Canada-side NEXUS Interview Updates?

[lx200gps]

1 hour ago, hancogran said:

Thanks so much for your help.  I went back to check all my Nexus emails since  2016  when we first applied for our Nexus card, but they are all automated.   

 

I did find a few phone numbers online so I may try calling to get a status update.   No doubt, our applications are in that approx. 300,000 backlog. 😞   Good thing they gave us all an extension .

I do have to admit I was gob-smacked when I received a few Emails from a US CBP agent in Champlain New York, from his personal government Email account, keeping us up to date on what was going on at the moment.  Everything I have ever received from Canada's CBSA has been anonymously robo-generated.

[Alberta Quilter]

I renewed Jan 14/22 (expiry was in May/22) and just checked the status.  I'm still waiting for conditional approval...  Fortunately, I have time to wait as we have no plans to leave Canada this year.  

[hancogran]

4 hours ago, Alberta Quilter said:

I renewed Jan 14/22 (expiry was in May/22) and just checked the status.  I'm still waiting for conditional approval...  Fortunately, I have time to wait as we have no plans to leave Canada this year.  

My own Nexus expired May 2022 and I applied to renew it on November 15, 2021 but nothing for me either.  I figured DH would definitely have had his by now since it's approaching a year.  We also have no plans to travel outside Canada this year so we'll just sit back and wait it out.  It's just comforting to know it's not just

us ! lol

[cdn_tbird]

I seem to have been one of the lucky ones. I submitted my renewal application back in Oct. and got a conditional approval within 2 weeks. Shortly there after it changed to approved and I received my new Nexus card. My wife's application (first time) has been conditionally approved, she just needs to go in for the interview. Hoping that Canadian sites open soon as the one at Pearson is already an hour away from our home so going to Niagara Falls really isn't an option for us.

[ladysail2]

On 5/16/2022 at 10:39 PM, daisy-mae said:

Why the need for security?

Since the interviews are by appointment, it is unlikely that a large number of clients would arrive at the same time. When we went for our original interview a number of years ago my husband and I were the only two people in the office, along with one Canadian and one US agent.

Try going to the Passport Office on Prince of Wales Drive. Hundreds of people, all with appointments…and lots of security.  My dental office is there, that’s why I see them.  No one is allowed inside the Office until their name is called, so they’re all lined up and down the public hallways. Only 3 staff members, I believe, to keep them ‘safe’….but the public isn’t considered important as we have to walk through them to get to our other appointments, so, we’re not ‘safe’.  My passport expires in Aug 2023….I dread the day I have to join that line!

[Fouremco]

22 minutes ago, ladysail2 said:

Try going to the Passport Office on Prince of Wales Drive. Hundreds of people, all with appointments.

Ah, but do they really all have appointments? That might be the ideal situation, and would eliminate these long lineups, but so far the Passport Office has allowed walk-ins:

In Canada

How you apply depends on how soon you need a passport.

• 2 business days or less: Visit a passport office
  • Check walk-in wait times (opens in a new tab)before you go. New
• 3 to 45 business days: Book an appointment or visit a passport office
  • Check walk-in wait times (opens in a new tab)before you go. New
  • It may take up to 2 weeks plus mailing time to process your application.
• 46 business days or more: Visit a Service Canada Centre or apply by mail
  • It may take up to 9 weeks plus mailing time to process your application.

How to apply from Canada

 

 

30 minutes ago, ladysail2 said:

My passport expires in Aug 2023….I dread the day I have to join that line!

If you can, pick a period next year when you won'r be travelling for a couple of months and renew by mail. Like voting by mail, no need to leave the house and to stand in line. In our case, we've done both by mail and enjoyed the simplicity of the approach.

 

 

[*Miss G*]

I made an appointment to renew my passport in November.  I was a bit concerned at the line when I arrived, but that turned out to be full of people who didn’t have appointments.  Went to the officer on the appointments side and was let straight in.

[hancogran]

19 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

 

• If you can, pick a period next year when you won'r be travelling for a couple of months and renew by mail. Like voting by mail, no need to leave the house and to stand in line. In our case, we've done both by mail and enjoyed the simplicity of the approach.

 

 

I was just going to suggest this too... so simple as long as you can be without your passport for a few months.  Our last passport renewal was done by mail and we ordered the 10 year passport.  On the other hand,  maybe by the end of this year or early next year, these lineups and backlogs will be a thing of the past... fingers crossed!

[ladysail2]

25 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Ah, but do they really all have appointments? That might be the ideal situation, and would eliminate these long lineups, but so far the Passport Office has allowed walk-ins:

In Canada

How you apply depends on how soon you need a passport.

• 2 business days or less: Visit a passport office
  • Check walk-in wait times (opens in a new tab)before you go. New
• 3 to 45 business days: Book an appointment or visit a passport office
  • Check walk-in wait times (opens in a new tab)before you go. New
  • It may take up to 2 weeks plus mailing time to process your application.
• 46 business days or more: Visit a Service Canada Centre or apply by mail
  • It may take up to 9 weeks plus mailing time to process your application.

How to apply from Canada

 

 

If you can, pick a period next year when you won'r be travelling for a couple of months and renew by mail. Like voting by mail, no need to leave the house and to stand in line. In our case, we've done both by mail and enjoyed the simplicity of the approach.

 

 

Then I’d have to convince myself to trust the mail system.  Talk about voting by mail..tried to, but the system claimed that it couldn’t read the back of my driver’s license….bummer. No matter how many pictures I took. There must be a trick to that aspect, don’t know what I was doing wrong. 
 

I’ll have to decide on how to renew the passport, glad to hear that appointments were honoured.

[ljtinney]

On 6/1/2022 at 1:27 PM, Alberta Quilter said:

I renewed Jan 14/22 (expiry was in May/22) and just checked the status.  I'm still waiting for conditional approval...  Fortunately, I have time to wait as we have no plans to leave Canada this year.  

 

On 6/1/2022 at 6:04 PM, hancogran said:

My own Nexus expired May 2022 and I applied to renew it on November 15, 2021 but nothing for me either.  I figured DH would definitely have had his by now since it's approaching a year.  We also have no plans to travel outside Canada this year so we'll just sit back and wait it out.  It's just comforting to know it's not just

us ! lol

 

I renewed April of 2021 and mine expired the next day. I am still waiting for approval. 

I was able to use my nexus card when returning from Costa Rica a couple months ago. 

 

Waiting..... 

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, ladysail2 said:

Then I’d have to convince myself to trust the mail system.  Talk about voting by mail..tried to, but the system claimed that it couldn’t read the back of my driver’s license….bummer. No matter how many pictures I took. There must be a trick to that aspect, don’t know what I was doing wrong. 
 

I’ll have to decide on how to renew the passport, glad to hear that appointments were honoured.

LOL. I think that the election folks were aware of the problem, as they allowed you to send a scan/photo of a utility bill or similar showing your name and address. I chose my hydro bill (!).

[broberts]

3 hours ago, ladysail2 said:

Then I’d have to convince myself to trust the mail system.  Talk about voting by mail..tried to, but the system claimed that it couldn’t read the back of my driver’s license….bummer. No matter how many pictures I took. There must be a trick to that aspect, don’t know what I was doing wrong.

 

I had similar trouble with registering in ON this time. I concluded that the issue was the bar code and dense QR type code on the back. A very well focused straight on shot with no reflection was necessary. Perhaps the software has to read the code to authenticate.

 

[ladysail2]

3 hours ago, Fouremco said:

LOL. I think that the election folks were aware of the problem, as they allowed you to send a scan/photo of a utility bill or similar showing your name and address. I chose my hydro bill (!).

Well rats, I didn’t know that. The process just wouldn’t go forward.  I’ll try again at the next election. 😊

[ladysail2]

1 hour ago, broberts said:

 

I had similar trouble with registering in ON this time. I concluded that the issue was the bar code and dense QR type code on the back. A very well focused straight on shot with no reflection was necessary. Perhaps the software has to read the code to authenticate.

 

They want a professional picture….or maybe the scare of seeing the picture on the front sent the sensors off base…hahaha!  🤣

[tert333]

My nexus expired on December 2020.  Applied for renewal in 2020 and had to wait for an interview.  Had the interview in Niagara Falls US yesterday.   Took 15 minutes and I was done.

 

I would check the website many times a day to see if an opening came up.   On a regular basis, openings came for Detroit.  There were not as many for Niagara falls but one showed up 10PM prior to the day of the interview.

 

So you just have to keep trying.   They dont stay available very long as there are a lot of people looking for interviews.

[son3cruisers]

Just an update for new applicants

 

We had our interviews today for our first Nexus cards at the Niagara Falls,  US location.

Quick and easy, took our picture and fingerprints, and did not even ask us any questions. ( asked if we had any questions!) but explained the program to us and how it looks on the US side, then we spoke with another agent to explain what it looks like on the Canadian side. Very pleasant agents. In and out in about 15/20 mins.

I wasn't able to book back to back apts online- one was at 9am the other at 11:30, but we were both allowed in at 9 and were processed together. Not sure why we didn't do this sooner!

 

[Mikamarii]

We applied for Nexus for the first time in March 2020. Got conditionally approved within a month or so and booked our interviews for April. Cancelled the week before when Covid started the shut downs. We’ve tried booking interviews three times and each cancelled within a couple weeks of our appointment. I think our last interview was for November before they shut down completely. 
 

we were originally given one year to have the interview done. That changed to two years. Our two year date was April 09 and I thought we were going to get a message on our application being removed and we’d have to reapply. Nothing yet. They’ve even removed the “you must complete the interview with 720 days” message. Still says conditionally approved!

 

Our closest enrolment center is Sweetgrass Montana which is about 7hrs away so not making that drive (especially with gas at 2$/L). 
 

 

[3JCruiser]

On 6/4/2022 at 2:24 PM, tert333 said:

My nexus expired on December 2020.  Applied for renewal in 2020 and had to wait for an interview.  Had the interview in Niagara Falls US yesterday.   Took 15 minutes and I was done.

 

I would check the website many times a day to see if an opening came up.   On a regular basis, openings came for Detroit.  There were not as many for Niagara falls but one showed up 10PM prior to the day of the interview.

 

So you just have to keep trying.   They dont stay available very long as there are a lot of people looking for interviews.

 

Did you have to provide a covid test to cross the border for your Nexus appt in the US ? 

I've been watching for cancellations but not sure of the current cross border protocols.

 

I believe we have to complete arrivecan to get back into Canada before we leave...

[broberts]

8 minutes ago, 3JCruiser said:

 

Did you have to provide a covid test to cross the border for your Nexus appt in the US ? 

I've been watching for cancellations but not sure of the current cross border protocols.

 

I believe we have to complete arrivecan to get back into Canada before we leave...

 

I believe only those flying into the US must present a COVID test result. Land and marine crossings do not require a COVID test.

 

ArriveCAN info can be submitted anytime in the 72 hours prior to presenting at the land border.

[son3cruisers]

30 minutes ago, 3JCruiser said:

 

Did you have to provide a covid test to cross the border for your Nexus appt in the US ? 

I've been watching for cancellations but not sure of the current cross border protocols.

 

I believe we have to complete arrivecan to get back into Canada before we leave...

Yes, Broberts is correct. No covid test required if crossing the border by car on either side. ARRIVE CAN is required on the return trip to Canada. 

[3JCruiser]

3 minutes ago, son3cruisers said:

Yes, Broberts is correct. No covid test required if crossing the border by car on either side. ARRIVE CAN is required on the return trip to Canada. 

 

 

Thank you , Broberts & son3cruisers you've put my mind at ease, so many things changing daily !