help Visiting Blaine for my Interview - Coming from Downtown Vancouver
 

US Citizen.
Will be driving down from Downtown Vancouver for 9:45 appointment at Blaine.

The instructions say to cross border then go to office, but that seems like a lot of hassle in a rental car.

An older post mentioned parking on Canadian Side and walking.

Anyone done the trip and can give me advice on where to park and how to get there.

Also, when should I plan on arriving (how long is the walk across ?)

Thanks.

Something odd is going on with my account.

In Nov 2011, I went to the YVR Nexus office and updated my account with new addresses, DL, and my new passport.
In April 2012, I got pulled into secondard at YYZ preclearance due to an Expired Document flag on my account. They said I hadn't told them about my new passport, but let me through.

The forum here suggested the Nexus office in YVR had bungled everything up and not passed the info on to the US (used the card multiple times coming back into Canada with no issues) and that I should log into GOES and update it there myself. Problem is my GOES account has been locked for a few years due to me forgetting my password and the exact wording of security questions.

Today I finally got around to getting my GOES account unlocked. In the "Status" of the TTP Program line it says "Document Expired". I checked my account info and both my DL and Passport are correct, with expiry dates in 2015 and 2016 respectively. Tried updating my passport (replacing the info there with the same info, since it is correct) but it won't lift the EXPIRED DOCUMENT flag.

I'll try and get to an enrollment centre at some point soon to get this fixed (if they can) but was just wondering if anyone had had something like this happen?

Also, I recently moved and was able to change my mailing address, but unable to change my "current residence" or my phone number. I thought you could update anything through GOES?

Not sure why you say this. I've done countless crossings in a rental car (probably more than my own car). Half the time they ask for the rental agreement, so just have it ready.

Not from BC at all, but looking at Google Maps, I'm not sure how you'd pull this off. It doesn't look like there's any easy way (besides walking down beside the cars in line) to the border. I believe at Niagara Falls pedestrians have a sidewalk where they can walk to the border, but at other locations where there isn't any pedestrian traffic US CBP really seems to frown upon people being outside of their vehicles.

If you're already driving that distance anyway, I'd say it's probably easier just to drive up like normal. The processing center seems to be the facility right at the border.

Thanks to everyone on this forum who had provided advice!

Nexus application experience for the two of us:

Application date: May 9, 2012

Conditional approval received: June 27, 2012

Interview date: Originally booked for mid-August in Buffalo, but kept checking the GOES site many times a day for any spots that appeared. Gradually moved one of us to Port Huron for July 7th and the other one of us to Detroit, also for July 7th, the weekend we'd planned to be in the area. Finally moved, on July 3rd, both of us to Detroit for July 7th and also managed to get nearly back-to-back times. We must have gone through 20 different dates and times per person, and everytime we changed an interview date/time, we put in "better time" as the reason for the change.

Interview itself:

The Canadian agents checked us in and took our passports and driver's licences. A couple of minutes later, we were asked to go up to the counter and have our photos and fingerprints taken. After that, we returned to the waiting room and watched an orientation video. And that was it for the Canadian "interview"!

The US agent interviewed us together and asked us why we wanted a Nexus pass. After that, the agent just asked us the same questions that were on our application (any criminal record, ever been denied entry, etc.). The passports and driver's licences were returned to us, we were asked to sign a form indicating that we had read and understood the conditions, and we were told that we were approved.

Overall, the process was VERY easy, and the agents were exceptionally friendly. The interviews took place at the counter in the Nexus trailer on the US side of Ambassador Bridge. Very informal and definitely nothing to be nervous about....

...unless you've got a criminal record or have something to hide! One person there had lied on his application that he didn't have a criminal record. He was given a lot of heck by both the US and Canadian agents for not being truthful, and his application was put back into the system for further review.

When we entered the US via the Bluewater Bridge on July 5th, the CBP agent asked us the usual "what's the purpose of your trip" question. We said that it was for a shopping trip, friend-visit trip, and a Nexus-interview trip. "Oh, so you've been preapproved for Nexus? You're good to go.... have a nice trip!" It appears that having preapproval also made the regular crossing easier.

No, you can not update anything on GOES. IIRC, just passport info (which I also do the next time I'm near on office) and mailing address. DL and other info. can't be updated there, although if you do a renewal application, my experience is the new information you use will end up overwriting the existing (because despite changing info. at the office, some of it never made it to GOES).

It does sound like something going on. I suspect if you go to an office, tell them there is an error on the US side, and tell them you'd like ot see one of them, they can probably do something about it.

Before going, though, try the GOES tech support line - there should be a support link on the bottom of the home page that has an 800 number. They may be able to do something without needing to go in person.

Go to a NEXUS office (no appointment required) and the US agent will update everything for you.

From a 2009 post
Anyone from the area or used Blaine, can you comment if it is easier/quicker to park and walk or to drive and cross twice.

A Passport does not prove anything about residency. For example there are plenty of people holding Canadian passports living in Lebanon.

I did mine at Blaine. Driving in from Canada was a bit of a wait (no more than 10 min) but finding parking at the Nexus office and driving back was a breeze.

At 9:45 am on a weekday, it should be easy and fast to cross by car. Allow 15 minutes just in case.

Nexus Card Mailing
 

I was wondering if there are any recent stats in regard to how long it takes to receive card via mail after interview. Thx.

I got mine exactly 1-week after. This was 2-weeks ago. Interview in Ottawa.

same here, exactly 1 week ...