Very simple:

Nexus: enter Canada from anywhere
Nexus: enter USA from Canada
GE: enter USA from anywhere

May be a phrasing issue, but:


•each member of the family must enrol in the NEXUS program including minors.

is incorrect. Each must enroll if they want to use the benefits, but, for example, I have enrolled but not my wife and kids. It just means that
when we travel together, we cannot use Nexus, we must go through
the regular lines.

Or you waltz through the NEXUS and relax in the lounge while they simmer in the regular line for 20 minutes and join you later

;)

It is and the intent was to note that to use the benefits of NEXUS all members would have to be enrolled. I will rephrase however and appreciate the input.

Thanks xero! I walked over for my Nexus interview and everything went great.

I really want to stress to everyone applying that once you get approved, if you continuously check for appointments you'll probably be able to move up. I applied on Feb. 11, got conditionally approved on March 2, and then had my interview today (March 4) and already got approved. Originally I had an appointment for May 15 and was able to move it up to April 25, March 30, and finally March 4th all on the same day that I got my confirmation letter! It's really worth it to keep checking, imo.

GE to enter the US from Canadian airports with preclearance facilities or in the USA directly from overseas..

NEXUS to enter Canada (from USA or overseas destinations) and the USA from CANADA only.

Just got back from the interview and received approval email 15min after.
Both agents was very friendly and helpful ^ , just waiting on the card now ;)

Okay I have rather difficult/complicated questions to answer. I noticed in the wiki post above, as well as the CBSA website it says:

Just curious, what would be an example of a change in employment that "impacts your eligibility in the program"? I haven't been able to find anything that states anything specific about employment requirements for Nexus (other than things pertaining to visas and such).

The reason I ask is because I'm a full time student and still have another year left before I get my degree. I'm also working part time at a place that is in no way related to what my degree is and what I want to do in the future. I plan on trying to look for another job that IS more related, however, before I do that I wanted to spend 3-4 months in the US with my boyfriend this summer (we also have some rough plans on traveling while I'm there). The thing is, I would surely have to quit my job in order to go for that long (which isn't a problem for me since, like I said, I want to look for a more fulfilling one upon my return). Would I have to notify Nexus about that? I'm assuming so just in case, but how would quitting my part time job "affect my eligibility in the program" or would it?

I'm also already concerned with potentially being given a hard time, despite having Nexus, if I try to go down there for that long with no job here (although I'll still be listed as a student). What sorts of things do you think will be sufficient proof that I do not plan on staying there/working there? Would having: a return flight, bank account statements, proof of travel insurance that only covers the time I plan on being there for, school transcripts proving that I'm still registered and have a year left, and maybe a letter from his family saying that I'll be staying with them and leaving on a certain date be enough/not enough/overkill? Also idk if it would help but my school transcripts would show that I'm a Crim student on the Dean's List, so might that make me more trustworthy to them?

Sorry if this sounds insane but I have a tendency to overthink things. I'd rather be safe than sorry, and I've read many horror stories. So does anyone have any insight?

I can't answer the NEXUS specific part of it, because I really don't know about employment updates either. To be honest, when I find a new job I might not have even thought about informing NEXUS. Given that I don't think one is required to be working in order to apply for NEXUS, I don't think it would be much of an issue.

As for having trouble getting in to the US in your situation, I was in the same boat (well, a little worse). I was engaged, trying to get down there. To put it simply, without lying, you may want to avoid the boyfriend part when crossing. Once they know that's the case, it can be a real pain to get in. I always had a letter from my employer stating I was currently working in Toronto, as well as the latest copy of my cell phone bill. Perhaps some kind of enrollment verification might help in your case. I think for air travel though a return ticket might be sufficient. I was always travelling by car, so I could have technically come back at any time (a bad thing in our situation).

Thanks for your reply xero!

The only thing is, I'm pretty sure every time I've flown there I've told them I was going to visit my boyfriend. I never really realized that it could put me in a difficult situation because I always (perhaps naively) thought that it was better to be honest if I had nothing to hide. I've never had any issues, but I think that they probably have it on file now or something that I have a bf in the US, so if I try switching it up to "visiting a friend", it might put me in a bad situation.

Wondering about my husband's application.

His "pending review" took about 6 weeks, and finally he received the conditional approval, and is going for his interview next week. However, he is a permanent resident, and has been since 1965. In 1982, he was a dumbass, and was busted for a B&E. It was his only run in with the law, and he's done nothing since.
The US knows about it, and he often gets trip to Secondary to discuss his PR status, and then they always bring up the VERY OLD record.
He has a US Visa in his passport, and gets the multi-entry I-94(?) when he gets through secondary...

So, he has the interview... what are his chances? Don't they do the background check before offering the interview? As mentioned, the US side already knows of the offence. Does anyone who has any kind of record, no matter how old, ever get a Nexus card??

Employment is clearly not required because babies can get NEXUS.

However, I was told that they wanted to know of changes to the primary purpose of travel. This might be what the employment link is. With NEXUS, the primary purpose was stated on the application they approved. Maybe they would not approve an application for "primarily business" travel for someone whose occupation does not typically involve international travel. The officer told me they appreciate that people take occasional trips with alternate purpose, but you're approved for the primary purpose you indicated. If your primary purpose changes, it has the same result as misrepresenting the primary purpose in the first place, in that the primary purpose of record is not the actual current primary purpose. They seem to be reserving the prerogative to reconsider the approval. Just as any of the primary purpose responses can be acceptable, it is unlikely that they will rescind NEXUS if you disclose the change in a timely way.

I think if your primary purpose is personal/leisure (visiting boyfriend) during school breaks, you can back that up with the facts, and that is an appropriate purpose to indicate. Your part time job is secondary to your full time student "employment" and I am inferring that your travel is not related to that job. If you have NEXUS, you won't have to have border conversations about purpose of travel most of the time. If your purpose changes, e.g., you graduate and get a job as North American rep for a major company, then you advise them of the change and that your primary purpose is now "business".

In any conversations at the border, I wouldn't go out of my way to volunteer unsolicited detail but I would not misrepresent the relationship. I think it is critical to be straightforward with Eagle-badge-man and not try to fabricate or tailor a story based on anticipating what we think he wants to hear. I was in precisely the same position, albeit not with NEXUS, and they were more than happy to let me drive down as often as I wanted. I took carloads full of appliances and decorations with me, and simply said (honestly) these things from my old house that have been in storage and I'm lending them to the boyfriend until I get my own place again. When I did get approved for an H1B1 visa, that was when they started harassing me some about stealing jobs from 'Muricans. In fact, the first day the visa was in the system, they wouldn't give it to me because **I** didn't have a copy of the approval letter. They could see it in their system, but made me drive all the way home, wouldn't admit me as a visitor, which would have allowed me to pick up a copy of the approval letter on the US side. No recognition of dual intent at all. (Then when I married the boyfriend, they started badgering me when I was going to get the spousal visa. Once I said I was counting the days to the end of the contract so I could move back to Canada, and you'd think I'd hit him on the face with a tuna. He couldn't believe anyone would spurn the golden opportunity.) Bottom line, do not mess with The Man.

If he has the conditional approval, then they seem to have dealt with it because as you say, they know about it. Yes, they do the background check before the interview. They knew about my years living in the US even though they were not in the timeframe I had to describe on my application. They may ask about it to see if he tries to hide it. It doesn't make much sense they would just bring him in to mess with him and waste everyone's time. The interview is more of an indoctrination session / training in The Way of the NEXUS, with some factual verification. I don't recall reading anyone saying the interview sought any new information about them for decision-making purposes, just for honesty-checking.

Yvr nexus question!!
 

I got my Nexus card on the land border, so no iris scan. I'm flying to YVR from the States soon, can I use it or do I use the regular lines because their kiosks have only iris scanners? Any options?

Others have posted that you can get an iris scan done without an appointment if you are at an airport with iris scanner with some extra time.