Nexus VS standard passport

AlbertaSam · #1 03-03-2023, 04:33 PM

My passport is due for renewal this coming june.

Been considering applying for Nexus card at the same time.

Does anybody have any experience lately with this process?

Co-worker heard it's now a pain in rump (since covid) to get it done.

Is it worth the effort?

saddleup · #2 03-03-2023, 05:56 PM

I live and worked down on the border. Get a passport renewal but if your only going to use your Nexus at the border , just for get it The lane is very seldom e ever open so not worth it Its a different issue if using at an airport as lanes are always open or so i understand

waldedw · #3 03-03-2023, 06:21 PM

I never renewed mine the last time it expired, when I was flying to the US a couple times a month for work it was great, fast through the customs lanes, tried to use it once driving but the wife didn't have one so I got poop, they let us go but said in future we needed to use the regular line.

I also let my TWIC card expire as I no longer needed the dock clearance from the US port authority.

~altiplano~ · #4 03-04-2023, 07:10 AM

Passport application and Nexus are separate things.

It's apparently a 6 month wait for Nexus processing. I'm almost at 10 months at this point.

Etownpaul · #5 03-04-2023, 09:40 AM

I've had a NEXUS card for 7 or 8 years now. I won't be renewing it once it expires.

I travel for leisure a couple times a year. The last several times there have been problems with the NEXUS machines and the lanes were either closed or I spent more time trying to get them to work than the people who went through the regular line. Not worth it for the casual traveller.

zabbo · #6 03-04-2023, 10:37 AM

Wife and I have had them for about 6 years now. Just renewed them last fall. Did it online and no issues at all. As I understand it, all the personal interview offices in Canada have been closed. You now need to travel to an office in the US for that interview. Some sort of pizzing contest between Canada and US customs I think. We have only been traveling to Mexico the last years, so not much benefit to having them. Nice when we get home, breeze through customs, but we still end up waiting for luggage!?

Grizzly Adams1 · #7 03-04-2023, 10:38 AM

So, I went through immigration twice the last couple of weeks, American and Canadian, besides my passport, I had my pic taken both times. Call me paranoid, but obviously they are working towards facial recognition.

Grizz

HuyFishin · #8 03-04-2023, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlbertaSam

My passport is due for renewal this coming june.

Been considering applying for Nexus card at the same time.

Does anybody have any experience lately with this process?

Co-worker heard it's now a pain in rump (since covid) to get it done.

Is it worth the effort?

make a baby and once you're carrying a baby you get a fast pass haha

EZM · #9 03-04-2023, 12:14 PM

I travel in/out of US a couple times a month and have been doing so for years. Out of Edmonton or Calgary, the Nexus might be incrementally quicker through customs but, many times, no different really, maybe a couple minutes usually. I have not renewed - don't see the huge benefit to be honest.

If I was flying out of Pearson (Toronto) it might worth it, (lines there suck and properly managed) but here in Alberta, and BC (Vancouver) it really doesn't make much of a difference.

EZM · #10 03-04-2023, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

So, I went through immigration twice the last couple of weeks, American and Canadian, besides my passport, I had my pic taken both times. Call me paranoid, but obviously they are working towards facial recognition.

Grizz

That's the routine now. Like it or not. Facial recognition is here to stay. Nothing to be paranoid about really - it's no secret.

I have a work visa, was a permanent resident for years, have a US Federal government security clearance and travel every second week into US, and most of the people at the airport in US customs/immigration know me by name and I get my picture taken too. Nobody is special, the technology is here now, and they are using it on both sides of the border.

~altiplano~ · #11 03-04-2023, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

So, I went through immigration twice the last couple of weeks, American and Canadian, besides my passport, I had my pic taken both times. Call me paranoid, but obviously they are working towards facial recognition.

Grizz

Americans already have facial recognition, but they are prohibited from using it on US citizens. So only on the rest of us.

They know who you are as soon as the camera gets you... I've gone through US preclearance multiple times and wasn't even required to show my passport, they knew who I was.

Here in Canuckistan you can bet they have it too, but since we don't really have rights in this country, they use it on citizens too.

Cross Eyed Cowboy · #12 03-04-2023, 01:31 PM

We have had the Nexus cards since the program was started.

Most of our travel is done within Canada, a benefit of the card is that you are able to by-pass the standard security line and go through the Nexus line which rarely has any people in it (In Canada). At least that was still in effect last spring, I'm sure that is still the case but correct me if I'm wrong.

Cross Eyed Cowboy · #13 03-04-2023, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zabbo

As I understand it, all the personal interview offices in Canada have been closed. You now need to travel to an office in the US for that interview. Some sort of pizzing contest between Canada and US customs I think.

The following Canadian enrolment centres have reopened for scheduled NEXUS interviews:

Lansdowne, Ontario / Alexandria Bay, New York
Fort Erie, Ontario (Peace Bridge) / Buffalo, New York (Peace Bridge)