One time I did declare duty free alcohol over the allowable limit. We flew towards Milwaukee, then returned to YYZ due to Weather. I'd not spent any time in the US whatsoever, so claimed it. I was directed to secondary customs, explained the situation. The Customs agent just smiled and wished me luck getting to my destination.

Mine was 22 days. Got my conditional approval last week. Not to worry, from what I gather timelines vary.

Quick question: We have a YYZ-SAN trip next Monday (San Ysidro calls...) and I have GE but Mrs Haz is still in the renewal process and only has Nexus. Have they carried out their threat yet and removed the Nexus eyeball scanners from the T1 transborder departure area?

The NEXUS Information Thread
 

Went through pre-clearance this morning at YYZ. The good news is they now have a seperate entrance to pre-clearance for Nexus/GE (and its well-marked, plus crew now has its own security line, meaning they don't cut on front of Nexus members at security. Which is great.

As for machines, mostly all GE, and a lot of them. There were definitely a couple of Nexus machines down at the end, but someone standing in front, I believe encouraging people to use GE. Just curious, have you checked your wife's GOES account to see if there is a message indicating she can use GE. Most Nexus members who already have all fingerprints on file can use GE automatically. There should be a message in red on the homepage once you log in, indicating that you can use it, or that you need to get biometrics on file. On the other hand, if they aren't already there, you can always show up at YYZ a bit earlier, no appt. necessary, and drop in to the office to get fingerprints done.

Thanks for the info. She definitely hasn't got GE as she never had her "dabs" taken other than the thumbs when we first enrolled. We'll try the drop-in and hope the fact she's in the renewal process doesn't mean they can't take the full set of prints.

Got nexus! - at the interview today; I have some questions
 

The interview took place in public at the counter - I thought I would be taken to a room, for privacy.

The American officer asked me 3 questions:

a) why do you want NEXUS
b) do you plan to do business in USA (I said no, after answering the first question that I want to go for sightseeing, shopping, and as a physician attending medical meetings and conferences).
c) where do you work - I stated The Ottawa Hospital.

Then he asked me for fingerprints - once they passed, he told me that I could use global entry, immediately.

He asked me to sign a letter that I will adhere to the regulations of nexus.

Then I went to the Canadian official. She asked me no questions - but asked me to do the iris scan.

I did. She then gave me written regulations (one sheet, and also a booklet) on nexus.

She told me that the nexus card will arrive in the mail - within 2 weeks.

Neither he nor she instructed me as to the process of using the nexus (or global entry) machines.

Are there clear instructions on how to operate the machines when one starts operating them? Is there a web site that gives these instructions.

It seems, whether I cross the border by air or by land , when coming to Canada, that I need to always fill out a customs declaration form - either by getting a paper form, or printing a paper form, or making my entries online (before crossing the border)? If I want a pre-printed form that I now get on airlines, I can use that going into the nexus lane into airports - but I have to find such a form in advance of crossing the land border, if I want to use the form then.

Global Entry Instructions: http://www.globalentry.gov/downloads.html
NEXUS Instructions: http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/nexu...erien-eng.html

There is also a special website just for physicians: www.globalentryandnexusfordummies.com [just kidding]:D

Arrived at a major US airport from Europe this week. I inserted my passport into the ge machine, did the fingerprint thing, answered the questions and pressed finish. The machine spit out the receipt. So far everything happened as always. Then I looked at the receipt and noticed it's not me! It's for a different person with a different nationality.

How can this be?

So I went to the crew line, they checked my passport and waived me through and when i mentioned what happened, they said the machines have been crazy lately.

So I guess my point is make sure you look at the receipt before proceeding to customs. You don't want to be giving them a receipt with somebody else's name on it without explaining what happened.

Hi All,

I had my interview and all is well. I will receive my card in the mail within the next week or 2. I want to thank you all for the helpful replies :).

I have one more completely stupid question though that I had in mind to ask the Nexus people but forgot: If I am returning to YYZ for example from outside the US&Canada (let's say Paris to YYZ), can I still use the Nexus machines to expedite customs at the Canada customs area?

Thank you all!!

The answer is yes.

YVR: New CATSA "e-gate" trial starts ***tomorrow***
 

Stumbled across this today:

This doesn't sound to me like it will speed things up... in fact, it might slow things down. I suspect it will result in people using the other entrance.

TN now. They asked me if I wanted to switch to H-1B, but I'm back in Canada until next Tuesday, which is a day and half too far into April for the process this year.

The NEXUS machine is the same as the machine they took the iris scan with. There is a practice unit there, and they had me practice a few times. I find it pretty hard to use, but if you're not deaf like me, I understand there is a voice that gives you some hokey-pokey instructions to explain the discotheque graphics on the screen. A few times using it and it's easier every time, I find. You do fill in the customs and duty card on the airplane and hand that WITH the NEXUS ticket to the agent at the exit from the baggage hall. Sorry, I don't know the land deal.

The GE machines are my favourite. Stick the passport in for ID (there is an animated graphic on the machine that shows how), put fingers on the glass, face the camera, fill in the answers, and take the card. Give it to the guy at the exit from the preclearance hall with your BP. He/she will stamp the BP and give back. Done.

They told me 7 - 10 business days to get my card and I got it in less than a week of elapsed time, mailed from Vermont. (So what is Air Canada Altitude's excuse? Still waiting for my International MLL card selected March 1.)

It took me a couple of times to figure it put, but if you look at your reflection in the screen and move your head to line up your pupils with the two eye-shaped marks on the screen, it seems to work.

Newbie here, so I apologize if this is the wrong forum to ask this. Does anyone know if there is a special line at YUL security into the US preclearance for Nexus/GE people? I mean, can I bypass the long and slow security check line before the passport control?