Mar 3, 2013, 10:24 pm
Last edit by: TWA884
Current NEXUS Information messages can be found in the following thread:
The NEXUS Information Thread
The NEXUS Information Thread
Welcome to the Travel Safety/Security Trusted Travelers Forum Nexus Information Wiki! This resource will appear at the top of every page within this thread to help users learn more about this program.
About NEXUS
NEXUS is designed to expedite the border clearance process for low-risk, pre-approved travellers into Canada and the United States.
The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs & Border Patrol (CBP) are cooperating in this joint venture to simplify border crossing for members while enhancing security.
Program benefits
If you are approved to participate in NEXUS, you will receive a membership identification card to use when entering Canada or the United States at all designated NEXUS air, land and marine ports of entry.
Membership will enable airline passengers to save time by:
- using automated self-serve kiosks in dedicated areas at designated international airports;
- using NEXUS/SENTRI lanes at land crossings when/where available. NEXUS lanes entering Canada will likely have a constant red traffic signal. This is to discourage non-NEXUS members from using the lane. Canada-bound NEXUS land crossing operating hours. All occupants must have NEXUS cards when using NEXUS lane entering Canada. At some locations, the NEXUS lane, the inspection booth is not staffed but there should be a call button. When entering US in a NEXUS/SENTRI lane, all occupants must carry either NEXUS, Global Entry, or SENTRI cards (or any combination thereof). Notable exception is Whirlpool Bridge which requires a NEXUS card to open the toll gate on the Canadian side to cross to the US..
- As of 17 MAY 2017 - NEXUS members no longer need to complete a paper CBSA Declaration Card (Form E311) when using a NEXUS self-serve kiosk at any Canadian airport where NEXUS is available. (Refer to post #10421)
- using the Trusted Traveller Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) Security Line at major and select medium-sized Canadian airports to expedite airport pre boarding security screening. For detailed information, please visit the CATSA Web site.
Join NEXUS
Here are the steps for becoming a member. There is a non-refundable processing fee of CAN$50 or US$50 per applicant for a five-year membership card.
About NEXUS
Eligibility
How to apply
Enrolment process
Key points about the program as found by forum members:
- NEXUS cardholders must advise of ANY changes to their vital information such as passport numbers/validity, visa status, legal names, primary residence, criminal convictions, and employment if it impacts your eligibility in the program.
- It's normal to find the first in-person NEXUS interview to be months into the future, but a little patience and regular checks on the TTP website almost always yields an interview date much sooner.
- Each person who wants to participate in the NEXUS program must fill out a separate application form. There is no fee for applicants under the age of 18.
- If traveling with non-NEXUS family members NEXUS cardholders are required to use the regular customs lines.
- There is a zero tolerance policy and membership can be terminated for infractions including not having your NEXUS card on you and using the NEXUS lane and not declaring items on your customs declaration card, though members have reported some leniency being granted for such infractions in the past.
- Private companies may offer services for submitting your application and charge an additional processing fee but these extra charges are not part of the official NEXUS application fee. Expedited services offered by such companies will not assist in speeding up the application process.
Updating Passport with Canada for NEXUS
As per CBSA website, updates to passport information can be handled on TTP.
Please note that NEXUS members are not required to report to an Enrolment Centre to update or change their passport information with the CBSA.
Some FT members don't trust instructions provided by CBSA and recommend the following:
Call the Canadian Processing Centre with responsibility for residents of the United States:
After going through the phone tree to reach a Nexus representative, advise them that you need to update your US passport with Canada.
The representative will give you an email address and instructions to scan your updated passport picture page (include your trusted traveler number on the scan) and then email it to a particular email address. I was advised to put the representative's name in the email message so that he could process the update on the Canadian side. He confirmed that any passport update in TTP does not reach Canada. NOTE: FT members have been able to enter Canada without any issues by updating passport online only.
He specifically requested that only the telephone number be posted (and not the email address).
In case the telephone number doesn't work, here's the webpage where the phone number is posted: Canada Border Services Agency - NEXUS - General Information
- 800-842-7647 --- Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (Eastern Time)
After going through the phone tree to reach a Nexus representative, advise them that you need to update your US passport with Canada.
The representative will give you an email address and instructions to scan your updated passport picture page (include your trusted traveler number on the scan) and then email it to a particular email address. I was advised to put the representative's name in the email message so that he could process the update on the Canadian side. He confirmed that any passport update in TTP does not reach Canada. NOTE: FT members have been able to enter Canada without any issues by updating passport online only.
He specifically requested that only the telephone number be posted (and not the email address).
In case the telephone number doesn't work, here's the webpage where the phone number is posted: Canada Border Services Agency - NEXUS - General Information
US citizens/residents who have both Global Entry and NEXUS cards and who renew the Global Entry membership whilst their NEXUS card is active, will not be able to renew the NEXUS card until after it expires. The option to do so disappears from the TTP website.
Dear mxzblftspk,
Your NEXUS membership is not set to expire until July 11 2016.
As an approved NEXUS member, you added Global Entry for an additional $100. When you completed your Global Entry application, you received a Global Entry card. When you activated the Global Entry Card, your NEXUS Card was deactivated and the option to renew NEXUS was removed from your account.
If you wish to renew NEXUS, you will have to wait for your NEXUS membership to expire. Once it expires, you will have the option within your TTP online account to renew NEXUS. After you follow all of the steps to become a NEXUS member again, including the completion of an interview at a NEXUS Enrollment Center near the Canadian border, you will receive a new NEXUS card and will have Global Entry benefits at no additional cost.
When your Global Entry account expires 5 years after your application, do not renew it. Global Entry benefits are included with your NEXUS membership.
It is our goal to provide you the best information we have in response to your question. If you follow the information provided in our response, and still need assistance, please reply to this email and we will investigate how we may further assist you.
Thank you again for contacting the CBP INFO Center.
Sincerely,
CBP INFO Center
Your NEXUS membership is not set to expire until July 11 2016.
As an approved NEXUS member, you added Global Entry for an additional $100. When you completed your Global Entry application, you received a Global Entry card. When you activated the Global Entry Card, your NEXUS Card was deactivated and the option to renew NEXUS was removed from your account.
If you wish to renew NEXUS, you will have to wait for your NEXUS membership to expire. Once it expires, you will have the option within your TTP online account to renew NEXUS. After you follow all of the steps to become a NEXUS member again, including the completion of an interview at a NEXUS Enrollment Center near the Canadian border, you will receive a new NEXUS card and will have Global Entry benefits at no additional cost.
When your Global Entry account expires 5 years after your application, do not renew it. Global Entry benefits are included with your NEXUS membership.
It is our goal to provide you the best information we have in response to your question. If you follow the information provided in our response, and still need assistance, please reply to this email and we will investigate how we may further assist you.
Thank you again for contacting the CBP INFO Center.
Sincerely,
CBP INFO Center
Archived: The NEXUS Information Thread
Dec 14, 2016, 3:43 pm
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: SEA, or BOS, or MUC, or other places (probably connecting). "Detroit, Michigan is in the Eastern time zone."
Programs: DL PM/1MM, AS 100K, NEXUS/GE, CLEAR, Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,201
Any time between now and the expiration date will give you the same extension to your NEXUS membership (5 years from your 2017 birthday), so it's not like waiting gains you anything. (Unless you're willing to wait for it to lapse and then re-apply to gain the remaining fractional year and extend your membership until 2023 instead of 2022, at the cost of not having it from your expiration date until your new membership kicked in. Not worth it IMO.)
Dec 14, 2016, 3:45 pm
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: SEA, or BOS, or MUC, or other places (probably connecting). "Detroit, Michigan is in the Eastern time zone."
Programs: DL PM/1MM, AS 100K, NEXUS/GE, CLEAR, Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,201
I have enjoyed nearly six years of validity on my current NEXUS card because my first interview and approval came a few days after my birthday (cards expire five years plus the next birthday). I am planning on scheduling my interview the day after my birthday, hoping that I can enjoy the same extended validity on my new card.
(At $10/year my willingness to play games to save money when renewing is extremely low, which is why I applied for my renewal almost a year early.)
Dec 15, 2016, 10:19 am
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: Delta DM, SPG Plat, Marriott Plat, IHG Spire
Posts: 1,021
Don't count on it; I vaguely recall at least one post saying that someone who'd applied for renewal pre-expiration and interviewed post-expiration only got the 5 year extension. You might also not even get a new interview; I didn't!
(At $10/year my willingness to play games to save money when renewing is extremely low, which is why I applied for my renewal almost a year early.)
(At $10/year my willingness to play games to save money when renewing is extremely low, which is why I applied for my renewal almost a year early.)
How likely is it to have no interview? I no longer work in or near a border city, although I do fly through Detroit often.
It seems a bit daft to not renew NEXUS for the price and extra benefits, even though at the moment I don't need the Canada portion of it.
Dec 15, 2016, 7:10 pm
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: SEA, or BOS, or MUC, or other places (probably connecting). "Detroit, Michigan is in the Eastern time zone."
Programs: DL PM/1MM, AS 100K, NEXUS/GE, CLEAR, Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,201
If you do need an interview, the Detroit enrollment center is not close to DTW; it might be doable on a really long connection, but not cheaply (two Uber/Lyft/cab rides, or a one day car rental).
Dec 16, 2016, 9:11 am
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,891
My vague impression (based only on FT reports) is that it's more likely than not that you won't need an interview assuming you haven't had any brushes with the law or visited suspicious countries. The UAE was apparently not suspicious enough for them to ask me in (I did a DXB mileage run in 2014)..
Dec 16, 2016, 2:24 pm
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: YQR
Programs: NEXUS; alas, no status anymore.
Posts: 1,181
We renewed in 2015. Interviews were required. I'm not sure why. We had had no problems or violations. All they really did was thank us for observing the rules, and take new photos. I don't think they took new fingerprint scans. Canada didn't take new iris scans.
Luckily we had a trip to Europe planned and booked a long connection CDG-YYZ-YQR to give us a chance at the renewal interviews. They saw us right away even though we were 90 minutes early, so we still had time to chill in a lounge before our flight home.
Definitely don't assume you won't need an interview. The odds are small these days but definitely not zero.
Luckily we had a trip to Europe planned and booked a long connection CDG-YYZ-YQR to give us a chance at the renewal interviews. They saw us right away even though we were 90 minutes early, so we still had time to chill in a lounge before our flight home.
Definitely don't assume you won't need an interview. The odds are small these days but definitely not zero.
Dec 17, 2016, 10:06 am
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Toronto
Posts: 484
My wife and I both had renewals in 2016. I needed an interview, she didn't. At my interview, the agent told me that my wife was lucky, as in the agent's experience, only about 1 in 20 renewals do NOT need an interview. They did note, however, that my wife's passport on the Canadian system had expired (she had only updated it in GOES when it got renewed), and so they asked that she drop by sometime so that they could update it with her new passport #.
Dec 18, 2016, 10:12 am
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: YVR
Posts: 243
Dec 18, 2016, 12:19 pm
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,145
My renewal sure seems to be taking forever. Applied for renewal on 11/7. Still "Pending Review" on the CBP site, with a note to "check back every few days." At least I still have several months before mine expires. No sketchy countries visited.
Dec 18, 2016, 8:43 pm
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: YVR
Programs: Erstwhile Accidental AC E35K
Posts: 2,918
I just renewed today. I have a lengthy list of countries on my list, including Colombia and Peru. Are they "sketchy"?
Dec 19, 2016, 12:30 am
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: ORD
Programs: BA, AA, SQ, UA, AC, WS, MR TIT
Posts: 8,659
My renewal is coming up in couple of months and I fly a lot to the middle east (Saudi Arabia and UAE and once to Oman) for business purposes. Are these countries considered "sketchy"?
Dec 19, 2016, 4:21 pm
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 517
Went to our "interview" today. I use the term interview loosely. We went to Detroit. It wasn't an interview like I was thinking. More like going to the DMV. Walk up to a counter and the Canadian agent asked us to sign in and then asked us why we wanted or needed Nexus. Then we had a seat until the US agent called us up, took our picture and prints. Approval email from the GOES system was time stamped within minutes of when we completed the process.
Dec 21, 2016, 4:19 am
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: JFK, DCA, BUR, YVR
Programs: AC, AS, BA, DL, HH (D), MR (T/LTP), UA (*S), UScAAre (PLT/1,87MM), WN
Posts: 5,207
Dec 27, 2016, 5:57 pm
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: AA Gold, Amex Plat
Posts: 4,007
Does anyone have recent experience obtaining a NEXUS card with an old (10+ year) misdemeanor (or summary offence, as Canada would call it)?
I'm going to try soon. I am a US citizen who made some stupid decisions as a young adult and have a single misdemeanor conviction from July 2006. I received a 6-month suspended sentence, so the full 10 year period will have passed by next week. My conviction is equivalent to a summary offence in Canada (per CBSA officers one time when I was sent to secondary at YYZ) so I have never had any issues with my admissibility north of the border. I have stayed squeaky-clean since, am gainfully employed in a professional field, and do travel to Canada a few times a year for both business and pleasure.
US CBP has said in the past that a single misdemeanor conviction more than 10 years old would not necessarily bar someone from Global Entry approval, although most of the wording is vague. Canada seems to have a similar standard for NEXUS approval.
Worst case scenario, I'm out the $50 and can appeal to an ombudsman. I will report back in January. Has anyone else out there with a single 10+ year old misdemeanor had success getting NEXUS?
I'm going to try soon. I am a US citizen who made some stupid decisions as a young adult and have a single misdemeanor conviction from July 2006. I received a 6-month suspended sentence, so the full 10 year period will have passed by next week. My conviction is equivalent to a summary offence in Canada (per CBSA officers one time when I was sent to secondary at YYZ) so I have never had any issues with my admissibility north of the border. I have stayed squeaky-clean since, am gainfully employed in a professional field, and do travel to Canada a few times a year for both business and pleasure.
US CBP has said in the past that a single misdemeanor conviction more than 10 years old would not necessarily bar someone from Global Entry approval, although most of the wording is vague. Canada seems to have a similar standard for NEXUS approval.
Worst case scenario, I'm out the $50 and can appeal to an ombudsman. I will report back in January. Has anyone else out there with a single 10+ year old misdemeanor had success getting NEXUS?
Dec 28, 2016, 1:09 am
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: LAS/GRU/DUB
Programs: Amex, JPMR, Nexus
Posts: 365
Does anyone have recent experience obtaining a NEXUS card with an old (10+ year) misdemeanor (or summary offence, as Canada would call it)?
I'm going to try soon. I am a US citizen who made some stupid decisions as a young adult and have a single misdemeanor conviction from July 2006. I received a 6-month suspended sentence, so the full 10 year period will have passed by next week. My conviction is equivalent to a summary offence in Canada (per CBSA officers one time when I was sent to secondary at YYZ) so I have never had any issues with my admissibility north of the border. I have stayed squeaky-clean since, am gainfully employed in a professional field, and do travel to Canada a few times a year for both business and pleasure.
US CBP has said in the past that a single misdemeanor conviction more than 10 years old would not necessarily bar someone from Global Entry approval, although most of the wording is vague. Canada seems to have a similar standard for NEXUS approval.
Worst case scenario, I'm out the $50 and can appeal to an ombudsman. I will report back in January. Has anyone else out there with a single 10+ year old misdemeanor had success getting NEXUS?
I'm going to try soon. I am a US citizen who made some stupid decisions as a young adult and have a single misdemeanor conviction from July 2006. I received a 6-month suspended sentence, so the full 10 year period will have passed by next week. My conviction is equivalent to a summary offence in Canada (per CBSA officers one time when I was sent to secondary at YYZ) so I have never had any issues with my admissibility north of the border. I have stayed squeaky-clean since, am gainfully employed in a professional field, and do travel to Canada a few times a year for both business and pleasure.
US CBP has said in the past that a single misdemeanor conviction more than 10 years old would not necessarily bar someone from Global Entry approval, although most of the wording is vague. Canada seems to have a similar standard for NEXUS approval.
Worst case scenario, I'm out the $50 and can appeal to an ombudsman. I will report back in January. Has anyone else out there with a single 10+ year old misdemeanor had success getting NEXUS?