Flyquiet and Crimsona, Good to know. Thank you very much!

Pretty sure you need to book your initial interview within 30 days of receiving your conditional approval. After that, you can change your interview location/time.

There are (or at least there were) limits on how far you could continue pushing out an interview. See post #9278 (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/24938040-post9278.html).

Hi Everyone!
I have a few basic questions...

I live in Halifax, and I've never ever crossed a land border before. I'm making a 9 hour drive to Portland, ME this weekend for an anniversary road trip (You people in Quebec and Ontario have it good, 9 hours and all I get is Portland!)

1) The land crossing I'm going to use (Houlton) has Nexus, but only for a few hours mon-fri. I'm going on a Saturday. Does this mean I can't use my Nexus on Saturday and should just give them my passport?
2) Do you fill out the blue custom card before hand?
3) My boss wants me to take back beer to Canada. I don't drink so I'm not used to taking back alcohol. She told me it will be within my limit. Nexus will be open on Monday when I cross the border back into Halifax so can I still use the Nexus lane with booze? What makes a Nexus land different from a normal lane?

1. NEXUS is acceptable ID for the border crossing in any lane in either direction (US>CA, CA>US). I routinely use mine even when in a regular lane due to limited NEXUS hours or non-NEXUS passengers in the car.

2. The blue custom card is not used for land crossings into the US; you make a verbal declaration instead.

3. Yes, just declare it...but note that the Canadian duty free allowance for alcohol, for residents of Canada, can only be used if you are outside Canada for at least 48 hours.

3a. (what makes a NEXUS lane different) NEXUS lanes require all passengers to have NEXUS (into CA) or NEXUS/Global Entry/SENTRI (into US). As you approach the officer's desk you hold all cards (fanned out) up to the car window for an RFID read; this brings up your info on their computer. You then make your verbal declarations and, hopefully, are waved on without incident.

How long have NEXUS renewals been taking? I submitted my renewal application last week and haven't heard back yet. IIRC, when I first applied in 2010, it only took a few days to get a conditional approval & request to schedule interview.

Took me just under seven weeks for it to be approved. The upside is that they did not require me to re-interview. More experiences here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trust...sing-time.html

Can I start adding my PASSID/KTN to my airline bookings immediately, or am I supposedto wait for the card? As I understand it, the NEXUS card isn't used for air travel, and it would be nice to get precheck on two upcoming flights.

Thanks for the very detailed response! Very helpful.

As soon as it says "Approved" on your GOES account, start adding the PASSID to the KTN field for your bookings. Also, make sure that the first, middle, and last names as well as the sex and birthdate match between Secure Flight and GOES.

You can use the NEXUS card as ID at all TSA checkpoints and it will get you into the CATSA Trusted Traveler line at Canadian airports.

It is. The new NEXUS machines require that the card be inserted. And the program terms and conditions require you to "Carry your NEXUS membership card with you in order to enter Canada or the U.S. using NEXUS expedited passage".

The Global Entry machines at US pre-clearance in Canadian airports don't require the card, but you still have to have it on your person when using NEXUS services.

I have a couple of questions:

1. I have a NEXUS card. During the interview process I said that my primary purpose of travel is leisure, which is the truth. However, if I have to go for a one-off business trip across the border, am I not allowed to use the NEXUS/GE machines because I didn't mention business during the interview?

2. When coming back to Canada, if I use the NEXUS machines, am I allowed to bring gifts for friends/family?

You can use the NEXUS/GE machines for any purpose, as long as you select the appropriate option on the GE questionnaire or CBSA declaration card.

You may bring gifts back using NEXUS, but as others have mentioned the experience seems to be smoother if you go through the regular lines if you select "Yes" to any question in section A on the CBSA card; or are over the limit for import exemptions.

Hey guys, I'm a Canadian PR, and just applied for my Nexus card last week, so I know it will be a while before I see any update on GOES.

I will be moving from Toronto to another city within the next couple of weeks, and had included the new address as my mailing address in my application. However, my "home address" is my current Toronto address, and this is the address that is reflected on my driver's license.

However, as I will be moving to the other city, would this be a problem? As my current home address will no longer be valid by the time I (hopefully) get conditional approval and the interview slot.

I understand I need to carry it for international travel, even in those cases where it's not actually used. But for TSA Precheck privileges, there's no such requirement, correct?