NEXUS and Canada Border Services Agency
Categories: Hotels & Travel Travel Services Hotels & Travel Airports Public Services & Government Travel Services, Airports, Public Services & Government
Lester B. Pearson International AirportTerminal 1
Mississauga, ON L5P 1A2
(800) 461-9999
- Wi-Fi:
- No
6 reviews for NEXUS and Canada Border Services Agency
6 reviews in English
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Review from Cynthia G.
Toronto, ON
2/17/2012
When NEXUS started I jumped in line as fast as I could to get mine.
I travelled (at the time) each week to NYC so this system was just perfect for me.
Since then I praise NEXUS each week. The time it saves me in airport lines is just fantastic.
This week, as I was driving to the airport heading to Vancouver, on the radio they ware saying that this week NEXUS users will see a difference and the lines will move even faster. Well, 15 minutes after hearing that, I stood in line at YYZ and in front of me were a couple that had not been on a plane in years, yet alone even be NEXUS card holders because they knew nothing about how to go through security, so that held the line up for a while. let me know if I boar you with the customer service of the TSA guard here .....(don't know what they call these people in Canada), but this one was so rude to me I could not believe it, does she know that NEXUS holders are screened as they are LOW risk passengers ??, and the hoops she had me hopping through was sick !
She was telling me how to pack they tray, told me to remove things I was wearing that I would not remove i.e. my sweater (only had a tank top on underneath - and nobody wants to see that ! ). Then as I walked through, she unpacked and repacked my items and put them into 3 trays - WTF - who gave here the right to do that ?
Leaving Vancouver and heading to Prince George yesterday I lined up in YVR in the NEXUS line and in front of me were over 8 people that were not even NEXUS card holders....The line was over 10 people long and took 20 minutes while other non-NEXUS lines were moving 4 times faster. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN - we pay to be in the NEXUS line - how do non-NEXUS card holders get in there ?
When I got to the end of the line a supervisor said to the guard - you need to look at peoples NEXUS ID - I said out loud, "yes you do - why are you letting all non-NEXUS passengers through ?" He nodded in agreement and she shrugged...possibly because she didn't understand either one of us.
So all in all I was in 3 NEXUS lines this week and it was slower than last week by far.
I will renew my card this year (hopefully after this review they will allow me to renew), as I've had it now for 5 years, but the airports really need to make more of an effort to ensure that the lines stay dedicated for NEXUS card users.Listed in: FOODLESS FEBRUARY CHALLENGE
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Review from Mike L.
5/23/2012 2 Check-ins Here
This is what pops up when I check in at the border. I'm still on the fence about whether to get a Nexus card for my 2-4x/year border crossings. If the frequency picks up I might do it, but the reviews are a mixed bag.
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Review from Luis H.
Toronto, ON
3/5/2012
As the successor to CANPASS, the NEXUS program is a joint trusted traveler program administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Customs and Border Protection) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) that allows U.S. and Canadian citizens who go through a rigorous background search the ability to bypass length passport control lines at any international airport in the U.S. or Canada, land border crossings (only at select crossings) and seaports. Due to my identity theft I enrolled in the program and have been grateful that it has allowed me to return to the U.S. without having to go through secondary inspection. Although I do encounter some trouble at land border crossings if I don't have my NEXUS card on hand, the $50 fee for a five year program is worth the hassle and cost.
If unsure, make sure to declare and go on a traditional passport line so that you wont have your membership revoked if you violate a U.S. or Canadian customs regulation. Otherwise, the service center at Toronto's Pearson Airport is reliable and efficient. Highly recommended for frequent travelers between the U.S. and Canada.
Callers within Canada can reach NEXUS by dialing CBSA at (800) 461-9999 or in French at (800) 959-2036. Callers outside Canada please call (204) 983-3500 or (506) for English or (204) 983-3700 or (506) 636-5067. Please note that both 204 and 506 are not toll-free and will accrue long distance charges,
The mailing address for the Pearson NEXUS Office is:
P.O. Box 40
AMF
Toronto, ON L5P 1A2 -
Review from Marie F.
Updated - 5/22/2010 1 photo
What's that old saying? Don't count your chickens before they hatch? I raved about my awesome experience with this place and how great it is to get a Nexus card to make border crossing easier.
After my interview April 13th, I patiently waited for my card to come in the mail, (not unlike an eager 9 year old excited to get junk mail delivered to their makeshift mailbox).
After a month of waiting I decided enough was enough and I called the number on the bottom of my confirmation email. I called three times. The first two the line was busy and the last sent me to voicemail where I couldn't leave a massage, as the mailbox was full!
I decided to email the customer service address provided. Two days later I get an email telling me to please call the customer service number and reference my ticket number.
While we are on the topic of numbers, since beginning my process for this card I've been given a User ID, a PASS ID, a Application ID, a password and now a bloody ticket number... seriously I've been locked out of my account three times in the last couple of days trying to keep these IDs straight!
Customer service told me that according to my records I had not attended my interview (well that's weird cuz I am pretty sure I did). Despite the interview date having passed, the status on my file still said interview pending.
To resolve the issue I had to call the local office (again) and have the US officer onsite update my records. The guy I spoke to at Pearsons said he would update it, and that I should receive it withing 10 business days.
I asked if I should call if I don't receive it within that time frame and her replied: "don't call us... if there is a problem we'll call you" Oh good... because we all know how well that turned out. I know this is government but this card costs money, I've waited over a month for it and I've been getting the runaround all week, the least he could do is say he's sorry.
Fingers crossed I get my card soon... the Canadian dollar has sadly dropped in the meantime.Listed in: Odd things I have Yelped about
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/14/2010 First to Review
Do you suffer from "holy shit the CND dollar is at par, lets drop everything and go to Buffalo"… Read more »
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Review from Patty L.
North York, ON
8/2/2010
$50 for 5 years to save you time in the customs lines at the airport? Sign me up!
The process is a bit slow - I applied online and booked an appointment. At the time I applied, appointments were for about 4-6 weeks away. I had to cancel a couple of times because life happens, and I can't always plan that far ahead! So, even though I applied in November, my interview was in mid-January.The interview was straightforward and my card came in the mail about 2 week afterward.
I've had my Nexus card for about 2 years now and I love it, but you have to know when it's better to use it, and when it's best to just line up and wait. Know the rules, and don't try to break them because you'll get your Nexus membership revoked and possibly be blacklisted at customs - not worth it!
Here are my rules of thumb:
1) If you are carrying any kind of food, and have declared it on the customs form, don't use Nexus. 99.9% chance you'll get sent into secondary customs and it's not worth the wait or hassle. (Although, some days it's faster to get sent through secondary than to wait in the regular line at Pearson... use your judgement).
2) If you've gone over your duty-free allowance (i.e. you spent more than $750 CDN after being away for over 7 days).
In these instances it's better to line up, explain to a customs officer and the worst that can happen is that you'll be sent to secondary search, but most often you'll just get waived through if you explain yourself.
I find I don't use the Nexus line going into the US too often, but it's saved me a lot of time coming back into Canada from International destinations. With the long waits for checking in baggage at Pearson these days, having Nexus has saved my butt couple of times when I almost missed my flights because the customs lines were so long. -
Review from Joe N.
5/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
While it can be a pretty inconvenient application process, the benefits of NEXUS to frequent cross-border travelers are well worth it. The result is access to almost non-existent lines and the near elimination of border guard interrogation sessions for screened, compliant travelers with regular travel for legitimate purposes.
