Quick Clarification Question
 

I just received my card. I'm curious about something. Is Nexus just for travel between Canada and US or can I use Nexus when coming back from France to Canada. I am a Canadian citizen.

Thanks for your response in advance.

Deb C

You can use it for all your entries back into Canada but not into the USA (only from Canada for USA). I use it regularly coming back into Canada from trips to UK and China.

I am a new NEXUS member, and will be using it for the first time soon. I have a few questions:

1. What is the procedure (i.e. where do I go) for connecting from a domestic flight though YYC to a US destination? How about coming back through YYC from the US?

2. What is the procedure at YVR for US pre-clearance? How about coming back?

3. What is the policy on bringing food though using NEXUS? What about prepackaged food (e.g. chocolate, candies, etc.)?

Thanks for your help.

1. What is the procedure (i.e. where do I go) for connecting from a domestic flight though YYC to a US destination? How about coming back through YYC from the US?

You have to exit the domestic area and go to US side to clear US customs where NEXUS machines are located. There is a lot of construction and exits change frequently (I just came through there tonight and A security was totally closed). Just follow the signs, it's pretty simple. Coming back you will clear Canadian customs and use the NEXUS machines there and then go to the domestic side.

2. What is the procedure at YVR for US pre-clearance? How about coming back?
I'll let others deal with this but this is a more seamless operation than YYC depending where you are coming from. Similar to YYC for domestic to US transfers though--clear US Customs where NEXUS machines are located. Coming back, you clear Canada customs and use NEXUS machines there and then go to domestic side.

In both cases if you have checked luggage you will need to retrieve it from the baggage areas designated for you before US Customs/Canada Customs and then put it on the conveyor belt designated for US connections / domestic connections after clearing Canada Customs.

3. What is the policy on bringing food though using NEXUS? What about prepackaged food (e.g. chocolate, candies, etc.)?

DECLARE EVERYTHING OR DON'T BRING ANYTHING. I was told to declare chewing gum as they have a 0% tolerance for not declaring. It generally means secondary which is why the DON'T BRING ANYTHING is the fastest route. I once declared some seed/nut bars from China and it resulted in a secondary (fortunately very perfunctory but it could have been a long wait if I hadn't been pulled from lineup and asked what I was there for)

i'm confused about where your flight originates to the US from - YYC or YVR. You will clear customs and immigration wherever your US-bound flights depart from. It sounds like you might be going YYC-YVR, then on to somewhere in the US. If this is the case, you would go through YYC as you would on any other domestic flight. When you arrive in YVR, follow the signs for US connections.

Food policy is the same as if you were going through regular customs and immigration - you need to declare everything. This means add the value of the food, and know the limits you are allowed to bring in. Note that you do not need to specifically declare separately many kinds of foods per the yes/no q's - both the US and Canadian declaration cards specify exactly what types of food you need to separately declare (meats, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, dairy, etc.). Read this carefully, and make sure you check "yes" if the foods you are bringing are specified in this section, and answer the kiosk question accordingly.

Thanks for the reply. What exactly will cause one to be sent automatically to secondary inspection? Is it how we answer the kiosk questions (I assume this is the case), or is it what we write on the Declaration Card?

Sorry, I didn't make that clear in my post. I was actually talking about separate cases: in the first case YVR>YYC>US, in the second case YVR>US.



What exactly are the questions that I have to answer on the kiosk? It is my understanding from reading this thread that one of the questions on the kiosk asks if you answered "yes" to any of the questions in Part A of the Declaration Card: if so, you get an automatic secondary inspection.

So, is this correct: if I am bringing back pre-packaged food that doesn't contain "Meat/meat products; dairy products; fruits; vegetables; seeds; nuts; plants and animals or their parts/products; cut flowers; soil; wood/wood products; birds; insects", I would answer "no" to that question on the Declaration Card, and I would avoid a mandatory secondary inspection (assuming I answered "no" to all the other questions in Part A)? I would of course still declare it as part of the goods I am bringing back.



Thanks very much for the replies. So I gather that the NEXUS kiosks are always in the same area as the regular immigration lines, right?

Declaration card obviously doesn't trigger (ie kiosks do) but the two are obviously related. If you answer yes to any of questions, likely secondary.

So, is this correct: if I am bringing back pre-packaged food that doesn't contain "Meat/meat products; dairy products; fruits; vegetables; seeds; nuts; plants and animals or their parts/products; cut flowers; soil; wood/wood products; birds; insects", I would answer "no" to that question on the Declaration Card, and I would avoid a mandatory secondary inspection (assuming I answered "no" to all the other questions in Part A)? I would of course still declare it as part of the goods I am bringing back.

If you answer no to all, likely no secondary but still possible as part of general procedure of auditing some pax.

There is good signage usually to direct you to Nexus machines. I always look on sides but can't remember each airport until I am there. Regular immigration lines are right next to them so you can judge whether you want to do regular lineup or machines. Sometimes it is faster to use a live person when there are no lineups!

Interpreted widely enough, "plants and animals or their parts/products" could include essentially any food. Best practice would be to avoid taking any food, but if you do, declare it.

Keep in mind Nexus is really a "trust" thing. Give them a reason to mistrust you, and they will take away your Nexus privileges.

As a non-Nexus example, I was once lightly chided by a Canadian customs official for bringing in a bottle of vanilla extract from Mexico, and failing to declare it. (I didn't do it on purpose, I just didn't even think about the bottle when filling out the customs form.) The vanilla bottle itself wasn't the issue, it was the failure to declare it, though still not a big deal in the end.

Thanks for the help!

Thanks for the reply. The issue isn't whether or not to declare, as I am always truthful in declaring what I bring back. The issue is whether or not to answer "yes" to the ""Meat/meat products; dairy products; fruits; vegetables; seeds; nuts; plants and animals or their parts/products; cut flowers; soil; wood/wood products; birds; insects" question. True, taken broadly enough, it could include pretty much all food, but I doubt that's what they are asking. It certainly would be much simpler to go through without any food, but if I am, I want to know if I can avoid a mandatory secondary inspection while following all the rules.

Best way to do that if you answer yes, is to go to the AgCan inspection desk.

This is the problem with these forms. Sometimes I answer "yes" even though I know it's not what they're asking for because if they question, then they will get suspicious. Sometimes I answer "no" even though it fits in the question by definition because I know it's not what they're looking for and if they see "yes" there is a chance they will investigate and it will waste everyone's time. What's worse, they are completely inconsistent in handling of this. I had a hard time once because I had a cell phone with me and had not declared it as commercial goods (provided by my company). Other times I've been questioned as to why I bothered writing my cell phone in.
:rolleyes:

Exactly. I brought dried fruit in once, and I know that's not what they're looking for when they say "fruit," but of course, didn't want to take a chance of not declaring it. So they took a couple of minutes to inspect by bag (not even opening the box of dried fruit) and I was on my way.

But to be more extreme, say you have a Kit Kat bar with you. Are you really supposed to check yes to dairy? Yes, there is a bit of milk in the chocolate, but certainly, this is not the kind of thing they want/need you to delare.

I sometimes bring in cheese and other foodstuffs and previously the Customs agent would ask a few questions and then wave me through. Once I was sent to AgCan and they weren't interested and told me the foods were OK in the future.

So that's the rule I apply (pasteurized hard cheese etc being OK).

If I were to lose my Nexus privileges over this I'd be mightily pissed.

I've specifically asked US CBP about chocolate....specifically asked at different locations, ORD and YYZ, both said they do not need to be declared as food.