To join Nexus or not is not much of a dilemma from my POV, but for one of a few reasons many people (even the expats) still don't have it. I think Nexus(a joint US/Canada system for low risk frequent travelers between the two countries) is a must-have if you are traveling between the two countries. It can save you TONS of time at the border, and I’d definitely recommend it. Applying is a bit of a process, but well worth it for the time savings. I made sure to take care of this right away since I knew I’d be traveling between the two countries fairly often to see family and friends, and I don`t like to spend extra time at the airport.
Basically what Nexus provides you when traveling by air is that you don’t have to wait in line to speak to a customs agent. Instead, you fill out your declaration form, go to a handy machine which scans your retinas, answer a few questions on the computer screen, print out a receipt, then hand both to the officer at the end. They can stop and question you at any point, but it doesn’t happen that often. They can also request to see your Nexus card at anytime so make sure to have it handy. You can use Nexus by all methods of entry (air, land, sea) as long as everyone with you also has a Nexus card. When arriving by car they do not scan your retinas. It is just a separate (shorter) line for cars with Nexus.
Below is my experience of the application process with estimated time required:
Basically what Nexus provides you when traveling by air is that you don’t have to wait in line to speak to a customs agent. Instead, you fill out your declaration form, go to a handy machine which scans your retinas, answer a few questions on the computer screen, print out a receipt, then hand both to the officer at the end. They can stop and question you at any point, but it doesn’t happen that often. They can also request to see your Nexus card at anytime so make sure to have it handy. You can use Nexus by all methods of entry (air, land, sea) as long as everyone with you also has a Nexus card. When arriving by car they do not scan your retinas. It is just a separate (shorter) line for cars with Nexus.
Below is my experience of the application process with estimated time required:
- Create a Global Online Enrollment Service (GOES) account. (10 minutes)
- Complete the online application and pay $50 fee. (60 minutes)
- Schedule an interview appointment at an enrollment center. (10 minutes) Note: you may want to ask when you schedule your appointment if the center can also perform a retina scan. From my experience it seems that airports where they use the retina scanning machines can do your interview and retina scan in one, but Detroit for instance just does your interview and you still have to get your retinas scanned at another location.
- Attend your appointment where you’ll be interviewed by both US and Canadian customs agents (yes the scary vests again!). If approved, you’ll have your retinas scanned and be taught how to use the machine. (2 hours)
- Receive your card in the mail, activate it online, and start saving time with Nexus!
Flying in to Canada from the US, I’ve saved around 30 minutes on average each time, but flying out of Canada to the US I save 45 minutes on average (can easily be an hour) – this means I can arrive at the airport 45 minutes later than I would if I had to go through standard US customs (which if you’ve never done is often not organized and definitely not a pleasant way to spend your time). I’ve heard people express concerns about “big brother” (have you seen Minority Report?) since they have your retina scan, but to me any possible "risk" is worth it for the time savings. People are also discouraged by the application time, but per the time estimates above (3 hours and 20 minutes) you’d pay back that time in fewer than 3 trips. You decide if it is worth it to you!
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