NEXUS interview wait time

[Cooked Rice]

Curious if anyone has obtained a NEXUS card recently here in Calgary? What was your wait time from application submission to having a interview? Friends from Vancouver say wait times are ridiculous over there but shouldn't be too bad here.

[Zhariak]

There's a couple stages.

1. Application - You apply, the fun begins. Background checks with various government agencies across North America, and an in depth review of your previous travel. There's probably other things we don't know about too.
2. Conditional Approval - You passed the previous checks, you're now approved for an interview.
3. Approval - Your part of Nexus.

I enrolled November of 2013. It took me till January 1st to get my conditional approval.

When logging in to GOES to schedule my interview, the earliest interview was 6 months down the road. I scheduled it. I then read that people recommended checking back to see if anyone cancelled.

3 times a day I logged in to see if I could nab a cancelled appointment. Within 2 days, I rescheduled for 3 months, a day after that rescheduled for next month, and then the next day an appointment opened up for within 3 days.

My process:

Applied November 11th, 2013
Conditionally Approved January 1st, 2014
Actual Approval (had my interview this day) - January 11th, 2014

[The_Rural_Juror]

Two weeks if you want to drive to sweet grass

[Zhariak]

Once you're conditionally approved, just log in to GOES and keep checking to see if there's any openings.

[eblend]

I am thinking of getting Nexus, surely the renewal is easier down the line then this whole process right?

[D'z Nutz]

I got my NEXUS at the end of last year and I definitely remember the time between submitting the application and getting approved for the interview being a good 2 or 3 months.

Like Zhariak said, once you get approved for an interview, log in and grab the soonest interview you can ASAP and keep checking for closer openings periodically. When I was approved, I thought I scheduled myself for an interview about a month away but when I checked 5 minutes later, it was gone and the next one was 3 months after.

[Chandler_Racing]

I had to wait 4 months.

As others have said apparently checking in frequently to see updated times avaliable works well.

I was too lazy to do that.

[Toma]

But if you drive down to Montana, no wait?

[Zhariak]

Originally posted by Toma
But if you drive down to Montana, no wait?

I'm not sure, but I think no matter what you still need an appointment. Either way, the border crossings were the lease booked places to book.

Just keep checking back a couple times a day and you'll be able to get it quick and local.

[carson blocks]

A coworker just went through this a few weeks back. The Calgary office was booking 3-4 months out and Sweet Grass was ~1 week wait IIRC.

[stealth]

I applied in March and got conditional approval a couple weeks ago. I live in Edmonton and the soonest I could get an interview was for September. Kept checking online and got one a few days ago and got my final approval.

So check Edmonton also if you want to drive up.

[benyl]

The nexus line is starting to get longer. I'm convinced it is just a ploy for the NSA to get all your info and travel habits.

We have it, but many times the regular line is faster. It only helps going through security now. Customs, not so much.

[stealth]

The only reason I got it is because of the security line.

[Darkane]

Yeah. I'm planning to get a nexus for security lines.

Missed my mcmurray flight couple weeks ago due to unreasonable security wait times.

6 others missed it too. Lol

[FraserB]

Originally posted by Darkane
Yeah. I'm planning to get a nexus for security lines.

Missed my mcmurray flight couple weeks ago due to unreasonable security wait times.

6 others missed it too. Lol

This is why I want it too, almost missed one the other week. The normal lines can get stupid long on the day I leave since there are a bunch of other flights that leave at close to the same time. The only real solution is to get through security by 4AM since the line is long by 430.

[Zhariak]

Nexus/pre-screened line at YYC is always open for domestic which is awesome, problem is, sometimes they bring over non-Nexus folk to ease the common folk line. The people they bring over always bog the line up down because some aren't familiar with screening process.

What pisses me off is that YVR domestic Nexus is always closed, or just closing as I walk up. For the first time on my last trip, I managed to use it just after they closed (they turned the machine back on for me to scan my boarding pass), thank god because the common folk line up was MASSIVE. Every other time flying out of YVR to YYC, the pre-screened line has been closed


Nexus is awesome though. Combine Nexus with lounge access (thank you Amex), and you'll never fly another way.


PS. I never did this, but I think I heard way back that if you carry an Amex Platinum, or Amex Centurion card, AMEX will comp your GOES/Nexus fees (I can't remember if this is continuous or was a one time thing, or even for Canadians). I heard about it after I got my Nexus.

[benyl]

$50 isn't worth the $650 fee of some of those cards.

Calgary needs to be upgraded to the global entry machines they have at YYZ.

Just back back from MCO yesterday and the shitty eye scan machines don't work. Ended up in the crew line that was full of people that were in wheel chairs.

[Zhariak]

Originally posted by benyl
$50 isn't worth the $650 fee of some of those cards.

Calgary needs to be upgraded to the global entry machines they have at YYZ.

Just back back from MCO yesterday and the shitty eye scan machines don't work. Ended up in the crew line that was full of people that were in wheel chairs.

It is if you use all the perks. My annual fee is $2,500 and it's paid itself off more then double in 5 months!

I've heard a lot of people have been having issues with the retina scanner machines... I never had any issues, I'm wondering if it's related to their first scan.

Either way, I heard they are getting rid of the Nexus machines, and moving towards GE (fingerprint only).

[Maxx Mazda]

I've had nexus for a few years now and love it. Never had an issue with the eye scanners, but I hate when they bring the "normal folk" over to the nexus line in security. Usually it's a family with 6 kids and 4 strollers right as I walk up...

[stealth]

Originally posted by Darkane
Yeah. I'm planning to get a nexus for security lines.

Missed my mcmurray flight couple weeks ago due to unreasonable security wait times.

6 others missed it too. Lol

I was at the new airport and didn't see a Nexus line there...