Global Entry / NEXUS (Travel between US and Canada)

From my personal experience and my family experience, it takes about 4 weeks to get approval for Nexus. However, in your case having GE might be sooner. Hopefully you will get approved before smd. Keep in mind, that in order to use Nexus kiosks, you do need to have your Iris scanned.

Yeah. I’d hoped that I’d be approved and with card before the weekend, in which case I’d’ve taken a hop to Toronto before the DO and taken care of it. Ah, well. Such are the way of plans sometimes.

For those existing GE member who applied for the new GE card only online, how long did it take to get the approval letter email? Also, can I assume that the even though the status for application for the card is pending review, I can still use the kiosk with my passport as usual, correct?

In early August, it took only a couple business days to get the first notice that my GE card was approved, although they sent me the wrong notice saying I needed an interview (again). After some time on the phone with first the JFK office then tech support, I got the correct notification a day or two later and the card was in the mail, surprisingly from JFK and not the national GOES people.

Validating it on the computer is quick and easy, but for no apparent reason as this step doesn't enhance security at all.

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Supposedly I am already approved as a result of Nexus , but really have little use for it right now. May drop in and ask next time I am by the nexus office in YYZ

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If ever there was a reason to have GE, it was the arrival from FRA yesterday afternoon at ORD from the SMD3 flight. Took as much as 4 hours for some of the foreign participants and the line for US/Green Card was also enormous. Larger than I’d ever seen in 40 years of travel. If it was used only that once, it would’ve been worth the fee for that one time.

Get it sooner than later anyway. You just never know.

While you make sense my travel does not have me arriving into the USA from other than Canada.

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Not sure I'm getting your point. You only travel from Canada into the U.S., but NEXUS isn't right for you?

I have Nexus. They have given me GE also. I have not confirmed if it (GE) is active. It will not help me with intl travel returning to Canada. I may or may not bother with GE.

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Its worth it since it is no extra financial burden and if there ever is an off chance in the future that International travel ends up in the US, you are all set.

Do not disagree. Just have not had time yet and it was not a priority.

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If you're ever re-routed through the USA as a result of IROPs, you'll want it. I had initially resisted/procrastinated on getting Global Entry, but decided to go for it after a very long wait in line at TBIT in LAX after a SQ flight and then another very long line for agricultural to X-ray my bags in search of forbidden fruit. I've been extremely happy with GE, including upon arrival at ORD last week.

Unfortunately there are not yet GE kiosks for transborder flight pre-clearance in Montreal.

The reason I'm motivating to do this sooner or later.

I'm a US citizen living in the DC area. I thought I would just go the GE route, since none of the Nexus interview centers are near me. But, since I do go visit Canadian family (and the occasional crazy charter flight), Nexus seems the way to go, which leads to a question.

Anybody have an idea if there's a timeframe under which you need to conduct the interview once you're approved? With my travel schedule, it's possible I might get the notification for an interview but not be able to make it to an interview city for a few weeks.

I don't know the answer to this, but the FAQ might address it. In my personal case, there wasn't even an available interview slot for about two weeks when I received the conditional approval, so I suspect 2-4 weeks won't be a problem at all.

Yeah, couldn't find anything in the FAQ. Thanks for the timeframe info on interviews.

I hadn’t set up an interview as of yesterday, and received an email that my provisional yes would be cancelled unless I set one up. Not planning a trip to Canada soon, but set up an interview for later in October in Halifax, hoping there’ll be a CO weekend fare then. You’re allowed to reschedule however. Toronto didn’t have anything till late November or December. Montreal late November.

Thanks for the info. How long ago did you get your provisional approval?

About a week after I got back from SMD3. You could easily wait until you get that email before making an appointment; gives you more of a chance to know when you might actually travel. In fact, I realized after I picked one date that I wouldn’t be able to make it even if CO did have a weekend special then. I instantly changed it online; they asked for a reason, and I put in that I forgot I couldn’t make that date. My new date was instantly approved. Could change it again if I wanted.

Depending on where you want to do the interview, you might find that you’d have to plan it way out ahead because of sight popularity. Halifax had availability starting tomorrow, Monday, while Montreal and Toronto were over a month away till 1st opening.

When I was conditionally approved for NEXUS a little over three years ago, the letter I got said 30 days from the date of the letter. However, I forget if that was 30 days to set up an appointment or 30 days for the actual appointment. But I would be willing to bet it's 30 days to set up the appointment, given the scheduling logjams at Toronto and Montreal.

From my memory. When I applied several months ago for Nexus and got conditionally approved, I had to make an appointment within 30 days of approval and schedule up to 30 days in advance. I did see it in writing, but I think you have to be conditionally apporved before you can see this language in one of the online letters,

Keep in mind that you do not have to have a Nexus interview at a Canadian airport. You can do it at many Border crossings between US and Canada. For example take a trip to a Whrilpool Bridge in Niagara Falls. Have an interview on US side and then tell them you want an Iris scan. They will give you a free pass to cross the Whirlpool Bridge and have an Iris scan on Canadian side. Than enjoy the rest of the time in Niagara Falls Canada or Niagara on the Lake before heading back to US.

Unfortunately, no border crossings close to IAD. if Detroit/Windsor does interviews, I'll probably hop a cheap flight there.

Here is the list of Nexus locations and their phone #s to ask if they do enrollment.

(An odd note is on the list they indicate that Eye scan is not available at US locations.

But then you would have to go to Detroit.

Okay, sorry....had to get the Detroit joke in there.

Seriously, I don't know if you've ever been to Detroit, but Metro Airport is about 30 minutes away.

W

Who would want to live that far from a Canadian Border
You can definitely have your Nexus interview there, but not sure if you can get an Iris scan on the Canadian side like it is possible at the Whirlpool Bridge. I did my interview there and another MP member also did the same.