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Walk me through the Nexus process


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I have applied (and been approved) for Nexus for hubby and I. It's time to book an interview for us both. I happened upon the Canadian site and they talked about a joint and a split interview. What is the difference between them? We're in the London area, so trying to determine the best place to do the interview-maybe Port Huron? Or Fort Erie?  [I'd rather avoid Pearson lol] Also, my passport number has changed since I applied, can I just update that at the interview?

 

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14 minutes ago, Dismomx5 said:

We're in the London area, so trying to determine the best place to do the interview-maybe Port Huron? Or Fort Erie?  [I'd rather avoid Pearson lol] Also, my passport number has changed since I applied, can I just update that at the interview?

 

 

If you can get an appointment at the Buffalo-Fort Erie Enrollment Centre, go there.  There is also the New York Enrollment Center at the Whirlpool Bridge, which involves crossing the border, but its an option.  Both Enrollment Centres have the US and Canadian officers on site.  Port Huron does not have an Enrollment Centre.

 

Yes, you can update your passport information at the interview.

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On 7/2/2024 at 9:17 AM, Dismomx5 said:

I have applied (and been approved) for Nexus for hubby and I. It's time to book an interview for us both. I happened upon the Canadian site and they talked about a joint and a split interview. What is the difference between them? We're in the London area, so trying to determine the best place to do the interview-maybe Port Huron? Or Fort Erie?  [I'd rather avoid Pearson lol] Also, my passport number has changed since I applied, can I just update that at the interview?

 

 

 

If I am not mistaken, you cannot do this at Pearson unless you are flying that day into or transiting through the USA.  There is no land-side US office now, it is only air-side.

 

You must find a site that has a Canadian and US interview option one after the other.  We did ours at Fort Erie, and after the Canadian interview (booked) drove across the border to do the US portion. (Not booked, just walk in). Then drove back home.

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47 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

 

If I am not mistaken, you cannot do this at Pearson unless you are flying that day into or transiting through the USA.  There is no land-side US office now, it is only air-side.

 

You must find a site that has a Canadian and US interview option one after the other.  We did ours at Fort Erie, and after the Canadian interview (booked) drove across the border to do the US portion. (Not booked, just walk in). Then drove back home.

Some sites house both the US and Canadian agents in the same office. I did my last renewal interview in the office (which was on the US side), and the distance between the US and Canadian desks was about 10 ft ;o)

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I have my Nexus interview this morning - at YYC. In the information that I received after scheduling my interview (2+ months ago - it took that long to find an open slot), it said that I will have my US interview next time I fly to the States, and I have 5 years to complete that interview. 

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Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

We did ours at Fort Erie, and after the Canadian interview (booked) drove across the border to do the US portion. (Not booked, just walk in). Then drove back home.

 

The Buffalo-Fort Erie Enrollment Centre has both the US CBP and CBSA officers onsite. (Hence, Buffalo-Fort Erie). Are you saying they no longer do? When did you have your interview? I am thinking, perhaps, that it happened during the aftermath of covid and the dispute between Canada and the US where Canada was not allowing US CBP officers to be armed on Canadian soil.

 

Edited by *Miss G*
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35 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

The Buffalo-Fort Erie Enrollment Centre has both the US CBP and CBSA officers onsite. (Hence, Buffalo-Fort Erie). Are you saying they no longer do? When did you have your interview? I am thinking, perhaps, that it happened during the aftermath of covid and the dispute between Canada and the US where Canada was not allowing US CBP officers to be armed on Canadian soil.

 

 

This was less than a year ago.  I drove to the CBSA site on the Canadian side, then had to drive across the border to the US side for the US interview.

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16 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

This was less than a year ago.  I drove to the CBSA site on the Canadian side, then had to drive across the border to the US side for the US interview.

 

Interesting. I’m assuming you went to Whirlpool. I’d be interested to hear whether this was a one-off or it becomes the norm. Whirlpool also has both US and Canadian officers so it’s strange it was broken up. Thanks for responding.

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Posted (edited)
18 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Interesting. I’m assuming you went to Whirlpool. I’d be interested to hear whether this was a one-off or it becomes the norm. Whirlpool also has both US and Canadian officers so it’s strange it was broken up. Thanks for responding.

 

Sorry - I don't know what "Whirlpool" is?  I am guessing that is a bridge?  If so, never used it.

 

This still shows as current for Fort Erie Nexus interviews when I search online.  This was the Peace Bridge.  

 

When I booked my Canadian interview, this was the only location that was offered at Fort Erie, and it was clear that you make your appointment in advance with the Canadian side, and then you drive over the bridge and present at the US side without an appointment.

 

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Edited by CDNPolar
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19 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Interesting. I’m assuming you went to Whirlpool. I’d be interested to hear whether this was a one-off or it becomes the norm. Whirlpool also has both US and Canadian officers so it’s strange it was broken up. Thanks for responding.

 

29 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Sorry - I don't know what "Whirlpool" is?  I am guessing that is a bridge?  If so, never used it.

 

This still shows as current for Fort Erie Nexus interviews when I search online.  This was the Peace Bridge.  

 

When I booked my Canadian interview, this was the only location that was offered at Fort Erie, and it was clear that you make your appointment in advance with the Canadian side, and then you drive over the bridge and present at the US side without an appointment.

 

image.thumb.png.bf4087880e5f600b113d576ada71b1f7.png

 

image.thumb.png.3a3a828e8c993fa61cc8db3ccfb9ec01.png

 

image.thumb.png.68b0e12071df3746c4a088544f2cd2d2.png

19 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Interesting. I’m assuming you went to Whirlpool. I’d be interested to hear whether this was a one-off or it becomes the norm. Whirlpool also has both US and Canadian officers so it’s strange it was broken up. Thanks for responding.

Whirlpool is a Nexus only bridge in Niagara Falls. It has customs agents for US and Canada at their respective ends of the bridge, but as far as I know it is NOT a Nexus enrollment centre.

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2 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

 

Whirlpool is a Nexus only bridge in Niagara Falls. It has customs agents for US and Canada at their respective ends of the bridge, but as far as I know it is NOT a Nexus enrollment centre.

 

Thanks!  We rarely if ever drive across the Canada US border, so I guess that this is why I don't know of this bridge and that it is Nexus only.

 

As I mentioned, when I had to present in person - from a Mississauga location - Fort Erie was the closest and the only option was both sides of the border.  I believe that this is still the case.

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2 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

Sorry - I don't know what "Whirlpool" is?  I am guessing that is a bridge?  If so, never used it.

 

This still shows as current for Fort Erie Nexus interviews when I search online.  This was the Peace Bridge.  

 

When I booked my Canadian interview, this was the only location that was offered at Fort Erie, and it was clear that you make your appointment in advance with the Canadian side, and then you drive over the bridge and present at the US side without an appointment.

 

Wow!! That is so much more different now! But what a pain if the traffic is heavy.

 

1 hour ago, gnome12 said:

Whirlpool is a Nexus only bridge in Niagara Falls. It has customs agents for US and Canada at their respective ends of the bridge, but as far as I know it is NOT a Nexus enrollment centre.

 

Whirlpool IS an Enrollment Center. I have been there. It is on the US side of the Whirlpool Bridge.

 

IMG_2346.jpeg.7c45ec2e62f6bf37fab5877eb6faaa97.jpeg

 

IMG_2347.thumb.jpeg.cf0f09232c4409cfea607cba97dc6e50.jpeg

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20 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Wow!! That is so much more different now! But what a pain if the traffic is heavy.

 

 

Whirlpool IS an Enrollment Center. I have been there. It is on the US side of the Whirlpool Bridge.

 

IMG_2346.jpeg.7c45ec2e62f6bf37fab5877eb6faaa97.jpeg

 

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But if you don’t have Nexus already you can’t cross that bridge, because you have to show a Nexus card at the Canadian side to open the automatic gate. So you might as well do it at the Peace Bridge. 

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12 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

But if you don’t have Nexus already you can’t cross that bridge, because you have to show a Nexus card at the Canadian side to open the automatic gate. So you might as well do it at the Peace Bridge. 

 

It is a couple of km from the Rainbow Bridge. The fact remains that it is an enrollment center.

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20 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

It is a couple of km from the Rainbow Bridge. The fact remains that it is an enrollment center.

 

It may be an enrolment centre, but I don't think that you can do your Canadian interview there. 

 

It was not an option for me when I had to do the Canadian interview. 

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2 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

It may be an enrolment centre, but I don't think that you can do your Canadian interview there. 

 

It was not an option for me when I had to do the Canadian interview. 

 

Would love to hear from someone who is applying, or requires a second interview, whether they can see that option. When I was there, in 2022, the room was full of Canadians waiting for their interview. I spoke with both the American and the Canadian officers who were doing them.

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On 7/6/2024 at 8:52 AM, *Miss G* said:

 

Would love to hear from someone who is applying, or requires a second interview, whether they can see that option. When I was there, in 2022, the room was full of Canadians waiting for their interview. I spoke with both the American and the Canadian officers who were doing them.

I just applied for my son and daughter and they were both conditionally approved (we got ours 2 months ago). The Canadian interview option for Ontario was either Fort Erie, Lansdowne (I guess that's closer to Thousand Islands??) or the Airport. Whirlpool was only given as an Enrollment Centre on the US side.

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1 hour ago, Nickles_1 said:

I just applied for my son and daughter and they were both conditionally approved (we got ours 2 months ago). The Canadian interview option for Ontario was either Fort Erie, Lansdowne (I guess that's closer to Thousand Islands??) or the Airport. Whirlpool was only given as an Enrollment Centre on the US side.

You are correct, the Lansdowne entry point is in the Thousand islands, just off the 401 about 30 minutes east of Kingston.

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2 hours ago, Nickles_1 said:

Whirlpool was only given as an Enrollment Centre on the US side.

 

Thanks! If you chose Whirlpool, were both the Canadian and US interviews held at the same time and place?

 

Also, did the Fort Erie option still have you crossing the bridge for the US interview?

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3 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Thanks! If you chose Whirlpool, were both the Canadian and US interviews held at the same time and place?

 

Also, did the Fort Erie option still have you crossing the bridge for the US interview?

I chose Ft. Erie and yes, they had me cross the border for my second interview. You do it on the same day (they expect you to ... they had all my paperwork with my interview time lined up for me when I got there). That's when I did my fingerprints and my picture. With the Whirlpool enrollment centre, you would do both the Canadian and the US interview at the same time in that building. You'd have to go through the Rainbow Bridge crossing to get there (Whirlpool bridge is only for existing Nexus holders) and then drive to the Whirlpool Enrollment Centre. 

 

You can refer to this: Schedule a NEXUS interview or update your information (cbsa-asfc.gc.ca)

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I may be wrong, but I believe you must schedule the Canadian interview - wherever you are going to do it.  The US interview follows without a scheduled appointment.

 

I don't think that you can just show up to any Canadian interview without an appointment.

 

 

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My wife went through this earlier in the week.  She had to schedule a CBSA interview at YOW.  Then, two choices:  1.  drive to a border crossing (in our case - Ogdensburg) and complete things with CBP there, or 2.  wait until we take a flight to US and ask the CBP agent to do the 'interview' during pre-clearance.

 

We chose option 2 since our next flight to US leaves from YOW and CBP is usually not so busy that they can't take a few minutes to do this.  The CBSA officer in Ottawa told her that it may not be a good idea to try this on connecting flight to USA through (for example) YYZ or YUL unless there is a three hour window or so since things are usually much busier at those airports.

 

Finally, I was told that if we are travelling together I must not use my NEXUS card until she has completed  her enrollment with CBP.

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22 hours ago, d9704011 said:

 

 

Finally, I was told that if we are travelling together I must not use my NEXUS card until she has completed  her enrollment with CBP.

 

Would you please clarify this statement?

 

Interestingly we both have Nexus but we never state travelling together coming back into Canada, if asked at the kiosk we state we are travelling independently.

 

Perhaps we are doing something wrong....?

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37 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Would you please clarify this statement?

 

Interestingly we both have Nexus but we never state travelling together coming back into Canada, if asked at the kiosk we state we are travelling independently.

 

Perhaps we are doing something wrong....?

No, you are OK.  I was told not to use my NEXUS while we travel together UNTIL my wife completes her enrollment process with US CBP.

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1 hour ago, d9704011 said:

No, you are OK.  I was told not to use my NEXUS while we travel together UNTIL my wife completes her enrollment process with US CBP.

 

Sorry, not questioning what you are being told, but it is only land/car crossing that requires all travelling together to have Nexus.  

 

However, it would not make sense for you to go to the Nexus line and your wife the non-Nexus line when arriving back anyway....

 

Got it....  Thanks!

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