As I mentioned in my previous post, although the NEXUS website says that the iris photo cannot be obtained at U.S. centers, it also said that Champlain was a center where it could be taken. I called Champlain, and they confirmed that it can be done there.

YYZ T1 experience today
 

This may not be news to some, but today at Pearson when I went to the Nexus machines (walking past the multiple GE machines because my travelling companion was not yet GE-ready) there was a USCBP agent actively sending people back to the GE machines and telling them not to use Nexus.

Non-GE ready Nexus members were getting the fingerprints done and GE status updated right there in the customs hall. The agent told me that the US is abandoning the Nexus machines because they are "unreliable" (mechanically).

Yup got my iris scan at Lansdowne... not needed for GE but needed for Canada. Tell the US guy to be sure to scan your passport specifically for GE though.

I guess the thread's so long my info on Lansdowne is too buried to be useful any more!

Is there any border centre crossing in Canada which offers nexus interviews but does not offer iris scans? The GOES letter of conditional approval for nexus listed 8 Canadian airports and 4 other Canada-US border crossing locations that offer iris scans - and Lansdowne is not on the list.

When I flew out of YYZ on Sunday, there were about 10 people lining up to use the Neuxs machines. Meanwhile, there were at least 3 GE machines not being used. I'm not sure if that's because everyone lining up for the Nexus machines were unaware that they could use GE, or if they hadn't been fingerprinted yet. (My guess is the former.)

I would choose GE over Nexus any day! It's so much easier to get my fingerprints to scan correctly. The iris scan has me "moving back", "move left", "look into the mirror", etc., before it seems to take.

Well shhhh --- keep the GE unused for when we get there! :-D

Ditto astroflyer - it's like the hokey pokey - put your head in, put your head out, and shake it all about. I can't hear the voice under any circumstances, and to help it see my eyes I take my glasses off so I can't really see the arrows, so I just sort of hover and float in various positions while trying to keep that circle over the reflection of my eyes... Horrible. I am impressed that the machine knows it is me without me having to insert a passport or card or anything, but I wish Canada would get the fingerprint machines instead.

This may have been discussed before on this thread, but is Nexus/GE available when connecting from a domestic flight to US at YYZ? Is the procedure different from a trans-border flight originating at YYZ?

Yes

No

I'm flying SFO-YVR-YYZ this Saturday. How does that work for NEXUS? I know when I flew the other direction, there was no GE (and I had checked luggage, and my connection was too tight to try to leave and re-enter).

Quick question

First time I am flying back AIR and will be over my exemption.

I have my TDC filled out...I assume, I fill out my regular card as normal, say that I am over but say NO on the kiosk since I will drop the form off.

Is this correct?

The number of GE machines at Pearson T1 to the US has increased by a huge margin since my last trip 10 days ago. There's now an entire wall of them, and 3 (non-functioning) Nexus machines...

^ Thanks guys, this is good info and greatly appreciated. I already reported the card lost and paid $25 on the GOES website. I'll wait for the conditional approval before I visit the NEXUS office. Cheers.

There is. But it is an absolutely retarded system that I will never do again.
Scene: I was flying YOW - YYZ - PHX. Inbound YOW - YYZ delayed, outbound YYZ - PHX on time. I saw a 90 minute connex window become a 20 minute connex window.

Two options, as I had only carry on (no checked bags)
1. Walk in through the regular landside US CBP NEXUS, go through NEXUS, and go through security. This would have probably been the most efficient.

2. Go through the connections section. (Near) fatal mistake.

On entry into the connection section, you would THINK you could just wander over to the machines (if you just have carry on) and go on. NOT SO. They have a 3 step process now where you have to sign in on some infernal machine (I am a - Canadian - I do not have baggage - I am a NEXUS member) and then you STILL have to get in line with non-NEXUS people to get your BP scanned to get into the transit customs hall.

There is literally some moron standing there checking the boarding passes denying you access until you finish steps 1 + 3 or steps 1+2+3 (I never figured out what Step 2 is, mostly because I didn't have checked-baggage, so I imagined this was identifying your bags using those fancy cameras like they have at YVR.)

So picture this scene. I have 20 minutes to make my connex. I go through the connection area thinking this is going to be fast. I wander right past the belt and am about to walk into the customs area (past the line of folks waiting to get their BPs scanned.)

Moron: Sir, you have to join the line.
Me: I'm NEXUS. And I have no checked bags. And my flight leaves in 20 minutes.
Moron: (scans my boarding pass, it gets rejected.) Did you sign in on the Step 1 machine yet?
Me: No. What step 1 machine? I just need to get to the NEXUS machine.
Moron: Step 1 machine is over there.

I wander over to the Step 1 machine. I frantically press a bunch of buttons and it magically sends me back to the guy. Now the line is even longer. I've got 15 minutes to make my connex.

Me: Excuse me, I'm so sorry. My flight leaves in 15 minutes.
Moron: (scans my BP, it goes through this time.) You know, you ALWAYS have to sign in at step 1.
Me: Not if I go through the landside NEXUS next time.

Now for the other fun part.

No NEXUS on the other side. Only GE kiosks in the transit immigration lounge.
I've got 14 minutes. I've never used GE before. Granted, it was a good lesson to learn because I use GE all the time now. But not when I'm about to miss a connex. So I'm figuring it out, plugging away at keys, getting that magic printout.

I think it's over. But no. Then to add to it. I still have to wait for a CBP agent to open up.

Me: But can't I just proceed to exit now?
Pearson airport line person: No, you have to wait. CBP has to check your printout.
Me: But I only have carry on. Can't I just proceed to the exit?

11 minutes now. The agent in the "dedicated NEXUS line" frees up. I wander up.

Me: What do you need to see? I'm sorry, I didn't know I had to bother you given that I have NEXUS.
CBP: You only need to show me your printout. I just need to verify you have no connecting checked bags. Shouldn't take long.
Me: .... I only have carry-on.
CBP: Sorry, procedure.

SERIOUSLY.

9 minutes to flight. I am now through to security. I cut to the front of the line "Very sorry people, delayed inbound!! On time outbound!!!" do the shoe-carnival and laptop-butterfly (thank God CATSA saw fit to let it slide this one time), and then I'm down to the gate. Luckily in the intervening time the AC powers that be saw fit to delay the flight by 15 minutes, so I made it at the tail end of boarding (and also found my upgrade had cleared.)

Suffice to say, FUDDLEDUDDLE the connex section at Pearson. If you have carry-on only and NEXUS you are WAY better going through landside NEXUS than the connection gongshow.

Hope that helps,
l.

Edited to thank CATSA

Split all the hairs you want, but Americans want their passports (or WHTI-compliant card such as NEXUS, if applicable).