Nexus Renewal - Have to be flying to USA?

[CDNPolar]

Ok... my Nexus card has been expired for about 3 years now.  It was due to be renewed just as the Pandemic took hold and my interview at Toronto Pearson was cancelled.

 

The appointments at Toronto Pearson were fully booked and I could never get a date there.  I FINALLY got a time at Buffalo land crossing to do the Canadian interview and then I have to drive across the border to have the American interview.

 

I found a Toronto Pearson opening and booked it and then noticed in the write up that I have to be flying to the USA the same day as my Canadian interview?

 

Does this mean that at Toronto Pearson, I cannot just drive there (15 minutes) park and do both CAN and USA interviews?  I actually have to be flying to the USA?

 

Makes no sense.

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, CDNPolar said:

I found a Toronto Pearson opening and booked it and then noticed in the write up that I have to be flying to the USA the same day as my Canadian interview?

Can you expand on this? Perhaps quote the information that you were provided? It really doesn't make any sense that you would be required to fly to the US at any time in order to be interviewed.

[CDNPolar]

When you complete and finalize the interview booking you receive a confirmation of the appointment.

 

In the confirmation information, it then states that you must be flying to the USA that day to complete the US portion of the interview.  You cannot do this on the Canadian side of the airport.

 

This rings true to what is happening with my Buffalo appointment.  I drive to Buffalo border crossing, meet with the Canadian side, then I have to physically drive across the border to Buffalo NY to be interviewed by the US side and complete the process.  Then I turn around to reenter Canada.

 

 

[CDNPolar]

Here are the options:

 

1. Applicants can complete a joint interview at a U.S.-based enrollment center.
2. They can choose a split option, in which they will complete an interview at a Canadian land enrollment center followed by a separate interview at a U.S. enrollment center located at the Canadian border.  This is what I am doing in Buffalo
3. They also have the option of a two-step process for air travelers. The Canadian airport enrollment centers will be staffed with CBSA officers who will complete the Canadian portion of the NEXUS interview, and the U.S. interview with CBP will follow at Canadian airport preclearance locations for applicants departing from Canada to the U.S. Conditionally-approved NEXUS applicants and renewing members who require an interview will be able to book the Canadian portion of their interview at one of these airports through the Trusted Traveler Programs scheduler when interview times become available.  This option requires you to be flying to the USA same day.

[broberts]

9 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Can you expand on this? Perhaps quote the information that you were provided? It really doesn't make any sense that you would be required to fly to the US at any time in order to be interviewed.

 

Perhaps this is the compromise reached as I believe US agents can be  armed in that area.

[Fouremco]

11 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

Here are the options:

 

1. Applicants can complete a joint interview at a U.S.-based enrollment center.
2. They can choose a split option, in which they will complete an interview at a Canadian land enrollment center followed by a separate interview at a U.S. enrollment center located at the Canadian border.  This is what I am doing in Buffalo
3. They also have the option of a two-step process for air travelers. The Canadian airport enrollment centers will be staffed with CBSA officers who will complete the Canadian portion of the NEXUS interview, and the U.S. interview with CBP will follow at Canadian airport preclearance locations for applicants departing from Canada to the U.S. Conditionally-approved NEXUS applicants and renewing members who require an interview will be able to book the Canadian portion of their interview at one of these airports through the Trusted Traveler Programs scheduler when interview times become available.  This option requires you to be flying to the USA same day.

Ah, that makes sense to me, now that we have the details. Flying to the US is only an option, and it's offered for your convenience in the event that you have a flight booked. You go to the airport, do the CBSA interview and then the US interview in the preclearance area.

 

In the meantime, you still have the option of driving as you are doing.

 

10 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

Perhaps this is the compromise reached as I believe US agents can be  armed in that area.

Yes, I agree. I've not seen the details on a resolution of the issue of arming of US agents at our airports, but allowing them within the pre clearance zone sounds like a viable compromise.

 

[gnome12]

2 hours ago, Fouremco said:

Yes, I agree. I've not seen the details on a resolution of the issue of arming of US agents at our airports, but allowing them within the pre clearance zone sounds like a viable compromise.

I believe that the CBP agents in the pre-clearance area have always been armed. 

[CDNPolar]

31 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

I believe that the CBP agents in the pre-clearance area have always been armed. 

 

Yes, they have because technically you are on US soil when you are in pre-clearance.

 

This however has nothing to do with the fact that you cannot have your Nexus US interview at Pearson unless you are flying to the USA the same day.

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Yes, they have because technically you are on US soil when you are in pre-clearance.

 

This however has nothing to do with the fact that you cannot have your Nexus US interview at Pearson unless you are flying to the USA the same day.

In the past the Nexus office was on the mezzanine level of terminal one at Pearson, between the arrivals and departures levels. It was fully in Canada, and you met with both Canadian and American agents in the same place, so you could come, have both interviews and leave. I don’t believe the American agents were armed. Now that the Americans are insisting on being armed, and Canada says no, the only way to have the interview with American agents is in the US pre-clearance area, which is considered US soil, and only accessible if you are flying out the same day. 

[CDNPolar]

1 minute ago, gnome12 said:

In the past the Nexus office was on the mezzanine level of terminal one at Pearson, between the arrivals and departures levels. It was fully in Canada, and you met with both Canadian and American agents in the same place, so you could come, have both interviews and leave. I don’t believe the American agents were armed. Now that the Americans are insisting on being armed, and Canada says no, the only way to have the interview with American agents is in the US pre-clearance area, which is considered US soil, and only accessible if you are flying out the same day. 

Thank you for the lesson.  This is all known information.  You wasted your time responding.

[broberts]

55 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

Thank you for the lesson.  This is all known information.  You wasted your time responding.

 

Apparently the lesson is too advanced.

[Mikamarii]

I'm not sure if I'm answering a question you didn't ask but, if doing the airport route, you don't need to do both interviews on the same day. You can do your Canadian interview anytime and then the US interview when you are actually flying to the states. It doesn't alleviate the fact that you need to be flying to the states to complete the process.

 

To schedule step 1 of your interview:

1. visit the Trusted Traveller Programs scheduler
2. select an open Canadian airport enrolment centre
3. select the date and time

To schedule the step 2 of your interview:

1. before your flight to the U.S., arrive early at a U.S. preclearance location (does not have to be same day as your Canadian interview)
2. indicate to an officer that you want to complete your NEXUS interview

Edited April 28, 2023 by Mikamarii

[CDNPolar]

Thanks, yes, I saw and knew that, but the challenge is that I have not flown to the USA in a long time and don't have any plans to in the short to medium term....

 

I have Nexus for arriving back in Canada from countries other than the USA and also to shorten security lines in Pearson.  I don't typically fly to or transit in the USA.

[1kaper]

9 hours ago, Mikamarii said:

I'm not sure if I'm answering a question you didn't ask but, if doing the airport route, you don't need to do both interviews on the same day. You can do your Canadian interview anytime and then the US interview when you are actually flying to the states. It doesn't alleviate the fact that you need to be flying to the states to complete the process.

 

To schedule step 1 of your interview:

1. visit the Trusted Traveller Programs scheduler
2. select an open Canadian airport enrolment centre
3. select the date and time

To schedule the step 2 of your interview:

1. before your flight to the U.S., arrive early at a U.S. preclearance location (does not have to be same day as your Canadian interview)
2. indicate to an officer that you want to complete your NEXUS interview

I believe the issue is that they have done the US part of the interview and now need to do that Canadian part of the interview.  They had an interview in the US first.  

OP - I would show up at Pearson and ask to do the Canadian part. 

[CDNPolar]

13 minutes ago, 1kaper said:

I believe the issue is that they have done the US part of the interview and now need to do that Canadian part of the interview.  They had an interview in the US first.  

OP - I would show up at Pearson and ask to do the Canadian part. 

 

I am confused here... as I am the OP.

 

I have not done the US interview.  I went to the site to book at Pearson airport for both, not initially understanding that I could not complete the US part of the interview unless I was flying to the US and entering Pre-clearance.  This was not clear to me until I had booked my interview for Canada.  Then it was clear that this is not an option, because I am not flying to the USA....?

 

 

HOWEVER, now I am going to change my story.

 

I said before that I don't typically transit through the USA.  I am actually doing this next week.  

 

I could not get a Canadian interview the same date as I am flying so I thought that this was not a possibility.

 

Can I actually just present at USA Pre-Clearance at Pearson and do the USA part (without an appointment) and then in the future when I can get an appointment for Canada, do that?

 

This is freek'n confusing and I don't want to waste my time.... you get it right?

 

[1kaper]

1 minute ago, CDNPolar said:

 

I am confused here... as I am the OP.

 

I have not done the US interview.  I went to the site to book at Pearson airport for both, not initially understanding that I could not complete the US part of the interview unless I was flying to the US and entering Pre-clearance.  This was not clear to me until I had booked my interview for Canada.  Then it was clear that this is not an option, because I am not flying to the USA....?

 

 

HOWEVER, now I am going to change my story.

 

I said before that I don't typically transit through the USA.  I am actually doing this next week.  

 

I could not get a Canadian interview the same date as I am flying so I thought that this was not a possibility.

 

Can I actually just present at USA Pre-Clearance at Pearson and do the USA part (without an appointment) and then in the future when I can get an appointment for Canada, do that?

 

This is freek'n confusing and I don't want to waste my time.... you get it right?

 

Whoops. When I read Buffalo I thought you did the US one. 

Good question, I have no idea.  We just did our Canadian interviews on Friday and were told specifically we had to be flying to the US to access USA pre-clearance at YHZ.  We could not just go to pre-clearance that day. 

[Mikamarii]

1 hour ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Can I actually just present at USA Pre-Clearance at Pearson and do the USA part (without an appointment) and then in the future when I can get an appointment for Canada, do that?

According to this statement no. This is from the cbp website. 

 

The CBP interview can occur only after the CBSA portion of the interview has been completed and the information has been shared with CBP.

 

We applied for nexus in 2020 and have been waiting as well to get interviews done. It's been frustrating. There aren't many direct flights to the USA from our airport so trying to work it in to our next trip has been difficult as we are gambling that our layover will be long enough for us to compete it and they'll actually be available to conduct it during that window we have. We decided to just book an appt and take an 8hr road trip this summer down to the border and do it at a land border crossing. 

 

[CDNPolar]

1 hour ago, 1kaper said:

Whoops. When I read Buffalo I thought you did the US one. 

Good question, I have no idea.  We just did our Canadian interviews on Friday and were told specifically we had to be flying to the US to access USA pre-clearance at YHZ.  We could not just go to pre-clearance that day. 

No I booked buffalo drive border because I can do both.  But now wonder if I can do the US one and then Canada after.  

[gnome12]

45 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

No I booked buffalo drive border because I can do both.  But now wonder if I can do the US one and then Canada after.  

No. See post 17 above. The Canadian one must come first. 

[CDNPolar]

1 hour ago, gnome12 said:

No. See post 17 above. The Canadian one must come first. 

Thanks, missed that.