Should I get a NEXUS card?

[fordtaurus]

I am working in US now with TN status. I do travel back to Canada at least once a month, should I get a NEXUS card to avoid possible hassles at the border?

Another question is if I apply now online, how long do I have to to wait to get the card?

Thanks

[Steven]

Takes about a month. Whether it helps depends on which POE you use, i.e. if they have a NEXUS lane. It does usually speed things up at the airport.

Something that's not mentioned anywhere in the NEXUS blurb as far as I'm aware is that if you're not in the regular visitor category, they have to add your non-immigrant status into the NEXUS database so they know you're entering in TN-1 when you use your NEXUS card. Ask them when you get to the interview, they usually just bang it in after you've shown proof of your status.

You still need and will keep your multiple entry I-94 and you will still have to go through US-VISIT, the only difference is that you use the NEXUS lane and you don't need your passport.

I think at the moment they're taking about a month to do NEXUS cards although there might be a rush with the WHTI date being so close.

[axolotl]

This is sort of an old topic, but I figured I'd revive it rather than start a new thread...

I'm looking into getting a NEXUS card since I travel back and forth from Canada at least every 2 months. Does anyone know how long it takes from when you submit your application in GOES and pay the $50 to getting conditional approval to set up an appointment at a NEXUS office? I'm planning on going up to Toronto in 2 weeks and was hoping that I could somehow time the appointment with that visit (to save myself from making another trip to Canada within 30 days of getting the appointment letter).

Also, do they send you an email when you can set up the appointment or do they just mail you a letter?

[Steven]

The real problem is how busy the NEXUS office is where you want to do it, I suspect at Pearson it may take awhile to get an appointment. The thing to do is call and ask, they get cancellations and so on. But I doubt you could do it in 2 weeks, first of all they review your application and then pass it on for the interview to be scheduled.

I was having a chat with the head of the CANPASS office out west the other day and he was explaining to me that there are a lot of quirks with the NEXUS system because airlines aren't very good at dealing with them. His advice was to carry your passport as well if you have one. Not such a problem with land crossings. The advantage at airports is that you get to skip the line with a NEXUS card. You need to carry your passport anyway if you're going to a third country or a POE that doesn't have NEXUS.

[axolotl]

I'd read somewhere else that you have to carry your passport with you even if you are using the NEXUS machines at preclearance facilities, and that they can ask for your passport at any time, and not having it on-hand can result in them taking away your NEXUS privileges. Is this true? If so, then I don't understand what the benefit is, apart from skipping the line (which I suppose is a nice thing if the airport is particularly busy). There seems to be a lot of inconsistency with the program which is why I'm hesitant to sign up.

[Steven]

You can get away with only using your NEXUS card, the only snag is if you go to a third country you must have a passport (which is pretty obvious) but you can use your NEXUS card to re-enter Canada. However some airlines have funky reservation systems that have no option for a NEXUS card so you need to check with the specific airline you're using. Sometimes their reservation system can't do it at all and other times you have to phone (e.g. Westjet) rather than use the web.

So if the reservation system can't do it, then you need a passport.

[axolotl]

Hmm, that's interesting. What I had heard was that NEXUS is not a substitute for a passport, more that it provides certain privileges that people who have passports alone do not have. Also, I was told that you absolutely must have a passport when you are in the other country even if you entered under NEXUS (so a Canadian citizen would need to have the passport and NEXUS card if they entered the US).

[gescores]

While the Nexus card is considered an official documents, it is not a passport replacement and does not constitute a proof of citizenship. It is a document created to accelerate traffic at customs. At any time they can request your passport and if you don't have it with you, they can treat you like anybody else who doesn't have his passport and you can get denied entry.

Also, new Nexus cards are in use sine May 1st of 2009. Make sure you have the new one, since the old one is not accepted anymore.