Global Entry, Nexus, or Sentri?
- Thread starter IamNY
- Start date
Just want to share my recent experience back in last August at the Highgate Spring border on the way back to US. Hope some of you find it helpful.
I had crossed this same checkpoint a few times earlier this year and had no bumps until this trip. As I reached the checkpoint and was waiting in the line, I noticed my line was moving much slower than others. There were about 7 or 8 vehicles ahead of me and among these cars, one was reached and the other was pulled over for a secondary check. I started to realize the guy might be tough and I was trying to stay cool. When it was my turn, the officer started with routine questions: where are you from, where are you going, where do you live, purpose of the trip, how much cash do you have with you. etc. Then he started to ask about my profession and I gave a general answer as I have always answered to other officers. Then he went:" what kind XXX (my profession) are you?" I explained in two words then moved on to the next question:" do you travel alone? why do you travel alone? don't you worry about your safety in a foreign country?" I stayed calm and answered:" I have traveled alone to many places, I went to countries ABCED alone and I didn't feel unsafe. You can see from my passport." Then he saw that I have my bike in my car (I like to bring my bike with me when I go up to MTL. sometimes I do ride it in the city or the canal bike path) and went:" isn't it dangerous to ride your bike in Canada?" At his point I realized that he was out of questions but was phishing on me and waiting for me to make a mistake or show unusual reactions then he could pull the trigger to search my car or pull me over. I remained cool and told him I liked to bike it up there along the canal. The last question before he let me go was funny, he repeated how much money I have on me which he had already asked.
As some fellow merbies mentioned before, keep calm and maintain a mutual attitude then we'd be on our way within minutes. At the end of day, as long as we don't have anything illegal with us, those guys can just watch our taillights.
I had crossed this same checkpoint a few times earlier this year and had no bumps until this trip. As I reached the checkpoint and was waiting in the line, I noticed my line was moving much slower than others. There were about 7 or 8 vehicles ahead of me and among these cars, one was reached and the other was pulled over for a secondary check. I started to realize the guy might be tough and I was trying to stay cool. When it was my turn, the officer started with routine questions: where are you from, where are you going, where do you live, purpose of the trip, how much cash do you have with you. etc. Then he started to ask about my profession and I gave a general answer as I have always answered to other officers. Then he went:" what kind XXX (my profession) are you?" I explained in two words then moved on to the next question:" do you travel alone? why do you travel alone? don't you worry about your safety in a foreign country?" I stayed calm and answered:" I have traveled alone to many places, I went to countries ABCED alone and I didn't feel unsafe. You can see from my passport." Then he saw that I have my bike in my car (I like to bring my bike with me when I go up to MTL. sometimes I do ride it in the city or the canal bike path) and went:" isn't it dangerous to ride your bike in Canada?" At his point I realized that he was out of questions but was phishing on me and waiting for me to make a mistake or show unusual reactions then he could pull the trigger to search my car or pull me over. I remained cool and told him I liked to bike it up there along the canal. The last question before he let me go was funny, he repeated how much money I have on me which he had already asked.
As some fellow merbies mentioned before, keep calm and maintain a mutual attitude then we'd be on our way within minutes. At the end of day, as long as we don't have anything illegal with us, those guys can just watch our taillights.
I had 101 questions once at the Toronto airport. If you keep calm and answer the questions firmly and consistently, they tire out and let you through.
Canada has the tourist bureaus running ads in U.S. cities (and I'm sure vice versa), but then you have annoying border agents and the airfares are generally high due to restricted competition on Canadian-U.S. routes.
So this was a US border agent questioning you on your return to the USA? I assume you are american, right?
I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from laughing if a border agent asked me if i worried about my safety traveling alone in Canada - its CANADA! I am safer in Canada than I am at home in the USA for crying out loud.
One time a US border agent was asking me why I spend a holiday weekend (labor day) in Montreal - I looked at him and just said "Because Montreal is awesome. Have you been there?" He just laughed and waved me on.
I had the displeasure of traveling back to the USA via the Highgate Spring crossing recently. I had to use the regular lanes because the Global Entry/Nexus lane is opened on a very limited basis. I must of had the same agent as dust4three because this guy asked me a ridiculous amount of questions as well. I mentally noted the time we started and it took a total of five minutes to finish. That may not seem like a lot of time, but five minutes is an eternity when being questioned. Having a Nexus card usually allows me to avoid this amount of questioning. The last question I was asked was “where did you go in Montreal and what did you do?” My reply was simple, I repeated back the question with answers. Where did I go? Bars. What did I do? Drink. We both laughed and I was on my way.
I only had a problem once while crossing the border between Canada and the US. It was in the mid-90's and i decided to bring my girlfriend to Buffalo to see the Bills. The Broncos were in town and the game was also shown on Monday Night Football.
Since it was my first time in Buffalo i wasn't sure where i'd be staying. I figured there'd be a lot of motels alongside the road on our way to Orchard Park. I found one motel near the stadium and since i was tired from driving and anxious to get to the game i agreed to wait until 6pm to see if the only room they had left would be available. I did have the opportunity to check the room out beforehand and it looked fine.
At 6pm i was allowed to have the room since whomever booked it never showed up on time. To make a long story short my girlfriend was sitting on the toilet after the game and saw a cockroach come out of the bathtub's drain. She freaked. The cockroach went back in and never came out again (as far as i know). She refused to take her clothes off when we went to sleep. She was disgusted about the place and didn't dare have her skin touch the covers. I found this ridiculous and amusing. In the middle of the night she woke up me: someone was trying to enter our room from outside. I could see and hear the door knob being turned, but the door was locked so no one came in. I figured it probably was someone drunk who mistook our room for his (good thing it wasn't a female cop with a gun). I went back to sleep. My girlfriend never slept a second again.
The next morning i decided to head back using the Niagara Falls, NY route. I was asked what my business was in the States and where i went. Easy, i told him we went to the Buffalo Bills football game the previous day. Where did we stay? he asked. "At a small motel by the stadium", i answered. "What was the name of your hotel?", he asked. Now i was dumbfounded. I couldn't remember the name of the place. Think about it today i should have said anything and it probably would have been okay. "I don't remember. All i remember is that my girlfriend saw a cockroach coming out of bathtub's drain when she was sitting on the toilet and that someone tried to get into our room in the middle of the night." The border guard then instructed us to drive to some nearby building in order to get my car searched. I suppose he didn't believe my story.
Never again did my then-girlfriend agree to accompany to Buffalo for a Bills game.
Since it was my first time in Buffalo i wasn't sure where i'd be staying. I figured there'd be a lot of motels alongside the road on our way to Orchard Park. I found one motel near the stadium and since i was tired from driving and anxious to get to the game i agreed to wait until 6pm to see if the only room they had left would be available. I did have the opportunity to check the room out beforehand and it looked fine.
At 6pm i was allowed to have the room since whomever booked it never showed up on time. To make a long story short my girlfriend was sitting on the toilet after the game and saw a cockroach come out of the bathtub's drain. She freaked. The cockroach went back in and never came out again (as far as i know). She refused to take her clothes off when we went to sleep. She was disgusted about the place and didn't dare have her skin touch the covers. I found this ridiculous and amusing. In the middle of the night she woke up me: someone was trying to enter our room from outside. I could see and hear the door knob being turned, but the door was locked so no one came in. I figured it probably was someone drunk who mistook our room for his (good thing it wasn't a female cop with a gun). I went back to sleep. My girlfriend never slept a second again.
The next morning i decided to head back using the Niagara Falls, NY route. I was asked what my business was in the States and where i went. Easy, i told him we went to the Buffalo Bills football game the previous day. Where did we stay? he asked. "At a small motel by the stadium", i answered. "What was the name of your hotel?", he asked. Now i was dumbfounded. I couldn't remember the name of the place. Think about it today i should have said anything and it probably would have been okay. "I don't remember. All i remember is that my girlfriend saw a cockroach coming out of bathtub's drain when she was sitting on the toilet and that someone tried to get into our room in the middle of the night." The border guard then instructed us to drive to some nearby building in order to get my car searched. I suppose he didn't believe my story.
Never again did my then-girlfriend agree to accompany to Buffalo for a Bills game.
Doc Holliday, you should enjoy American football. You get 33% more football. I think that's right based on 4 downs vs. 3 downs.
The border agents on both sides that make a big deal of what type of work your doing in Canada or the U.S. bother me. It always told me NAFTA was bullshit. It was just another crude trade deal for goods trading. Services and too many other activities are restricted.
The border agents on both sides that make a big deal of what type of work your doing in Canada or the U.S. bother me. It always told me NAFTA was bullshit. It was just another crude trade deal for goods trading. Services and too many other activities are restricted.
I'm a die-hard NFL fan. I probably like NFL football over hockey, baseball and basketball. I haven't watched an entire CFL game in at least 10 years. I can't stand it!
As for what border ask people going in it's their right. They want to know what you're doing in Canada in order to avoid criminals from getting back in. It's no big deal, really. They may seem nosy and in many cases probably are, but simply be honest and truthful and omit to say the obvious. This way you'll look more relaxed and less anxious while responding to their questions.
I know a few people who are border agents. They sometimes tell me quite funny stories when it comes to celebrities they've met while they were crossing the border. It's also a profession that attracts its fair share of power-hungry people. People with 'issues'. Like in many other professions involving law enforcement. No big deal. You just have to go with the flow and play their little game. Giving those people an attitude rarely works in your favour.
Doc, maybe it's cooled off, but there were certain professional activities Americans were not allowed to perform in Canada. So the detailed questions about your work and what work you were doing in Canada came up especially if you flew to a Canadian airport in a suit and tie. Perhaps that's in the past.
Facial recognition coming to NEXUS:
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/nexus-facial-verification-technology
YVR will be Canada's first airport to use NEXUS facial recognition technology
Darcy Matheson
|
Oct 25 2019, 3:59 pm
Vancouver International Airport. (Vancouver Airport Authority)
Vancouver International Airport will be Canada’s first airport to use new NEXUS kiosks that utilize facial verification technology.
It is part of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) plan to modernize the way that NEXUS members are processed at airports in the country, the Traveller Programs Directorate said in a memo sent to members Friday about the forthcoming changes.
See also:
Vancouver International Airport is “ready” for the launch of rideshare
YVR Airport’s largest terminal building expansion since 1996 to open next year (PHOTOS)
YVR Airport’s automated border control kiosks are being installed in Europe
The current kiosks use iris recognition technology, and these will be replaced with the updated kiosks that use facial recognition instead.
YVR will be the first to launch the new technology this fall, although the agency has not specified an exact date. The technology will also be used at other Canadian airports in ensuing months.
Those airports are:
Halifax Stanfield International Airport
Montréal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport
Calgary International Airport
Edmonton International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
NEXUS members will need their passport the first time they use one of the new facial biometric kiosks, says CBSA. Users will be prompted to upload their passport photo for storage and identification purposes.
CBSA says the biometric verification upgrades at airports will provide travellers with a simplified way to be identified — without a reduction in security.
“This initiative aligns the NEXUS program with international trends on traveller processing, and supports the CBSA’s goal to increase efficiencies without compromising security,” CBSA said in a statement.
The NEXUS program is designed to speed up border crossings for low-risk, pre-approved travellers into Canada and the US, and is jointly run by the CBSA and US Customs & Border Protection.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/nexus-facial-verification-technology
YVR will be Canada's first airport to use NEXUS facial recognition technology
Darcy Matheson
|
Oct 25 2019, 3:59 pm
Vancouver International Airport. (Vancouver Airport Authority)
Vancouver International Airport will be Canada’s first airport to use new NEXUS kiosks that utilize facial verification technology.
It is part of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) plan to modernize the way that NEXUS members are processed at airports in the country, the Traveller Programs Directorate said in a memo sent to members Friday about the forthcoming changes.
See also:
Vancouver International Airport is “ready” for the launch of rideshare
YVR Airport’s largest terminal building expansion since 1996 to open next year (PHOTOS)
YVR Airport’s automated border control kiosks are being installed in Europe
The current kiosks use iris recognition technology, and these will be replaced with the updated kiosks that use facial recognition instead.
YVR will be the first to launch the new technology this fall, although the agency has not specified an exact date. The technology will also be used at other Canadian airports in ensuing months.
Those airports are:
Halifax Stanfield International Airport
Montréal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport
Calgary International Airport
Edmonton International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
NEXUS members will need their passport the first time they use one of the new facial biometric kiosks, says CBSA. Users will be prompted to upload their passport photo for storage and identification purposes.
CBSA says the biometric verification upgrades at airports will provide travellers with a simplified way to be identified — without a reduction in security.
“This initiative aligns the NEXUS program with international trends on traveller processing, and supports the CBSA’s goal to increase efficiencies without compromising security,” CBSA said in a statement.
The NEXUS program is designed to speed up border crossings for low-risk, pre-approved travellers into Canada and the US, and is jointly run by the CBSA and US Customs & Border Protection.
but he nexus rides on iris scanning. how much more efficiencies does a face scan gonna further give?
YUL airport's nexus line started processing people with their new kisoks. bright lcd panels. once youve decided to use nexus you see staff there to assist you. the display has basically 2 options: did you bring your passport? if yes, then you end up having to allow for the picture page to be scanned into the kiosk. after that you gotta pose for some pic while eyes look into the iris scanner.
the other option is, you didnt bring it with you on this ocassion. to which i think you must then queue up to meet with an officer.
the other option is, you didnt bring it with you on this ocassion. to which i think you must then queue up to meet with an officer.
On my last visit to Montreal I drove up to the Nexus lane expecting to be waived right on through. Must have been a rookie Canadian border agent looking to bust balls, because I was asked 13 questions. I actually kept count! Normally your looking at 2 or 3 easy questions and your on your way. Not this time. Out of all of the questions I was asked, two of them stood out because it was the first time I was ever asked them. Do I have any alcohol, tobacco or CANNABIS to declare and the other question was how long ago did I make my travel plans? Yes, the trunk is full of cannabis and I made my travel plans 5 minutes ago. It’s the Nexus lane, take it ease.
I thought Nexus was to ensure you didn't have to put up with this bullshit. Why Canada? I was just in a conference in Florida and there were a bunch of us at the bar and one guy brought it up. Why can you fly to Europe and South America and waltz right on through but Canada all of a sudden it's the third degree. I do not get it. I'm assuming I'm the only hobbyist. Maybe not but everyone agreed, both ways into and Canada and back into the USA from Canada are the worst.
And he is of course so powerful that even Canadian Border Goons submit to his royally pissed off edict and give American visitors a third degree treatment. Makes sense.
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