Let me muddy up the waters some more with some anecdotal evidence. Last time we crossed at the Whirlpool Bridge into Niagara Falls, NY, the DHS agent specifically asked for our passports. He then asked a particularly probing line of questioning as to how my wife obtained U.S. citizenship when she was born in a rural town in Ontario and now lives in the GTA (hello, ever hear of living in the U.S. with a green card for the requisite amount of time, getting naturalized and then returning back to Canada - it can happen).

I would reiterate what was posted earlier. Always take both your NEXUS card and passport when crossing the U.S. - Canadian border.

OK, I'll bite. . .why is the bridge between Massena and Cornwall blocked?

Have you considered the Ogdensburg-Prescott Bridge? We like that crossing because there is seldom any wait to go through customs on either side of the border.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/st...r-guns001.html

Essentially, the Mohawk community is taking exception with CBSA staff at the border being armed.

It's easy to unconfuse yourself - no matter what the "book" or agent or anything/anyone else says that is conflicting - play it safe, and just bring your passport with you. Nexus or not, its still an international border. Keep it in your pocket, bag, money belt, or wherever else on your person, and hope you don't have to use it. Use Nexus as per normal. If, for some reason you are asked for your passport, it is there. If not, what is the difference?

Quite frankly, I'm getting tired of seeing all these posts every page about whether one needs a passport or not. Yes, its nice to be able to most of the time, just use the machine, and not need to show a passport, and get through within 30 seconds. Yes, it would be nice if there weren't conflicting info. all over the place, and that we could believe what was written/said with confidence. But if you make a backup plan and bring a passport with you, there is no harm and no difference if you don't need to use it, and it can only help you to have it in a worst case scenairo. Think about various situations, say, the machines aren't working and the immigration agent asks for a passport, or the machine send you to secondary, where your luck brings you to the agent who just broke up their girlfriend/boyfriend of several years the night before, and so wants to take it out on you. Fact is, an agent doesn't need much to bar you from entering the country, Nexus or not. Think of it this way - if you don't have your passport with you, and it comes down to an argument between the officer and you, guess who's gonna win. It'll be the officer everytime.

The officer was likely a power grabbing one - giving you incorrect information - perhaps worried that Nexus is going to cause him to lose his job or something. Or, it being a quiet night, perhaps they were bored and just wanted someone to question/interrogate.

Once the machine spits out the printout, you take this with you, walking right past any booth, and give it to the officer further along, the one who also take your customs declaration card.

For me it's not really about whether you need your passport or not (although it's an interesting academic question) it's the evolution of WHTI ID and rules. I mean hell, in all technicality (for Canadians) you don't need a passport, NEXUS, or anything else to re-enter Canada so long as you can somehow prove that you are Canadian (not that it wouldn't be without hassle). I just think it's worth keeping tracking of the requirements because at some point they may actual decide to clarify things and inform all of the agents (on both sides of the border). But, I take your point the constant do you/don't you is a little maddening.. I just thought I'd share slightly more information than I'd seen posted recently.

Unnecessarily carrying a passport isn't really unconfusing.. it's just a solution to deal with customs guards that don't understand programs that their own agencies run. A good solution mind you, but still - the clarity that was there with the program when I first joined a couple of years ago about always needing the passport seems to have disappeared which is a pity.

Anyway, just my few cents on the silliness but I'll pipe down down and wait for the next question of whether a passport is needed or not :)

Besides the Mohwak situation is far more interesting than how NEXUS works..

I think this may be the 5th or 6th time I've said this, but why would anyone..anywhere want to be in a foreign country without a passport.

The US, no matter how close they are is still a Foreign country. I'm sure if everyone's worst nightmare came true and you required real proof of citizenship, you would want your passport.

Would you go the UK, France, etc. without it...of course not.

Going to the USA by land only, I was told at the Pacific border crossing that only NEXUS is required. But the guys at Y** told me that a NEXUS card only backs up other documentation. Regardless, I would still carry a birth certificate and/or passport. They even put RFID readers at all the lanes! If I have a car with myself and two non-NEXUS people, I pull up to the reader in the non-NEXUS lane, scan my card and pull up to the gate with their passports and my NEXUS card. I once thought to myself that it was redundant to even bother with waving my card around the reader in a non-NEXUS lane. But once when it failed, the agent waved my card next to his booth to get it to work.

At some border crossings, the NEXUS lane is actually the only one open. It's lit up and says something like ALL CARS. I've always been treated like it was a full blown NEXUS lane when I'm the only one in my car. This is generally only at the USA Customs.

Going back into Canada, however is a different story. Technically speaking, I read around (here, I think) that I would need a passport or DL/Birth Certificate to come back to Canada*. I'd always taken this to be true and carried my birth certificate with me. My NEXUS card had always been OK, however, but a couple weeks ago I got an agent who lectured me on having the correct documents, which I did to her befuddlement. After playing 20 questions with her she finally let us go (I suspect only because another car had pulled up). I think she was just having a bad day.

*Supposedly (I may have even read it on this thread somewhere or the agent may have said something while she was giving me said speech) there is a bill in the House of Commons to change this technicality and make NEXUS here what it is to the US guys.

On a side-note, it seems when crossing the border with NEXUS or even NEXUS and non-NEXUS people, it's a real faux pas to send a NEXUS member to secondary. I've driven up to the booth unshaven and with a few fast-food bags about, but I don't really seem to be treated any worse. Maybe a "what do you do for a living" question. I suppose that's a good thing.

Another thing. It also seems that everyone you cross with is "added" to your "NEXUS notes". I brought someone without a passport who had never gone with me to the United States and I was given the 20 questions routine about my relationship with him. But the second time he came across with me, it wasn't as time consuming.

For those wondering, I asked about going to Mexico by land with a NEXUS card and no passport (Going to Mexico only requires DL/Birth Certificate for Canadians [Unsure about US citizens]). The agent told me that NEXUS should be fine for returning to the US.

How's that for a first post? I hope that clears up the air about land-crossings, though it'll probably prompt a deluge of questions, somehow...

Thanks for the chuckle first thing in the morning!

Before I had NEXUS, if I stumbled on a question or didn't answer one quite right it was bam insta-secondary. A border agent once admitted to me that I was often being sent to secondary because I was a young person driving a tinted windowed van. I used to keep the van immaculate and it was secondary 50% of the time.

However, since NEXUS, I've never been sent to secondary. A couple times when I answered a question a little too vaguely or not quite right or stuttered on it, instead of sending me to secondary, he simply asked me four or more follow up questions. In a sense giving me a chance to redeem myself.

I'm not about to go down there and push their buttons to see what DOES get me to secondary. Maybe I'm just such a nice guy. I think you airport guys get treated a little harsher.

I crossed the Whirlpool bridge a couple of weeks ago. I guess the US guard was lonely and bored so he decided to give me a full line of questioning about what I was doing in the US. I crossed back into Canada via the Rainbow bridge since my NEXUS card isn't linked to the toll system and the guard just asked for my card and 3 seconds later said "Have a nice day!" I was the only one in the lane both times.

Very unlikely. It was anecdotal I think. Had you crossed five minutes later with another officer, it may have been more than 20 questions.

Actually, that may not be true. It does differ from station to station. For example, in YUL, there is no second person, further along, like there is in YYZ. The best rule to follow is the one you are told to follow by an officer. As you mentioned earlier in your post, they are always correct.

And that tripped me up... the first time I used Nexus at YUL Pre-Clearance, I started to walk past the officer in the booth, following the Nexus signs they had. The signs did not say to line up... was just an arrow. I got yelled at pretty good....

Off topic and right back on
 

Yes - but with Cornwall closed, most cars and trucks will be going to O-P where there are very few inspection booths, so plus ca change. Also expect that traffic on NY 37, which is where you have to go instead of the 401, will be heavy. Now to swerve onto topic, there is no NEXUS at C-M or P-O but the Cannon Corners NY crossing is, as I wrote, even better than NEXUS. And entering Canada you are greeted with "Bonjour!..." Of course a passport is the best way to go through. Here's a picture of the US side.
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/1484437.jpg

anti_ice, You will have a much quicker time using Nexus coming back. I use Nexus all the time in and out of YEG and it does depend on time of day on the type of grilling you get.

When you arrive back in YEG, you will follow the Nexus signs off to the left once you go down the escalator/stairs. You will do the same eye scan/answer questions on the terminal and proceed to the baggage claim area (you do not speak with a Canadian customs agent).

After you have picked up your luggage, you hand over the card from the Nexus machine with your customs form to the Canadian customs agent and that person will decide if you will go through a secondary screening or not.

Thanks folks. I'll give it a try very soon as I am on my way right now.

I have seen it work on the Canadian returning side a couple times, but I haven't flown to the US in a while so I've never observed someone there.

I thought that you just walk through, but after what US customs buddy said, I sure don't want to try it and hear a: "Hey, HEY!!! YOU!!! C'mere...you got a real pretty mouth , bohy..." Followed by much unpleasantness. :eek:

Anyway, thanks all for the insight.