Why would anyone get GE at this point? GE is $100, and you can't use Nexus.
Nexus is $50, and you can then get GE for free.

? I have GE and am irritated that they can't figure out how to incorporate us into Nexus for free.

Maybe because not everyone in the US lives near Canada?

In order to get NEXUS, you have to go to an interview whose locations are far, far more limited than GE. For example, a person living in Los Angeles like me, have to go all the way to Seattle or Vancouver for the interview. I did it at Calgary by making a little weekend side trip to Banff using frequent flyer miles, but not many are not going to spend more on airfare and lodging to get to a specific location in order to save $50.

That's fair!
Perhaps a better question is why we simply don't have both nexus and GE kiosks at these airports.

As noted, NEXUS is a program designed for those making frequent crossings of the Canadian-US border. I seldom travel to Canada, so I had to make a special trip up to YYZ for the day to complete my NEXUS interview and get my iris scan done. But it was well worth it to spent a few hours in Canada sand get GE for free! (plus, NEXUS members now can use SENTRI lines when entering from Mexico as well)


What I hope will happen is that the current trusted traveler programs (GE, SENTRI, NEXUS, and FAST) will be merged into one, and the same benefits will apply when crossing either border into the USA, or when arriving internationally at an airport in the USA. It will mean that the Canadians will have to move their kiosk technology over to digital fingerprints (as opposed to the older and less reliable iris scans), but I think it's the direction in which we are heading.

Heck, GE is even being integrated with the FLUX alliance! Now THAT will be fantastic! Eventually, I hope to be able to extend my GE membership to allow me to use kiosk immigration anywhere in the EU, or at least the Schengen countries.

I just hope they improve the process over the lame AMS process. If you have to be dumped to an agent for every entry/exit (for passport stamping), who then looks at you oddly since they at first perceive the system to have 'rejected' you, a simple 'front of line' pass that you pay for would be better, less intrusive and accomplish the same thing.

Just logged into my GOES account. Still pending review after 10 days.

Yeah. It can take a week or two.

Just received new passport and am ready to apply for NEXUS, or should it be GE? Would like to have whatever by March 15.

SFO for GE would be a breeze. NEXUS at SEA not too difficult, but what about the iris scan?

Is there more to a backround check than the obvious criminal/DMV scan?

Thanks!

If you are willing to go to Canada for the interview, then definitely go for NEXUS. Half the price of GE, plus you get GE membership thrown in for free!

The background check is not just criminal/DMV. It is a detailed risk assessment conducted by both CPB (on behalf of the U.S. Government) and CBSA (on behalf of the Government of Canada). The check includes past immigration/customs violations recorded by ANY country that shares information with either Canada or the USA or both, arrest records from the same, as well as checks of address and employment history, and finally, travel history (countries visited in the last 7 years, patterns of travel, etc). Anything that complicates your "record," such as past violations, dual citizenships, extensive foreign travel, etc, could delay the issuance of Conditional Approval, after which you will receive an invitation to an interview by both CBP and CBSA officers. Reports here vary in terms of the interview itself. Mine was pretty low-key from the CBSA officer, but very detailed and strict from the CBP officer. If you meet the program eligibility, pass the background checks, and successfully complete the interviews, then you will be offered membership in NEXUS.

Once you are a NEXUS member in good standing, with your membership card in hand, simply log back into GOES and apply for GE. Your application will be approved immediately and no further payment or action will be necessary for you to begin using the GE kiosks at major U.S. airports.

Other than being screamed at or going to the back of a long line, nothing to lose at all.

It appears that NEXUS costs $50 and has the same privileges as Global Entry for my main crossing (returning from India or China at EWR).

Is there any drawback to applying for NEXUS instead?

Technically, having Nexus does not give you GE privileges, but you can get approved for GE online almost instantly and for no charge if you have Nexus.

As for drawbacks - as other folks have mentioned, it requires you to do your interview at a much smaller list of locations (mostly Canadian airports and US/Canada border crossings).

Theoretically, Nexus might be harder to get as it requires the Canadians to clear you as well as the US, but I doubt that as a practical matter many folks are turned down by Canada while approved by the US.

You never know. As previously reported here, a single prior arrest for something like DUI (even from decades before) could make any foreigner inadmissible to Canada. Not sure if the USA applies the same standard.

For the iris scan - You don't need it to have NEXUS, just to use the air portion. You can do your interview, then the next time you are at or near a port with the iris camera, you just drop in without an appointment and get it done. It takes 5 minutes or less. I made the mistake of doing my interview at Niagara Falls, NY instead of Ft. Erie and had to get my iris scan done at YYZ a couple weeks later. You don't need the iris scan for GE, so you can use that fully right away.

The only real drawback is having to do the interview in Canada or along the northern tier of states. If you are anywhere near those places, there are zero drawbacks unless you think the Canadians will reject you.

One caveat - there have been stories of NEXUS applicants getting a talking to by the CBSA agent if it looks like they don't go to Canada a lot. Not at all an issue for me, since I'm there all the time, but could be for some. Its probably best to deflect on that issue.

Actually, GE now comes automatically with NEXUS. All non-GE NEXUS members were automatically enrolled in GE at the first of the year. I don't know if new NEXUS holders now need to go through the same process that we had to go through (basically, clicking a few buttons and waiting 20-90 minutes) or if they get it automatically on approval.

The OP seems to have no problem getting to SEA, so that's not a biggie.

Canada mainly wants the rehab fee, which will clear you up with them. The US does not apply the same standard, particularly to a US DUI, which will likely be expunged if that remote and unavailable for consideration on the GE application.

Let me illustrate: I have GE, I had it within 10 days of applying. Mr. 999 applied to Nexus. It's taken him months to try to schedule the interview. First he couldn't get an appointment at the times he was already scheduled to go to Canada. Then he couldn't get a reasonably priced flight at the time an appointment was available.

At this point, I'm encouraging him to book a cheap trip to SEA to interview there but they are only open M-F and he can't take off from work. YVR is open on weekends but the fares there have gone insane.

So, five months after being conditionally approved he's still scheduling and re-scheduling his interview, all to save $50 vs just applying for Global Entry (or to save $100 if he was going to get both eventually).