Nexus cards

Just a word of advice, although since you just had your interview and received your information and have already read it, when driving across the border and see nexus specific lanes, EVERYONE in the vehicle has to have their card. One person, say another family member or friend, with a passport and you HAVE to go through the regular line(s). They will tear a strip off you up and down if you go through that lane and they can disqualify everyone from the program, send you back home and, thus, you'd have no choice but to get passports for your next trip. Read the documents very carefully and know ahead of time ALL the restrictions. Things you can bring across are actually more restrictive than traveling with just your passport(s) and caught with any will disqualify everyone along for the trip.

If you use the tunnel from Windsor, ON to Detroit, MI you go to the far right hand lane to go through customs on the U.S. side. It's the same lane the trucks and buses use. I don't know if the nexus card can be used there. My 5er is 13 ft. tall and fits. I now use it to go over and to come back instead of the Bridge. If you use the tunnel and it's very early in the morning, you might find that lane blocked off. Pull up and wait and someone will unblock the lane and then you proceed to the customs hut to be checked out.

wilber1 wrote:

Gruffy wrote:
Remember, a Nexus card does not allow you to fly home in an emergency... need a passport for that.

Canadians can use Nexus to enter Canada from anywhere, provided the airport has retina scanning on its Nexus machines. After receiving their card, they can go to a designated crossing and have their retina's scanned by CBSA. Those scans are then matched to their card.

This is correct. In addition, more and more airports in the US are participating in the "Global Entry" program, which includes the Nexus card, and have special Global Entry lanes which take you out of the lines with everyone else. They can be found here : http://usa.immigrationvisaforms.com/travel/global-entry-participating-airports

To answer the OPs question, I cross the border frequently with our Nexus cards as we don't maintain valid passports anymore. I camp mostly in Massena, NY.

However, I can say that there are Nexus lanes where there is no way I could drive the RV. There is one I passed in Niagara Falls (our side) where the lane was so narrow and a sharp turn in that I could never make it with the RV, but that's the only one what I would imagine would have that kind if restriction.

Gruffy wrote:
Remember, a Nexus card does not allow you to fly home in an emergency... need a passport for that.

Canadians can use Nexus to enter Canada from anywhere, provided the airport has retina scanning on its Nexus machines. After receiving their card, they can go to a designated crossing and have their retina's scanned by CBSA. Those scans are then matched to their card.

hone eagle wrote:
U.S. bound from Windsor to Detroit the Ambassador bridge nexus lane is impossible for anything but a car ,it is a squeeze for a large pick up.
There is a very tight double turn after the customs booth before the toll shack,a small class C maybe .

This will hopefully change in the next few years after the new bridge is complete.
I have never seen the tunnel nexus lane ,but the tunnel is through downtown (both sides) and does not bare thinking about.
I see the OP is from Burlington ,maybe someone can describe the Sarnia crossing ,it is closer for you anyway.

I live in Sarnia and cross often both bob-tailing and with fiver attached.
There are 3 lanes to the far ride hand side of the US custom booths that cannot accept RV's of any size and type as the lanes are funneled into very tights turns with concrete dividers to allow a 1 lane entry into multiple inspections booths. One into three configuration.
These lanes are clearly marked "No RV's Allowed"
They never use these lanes for Nexxus in my experience.

skrams wrote:
Thanks for the replies. We had our interview and here is the official decision directly from the Nexus people.

Entering USA, Nexus lane can be used but not while towing our car. Two lisence plates confuse the system.

Entering Canada, Nexus lane can be used even while towing car.

Whirlpool Bridge, Niagara Falls, is Nexus only, apparently it will not accommodate a motorhome.

There could be other rules at specific crossings that we were not made aware of.

I guess each crossing works with their own set of rules. At Champlain NY which leads onto I87, we got chastised for not using the Nexus lane with our coach and toad. The security snaking in the road after the border was making it too difficult to handle all the obtuse angles using the Nexus lane so we used a regular lane. You would have thought we had killed someone by the agents reaction.

... Eric

Thanks for the replies. We had our interview and here is the official decision directly from the Nexus people.

Entering USA, Nexus lane can be used but not while towing our car. Two lisence plates confuse the system.

Entering Canada, Nexus lane can be used even while towing car.

Whirlpool Bridge, Niagara Falls, is Nexus only, apparently it will not accommodate a motorhome.

There could be other rules at specific crossings that we were not made aware of.

PackerBacker wrote:

lakeside013104 wrote:
A Nexus card can be used in any land border lane. Not all dedicated Nexus lanes will accommodate a large coach.

Lakeside

It would be good to know which lanes do not accommodate a coach, do you have any info on the ones that do not?

According to the U.S. Border and Customs Security folks that we met with in Champlain NY, all the lanes are supposed to be the same size at the entry security posts in accordance with Homeland Security.

... Eric

Have not heard about ALL Nexus lanes being the same size?

Many ports of entry (POE) are new and up to date, many are not. There is no info or list that spells out lanes that will not accommodate a coach.

Best advice is to call ahead to the POE that you plan to cross at and ask them which lane they prefer a large coach to enter for inspection. You will get the latest and most up to date information from those in the know.

Good luck and do keep us posted.

Lakeside

As long as you fit, you can use the Nexus lane.

U.S. bound from Windsor to Detroit the Ambassador bridge nexus lane is impossible for anything but a car ,it is a squeeze for a large pick up.
There is a very tight double turn after the customs booth before the toll shack,a small class C maybe .

This will hopefully change in the next few years after the new bridge is complete.
I have never seen the tunnel nexus lane ,but the tunnel is through downtown (both sides) and does not bare thinking about.
I see the OP is from Burlington ,maybe someone can describe the Sarnia crossing ,it is closer for you anyway.