[ANALYSIS] NEXUS
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) cooperate in a joint venture called NEXUS to simplify border crossing for low-risk, pre-approved travellers into Canada and the United States.
This is especially useful for people who travel a lot through the airport. To qualify for this program, one must complete the following steps:
- Submit an application
- Be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada or the United States
- Be admissible in Canada and the United States
- Pass risk assessments by both countries
- Be approved by both Canada and the United States to become a member of NEXUS
- Pay a $50 fee that is good for a 5-year membership
Once approved, you will receive a membership identification card that can be used at air, land and marine ports of entry.
The benefits of being a member are:
- Ability to use the Trusted Traveller Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) Security Line at major and select medium-sized Canadian airports
- Ability to use automated self-serve kiosks in dedicated areas at designated international airports
- Ability to use designated lanes at land borders
- Ability to reporting to border officers by phone in advance of your arrival at marine ports
Children under the age of 18 require the consent of a parent or legal guardian to enrol in NEXUS. At the interview, children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by at least one custodial parent or guardian. There are no fees for applicants under the age of 18.
This may seem like a time-consuming process to qualify for NEXUS, but it can be worthwhile for people who travel often between the two countries and spend a lot of time a boarding crossings.
I was hoping this blog would have an actual analysis rather than just regurgitation what is already out on the DHS website. Pretty disappointed in this blog. You can do better !
Sorry for the confusion. What we usually do is that when we first introduce a topic that has never been discussed, we establish the basics of the concept first before going into more depth. Eventually we will write a more detailed post about it.
From my 4 years experience as a NEXUS cardholder, the #1 benefit is Global Entry privileges when entering the USA. A NEXUS card holder can land at any US airport and not stand in line. I’ve found this invaluable when flying home to Canada from Mexico and other places, making a flight connection in MIA or DFW. I’ve seen 1 hour queues in Miami, which I bypassed completely. The result is that I can now book my travel with tight connections in the US, knowing I won’t have to wait in the queue.
Another major benefit is avoiding the queues in Canadian airports. Flying to or through the USA, we Canadians pre-clear US border formalities at home in Canada. For mere “civilians” the queue can be 90 minutes. For me, the wait has never exceeded 3 minutes, when there was a “traffice jam” at the machines.
I tell friends that NEXUS is a no-brainer for all air travellers, even those who take one holiday a year. Few believe me, but the few who enrol tell me that the enrolment process was a worthwhile investment.
One gets a little frisson of excitement when one bypasses a huge queue. “It’s not enough to succeed. Others must fail.” tehee
That’s great! Thanks for sharing your experience.
We’ve had our NEXUS cards for almost 10 years and over that time, enrollment in the program has increased significantly that now there’s even line-ups in the NEXUS lines at airports, albeit insignificant in comparison to the regular entry and security lines. Registration was easy although it took a while to process but once you’re cleared, it’s yours. Renewal is even simpler if you don’t let your card expire. We carry our cards even when we travel to Europe or Asia as when returning to your first point of entry into Canada, you can quickly clear customs and immigration lines. The land border crossing at Coutts Montana has had a NEXUS line for years but it has never gone into service, at least that was the case last time we crossed. In the last year, they’ve replaced iris scans with electronic finger print kiosks, and we’ve found that, at least in Calgary, machines (usually only 1 of 4 is working!) are hypersensitive and don’t always read them accurately, resulting in the officer having to spend a few more minutes verifying. As well, NEXUS card holders don’t have to complete the CBSA paper form when leaving the country, it’s all done at the kiosk now. Beware tho, they have a zero tolerance for reporting so if you screw up once, you lose your card and my guess is that you’ll never get it back. All in all, it’s a privilege to have if you travel anywhere outside of Canadian borders.
Great advice Adele!
I travel to the US a lot in my truck or in the air. My Nexus card is a tool I couldn’t do without whether crossing at Pac Highway or any Canadian or US airport. I zip through and watch all of the regular Joes get nervous in the TSA line as their departure approaches very quickly…
Glad to hear about all these positive experiences!