I'm still confused - why do you need to join the general line? At least last time I was through YYZ, special services desk was still there past the Nexus kiosks....can't you just fill out the paper card like always and go to the officer in the special services line?

Just a heads up about linking NEXUS and passport number
 

So I've had my NEXUS card for a few months, but because my intervew was in the US, I did the iris scan only recently on a layover in Montréal. After the iris scan, the CBSA officer asked if I'd like for her to check whether or not my (US) passport was linked to my NEXUS card. I didn't think that it would be necessary - after all, I showed my passport at my NEXUS interview, and it is clearly listed in my GOES account - but since she offered, why not? Good thing she offered, since they had NOT been linked. She took care of it right there, but it would never would have even occurred to me that they might not be linked.

There's been a lot of discussion here about whether to update passport info for NEXUS on GOES or in person; make of my experience what you will.

Greetings, all. First time post, seems like I've found a wealth of NEXUS knowledge.

Wife and I have had NEXUS for 5+ years, recently renewed. We've used them very little, picked them up primarily for benefits while entering Canada via private vessel. Never a problem...until today. Stupid mistake on our (my) part has me concerned.

I sold some motorcycle pipes to a guy in Victoria. We take the ferry over there on occasion, so I figured I could save the guy some shipping costs and hand carry them over next time we crossed over from Port Angeles.

Trouble is - I used my wife to transport them over. She was headed over to shop, knew nothing of the transaction, was just asked to drop off the pipes for him at the terminal. Assumed it was one of my many biking buddies.

Upon arrival, Customs quizzed her about the pipes - asking her if they were sold and for how much. She had no clue, and since the guy had sent PayPal funds ahead of time - she was not collecting anything from him. So, she said no. They weren't being sold as far as she knew.

Agent looked at her incredulously, whisked her off to a private room. They said they didn't believe her. They searched her phone, found info about the guy I had texted over to her (name, vehicle, where he would be waiting outside the ferry terminal) and they sent an agent over. He confirmed a transaction. $200...certainly not something worth lying about.

Still, the agent returned to her and told her her NEXUS could be revoked. Said they couldn't believe her spouse (me) wouldn't have informed her they were sold. She got rightfully upset/pissed of, complained of the damn motorcycle she hates anyway, let them know how much trouble I was going to be in for putting her through this, and basically made them believe her...and perhaps, even commiserate with her a bit. So, the good news is - they let her in, although they made her pay the uncollected tax.

However, a comment was made that this would be notated on her NEXUS record...I believe the term was "flagged." This doesn't sound like a good thing. So...can anyone advise what exactly, this might mean down the road? And, is there any way for me to submit documentation confirming she was a victim of ignorance, and not a deliberate act? Even if such an option exists, I've no idea if that would do any good or not.

TIA...

IIRC, people have had their Nexus cards revoked for carrying items for other people.

I left the Nexus office at YVR literally an hour ago. I had renewed my passport and updated it in GOES. I went in to make sure the Canadian side had received the new passport info as I am flying out tomorrow. The agent still had the old passport info on her system.

We talked about the debate over the need to update in person and she said there should be no debate whatsoever - you absolutely DO need to visit a Nexus office to update your docs in person (I've heard about faxing them in but we didn't talk about that). So there is no doubt whatsoever about this and let's put this debate to rest once and for all. This is not an agent telling me this because she didn't know or made up her own answer. This is fact. I updated the passport info over 2 months ago in GOES and she still had the old passport information in her system. She showed me.

Mr. Fink had renewed his driver license. Same number, same everything. Just the expiry date had changed. Same thing. The info on the Canadian system showed the expired license depsite me updating the expiry date in GOES three weeks ago.

So can we please stop the debate. The Canadian side cannot see any document updates you do in GOES and you must visit a Nexus office in person (again, no idea about the fax idea) to update your docs in the Canadian system. Period.

Ignorance or not, it doesn't really matter. Maybe an officer believes her and uses their discretion to not do anything. However, they have the ability to note it in their record or revoke Nexus if they feel like it. At this point, there's nothing you can do, what's done is done, and they are going to do whatever they are going to do. Should have told her the full details.

Typically, they can certainly revoke Nexus on the spot and take away the card then and there, though there have been reports of folks getting letters noting a revocation. Not saying that will happen here, but its a possibility. At that point, you can contest it if you want, but I'd guess a successful appeal in this case is unlikely.

And probably for less.

Some people don't seem to care. It's been this way forever - updates on GOES don't reach the Canadian side, IMO, its not a mistake or a bug, but very likely an issue regarding privacy and the US being unable to share this info lawfully. I've asked officers in the Nexus office this on multiple occasions over several years, and the Canadian side always says it is required to bring them in.

To be fair, the website does say somewhere that it only needs to be updated on GOES, though I believe the Nexus user guide still specifically states updates must be done in person. My theory is its better for me to have to show up in the office for a few minutes to do this once every 10 years (well, actually, twice, as I'm a dual citizen) than to risk losing Nexus. Its not even close.

We may be going through Detroit on our way to Canada from the USA and my wife and I each have new passports since obtaining Nexus. If we do make the trek, we plan to stop at the Nexus enrollment center at the Ambassador Bridge to make sure everything is up to date. I believe we can do a walk in for this? Does anyone have any experience with this center? When we went for our interview there, after you exit it pushes you back to the USA side, but there must be a way to get back Canada bound since I suspect that there are people working there that travel back to Canada each day? Any idea how to get back out and continue on the way to Canada?

There are more to enough datapoints to indicate passport updates in GOES don't make it to CBSA.

However part of the debate raised previously is if you don't update in person you risk losing NEXUS. That just simply can not be the case because it's a broken business process.

Still waiting for someone to come back to report they lost NEXUS due to updating in GOES only.

We returned via YYZ in early May.

Unaware of these changes, we completed the E311 paper form while in-flight, declaring some wood and plant items.

Upon landing, we used the NEXUS kiosks, making the same wood/plant declarations on the screen.

At the first counter (where they want to see your NEXUS receipts) we were pulled aside presumably because of the "YES" declarations. We detailed our items and were sent on our way.

Leaving the baggage area, the CBSA officer at the exit told us that, as NEXUS members, we no longer needed to fill out the E311 (which matches what people are saying here on FT).

Here's the conundrum that I realized after we left the airport:

At the first counter, when we were pulled aside, the officer specifically asked for the E311. (We gave him the NEXUS receipts first, but he asked me to hand over the E311 which I held in my hand with our passports and NEXUS cards.)

If NEXUS members don't need to complete E311s, why would the officer ask for it?

I suppose it's possible the officer saw the completed card so he asked to see it?

Turns out my wife had an additional previous name that they wanted to check:

At birth, my wife had Surname-1.

As a child, she took on Surname-2. Because all of her paperwork (including her birth certificate) was reissued under Surname-2, I (foolishly) did not include Surname-1 in on the NEXUS application.

This all came up during the interview, so they re-ran their checks on Surname-1.

3 days after her interview, the application reappeared in GOES and she received a new "Conditional Approval Notification" The GOES contact centre told her to ignore it (no further interview was required). True enough, she received the "Approval Notification" 2 days later.

Her card arrived 10 working days after the Approval Notification.



The nexus.gc.ca website shows 71 days as of May 31. Back after March 31, it showed 51 days.

Our experience:

Son #1
Mid-March: Mailed paper application
Late-March: Fee charged to his credit card.
June 23: Not having heard anything, called the Processing centre. Was told application was "just" approved. Given NEXUS number to create GOES account and book appointment.
As of today, we still haven't received the mailed Approval Notification.

Son #2
Early-March: Submitted application via GOES.
April 4: Conditional Approval
(About 23 days!!)


The Conditional Approval mentions:

Boys are booked together in about 2 weeks. Son#1 hasn't received this letter. Since his was a paper application, it can't be printed from GOES.

Is this a deal-breaker?

I applied for renewal mid-April, still waiting on an update. Based on recent posts, seems like I may have a few more weeks to go.

In the meantime, I also need to get my (Canadian) passport renewed in order to travel later this summer. Will applying for a passport renewal have any effect on my Nexus renewal? I'm not sure if the passport number changes when you renew, and I want to avoid CBSA having out of date info when they're trying to process my Nexus renewal. I can put off the passport renewal a bit longer, but if it's not going to make a difference, I'd prefer to do it now. Any thoughts?

Not sure how it affects the pending renewal but yes your new passport will have a new number.

You can update your passport information online in Goes anytime , so I wouldn't worry about that.

Not to worry. I had a passport expire between applying for NEXUS and going to the interview. I brought both the expired and the new passport to the interview and all was fine. I'm sure this comes up all the time.

Nope. The only reference to in-person visits being required that I can find are anecdotal reports from users on websites like flyertalk. ALL published information (print, online, everywhere) from CBSA says that passport updates can be done in GOES and that in-person visits to the office are NOT required for this purpose.

But updating in GOES doesn't seem to work, that's what the front line CBSA agents tell us.

That's why the discrepancy/confusion persists. CBSA agents and CBSA's official word completely contradict each other.

I JUST left the Nexus office today as well with the same experience. I had called both Blaine and Seattle offices to confirm even though the Canadian website says to update in GOES. Both offices said I needed to go in person to update. So, I drove into my local office to update (After updating in GOES) Both the USA and Canadian border officers informed me that you do indeed have to show up in person. The Canadian Border Patrol gentleman said even for USA you do. They both swiped my passport. Canadian said he did not see the update I had done in GOES the day before. He said for any updating, address, employer etc it's best to go into the office.