renewal
 

I sent in my renewal in Dec and to my surprise got it back conditionally approved. My wife's renewal was approved without a new interview. So i was wondering if others are getting this as well and if anyone has been to a renewal interview lately, how did it go?

I thought renewal interviews are not done anymore.

Sure hope not.

Did anything need to be updated that requires a visit to the enrollment center?

I got a new passport some time ago, and had it updated at a nexus enrollment center.

They never said they're not interviewing renewals. They posted that renewals *may* not require an interview. Those with material changes in residence or employment would probably be a priority to reinterview, but it could also be random.

So I had my interview today at the Niagara Falls center (I'm in Toronto on business this week). I had to go across the Whirlpool Bridge to get my iris scan on the Canadian side - not sure why that isn't done at the enrollment center?

New fingerprints were taken and I was told that since I already have a Global Entry card, when I get my NEXUS card I was to destroy the GE card. If I used the GE card after the NEXUS card is activated I was told "there would be problems."

The interview was really about acknowledging the rules of the program. One question I was asked was my expected frequency of travel to Canada, but my travel planning horizon is as short as 1 week most times and is driven by customer needs so I wasn't able to give an answer. That wasn't really a problem. I was also asked about my occupation, since my primary reason for travelling to Canada is business. What I do is hard to describe to someone that isn't in my industry and the CBSA agent got the same glossy eyed look I see when my friends ask about my job.

I wanted to stay on the US side to grab dinner before driving back to Toronto and was given a choice: go immediately over to get the iris scan (one-time toll-free pass over) and return to the US at another crossing, or perform the iris scan at a later date. Since I don't know if my next trip will involve a land or air entry to Canada I chose to get the iris scan immediately.

On the bright side, I crossed at Rainbow and got a glimpse of the falls for the first time in 20 years. I managed to cross the US/Canada border 4 times in 2 hours as part of this exercise. On the last crossing back to Canada I was asked the last time I was in Canada - "an hour ago" wasn't the answer he expected.

The iris scan is managed by CBSA as it's only used for air travel at Canadian airports. The US CBP doesn't have anything to do with the iris scans.

Does anyone know of any NEXUS applicant who was denied without being offered an interview? I've searched on forums/threads and only found denials post interview.

Right - and I was interviewed by both CBSA and CBP at the enrollment center on the US side, an office whose major function is to interview NEXUS candidates. Seems like a good place to install an iris scanner, no?

Using the same logic, nobody would be able to get fingerprinted at NEXUS enrollment centers in Canada since the fingerprints are for GE kiosks and used by CBP. I'm using specious logic here to make a point, not that I think you can't get fingerprinted at Canadian NEXUS enrollment centers.

It wasn't a terrible hardship (10 extra minutes of driving), just an example I noticed of where bureaucratic rules appear to trump common sense.

Seems like a good place, yes. But unfortunately, the only offices that have it, AFAIK, are on the Canadian side of the border. All airport locations (since they are all in Canada) and most, if not all land border Nexus offices on the Canadian side have it. I'm sure there's a reason, but what it is, I don't know.

That's not actually correct. Before the widespread introduction of GE machines to pre-clearance airports, which coincided with the inclusion of Canadian NEXUS members in GE, the US side uses iris-scanning NEXUS machines exclusively. In order to use NEXUS Air on either side, you needed an iris scan.

Its weird. They used to have iris scanners on the US side. When I had my NEXUS interview done at the same place you did, there was a sign saying that they "no longer" had the camera there and they were sorry but you had to go to Ft. Erie or YYZ to get it done. I've been thinking for a while that it was simply to save cost, as they figure some of the centers are more focused on land crossing and don't need to spend money on iris scanning cameras.

I believe there have been reports here of people with criminal records being rejected during the application process.

All the Canadian-side ones have it. The US-side ones used to, at least Niagara Falls did. It doesn't really make sense.

Posted separate thread ...

I would wager the reason is that the IP network that connects it all together is provided by Bell who does not have a license to sling the cable across the border . . . and it would be a secure one so it's not like they could just hook up a DSL line.

I think if a criminal record or customs/immigration violation is found in the background check, the applicant will be denied prior to being offered an interview.

However if the applicant has his fingerprints taken during the interview process and the fingerprints point to an arrest that was not disclosed, that would be reason enough to deny the applicant at that point.

Application asks about convictions, not arrests.

CBP didn't ask a thing about my (non-disclosed) arrest until the interview, and only after I was fingerprinted. CBSA called me prior to my conditional acceptance (adding NEXUS to GE) inquiring about the very same (non-disclosed) charges.

The same paperwork was sufficient to demonstrate to both that I was cleared of the charges. No worries about lack of disclosure from either agency.