Nexus Eligiblity - New Permanent Resident

[actntrl]

Good Afternoon,

I've recently become a PR and wish to apply for NEXUS since I am a frequent traveller to the USA.

I have some questions regarding my eligiblity.

1. Even though I am a new PR, I've been a lawful resident in Canada for 7 years. First as a student, then worker, then PR. I am a bit confused by the wording on the website, citing that I need 3 years of residency. Does this mean 3 years of residency as a PR or in general for Canada?

2. My current US B1/B2 Visa Expires in 2021. Do i need to renew it before applying.

Thank you in advance.

 

[21Goose]

Yes, you are eligible for a Nexus card. I just got a Nexus card as well.

1. You need to have been resident in the US or Canada for three years. Doesn't need to be PR, just lawful residence. I lived in the US for 8-odd years on a work visa, and then about 18 months in Canada when I applied for the Nexus card.

2. You need a valid visa and a valid I-94. If you don't have a valid I-94, they will ask you to go get one. In my case, I had a valid visa, but my I-94 had expired a few months ago. When I went to the Nexus office at Niagara Falls, they simply told me to hop across the border and come back. So I made a very short trip to the US (I was there for maybe 20 minutes), and drove right back, and they approved my application.

If I'd gone to the Nexus office in Mississauga (I think it's there), then they would have told me to come back after I had a valid I-94.

 

[actntrl]

Thank you!

So once I get my Nexus, do I still need to keep my US visa renewed? My current B1 B2 is expiring July 2021

 

[21Goose]

Thank you!

So once I get my Nexus, do I still need to keep my US visa renewed? My current B1 B2 is expiring July 2021

You will still need a visa to enter the US. The Nexus card just makes travel easier, it doesn't grant you the right to enter. So yes, you will need a new visa after 2021, and then you'll have to log into your Nexus account and update the visa information. That's easy to do.

Also, you may well have become a citizen by 2021-2022. If/when you become a citizen, you'll again have to update your Nexus info, and naturally after that you won't need any more visas.

 

[harirajmohan]

Good Afternoon,

I've recently become a PR and wish to apply for NEXUS since I am a frequent traveller to the USA.

I have some questions regarding my eligiblity.

1. Even though I am a new PR, I've been a lawful resident in Canada for 7 years. First as a student, then worker, then PR. I am a bit confused by the wording on the website, citing that I need 3 years of residency. Does this mean 3 years of residency as a PR or in general for Canada?

2. My current US B1/B2 Visa Expires in 2021. Do i need to renew it before applying.

Thank you in advance.

1. 3 year residency both in US and Canada. I had 2 years in US and 1 year in Canada when i applied in received the car last year. My colleague too applied soon after moving to Canada, he never had even a year in Canada. This is nothing to do with or without PR.
If you call the any side of the border office then they will confuse you with 3 years after PR.
2. When you apply for nexus and go for interview at that time you should show that you have valid travel document and purpose to travel between both countries. This is the general criteria/rule/logic they apply. So having visa renewed after received the car is irrelevant as rules dont apply for keeping the card but applies for accessing the application.

 

[actntrl]

You will still need a visa to enter the US. The Nexus card just makes travel easier, it doesn't grant you the right to enter. So yes, you will need a new visa after 2021, and then you'll have to log into your Nexus account and update the visa information. That's easy to do.

Also, you may well have become a citizen by 2021-2022. If/when you become a citizen, you'll again have to update your Nexus info, and naturally after that you won't need any more visas.

Perfect. Thank you.

In term of the I-94, I can find it online. Do I need to print it out? My Latest entry date was july 15 and the valid until date is jan 2020. If my interview is after that do I have to enter the US again for it? Bit confused on this aspect.

 

[21Goose]

Perfect. Thank you.

In term of the I-94, I can find it online. Do I need to print it out? My Latest entry date was july 15 and the valid until date is jan 2020. If my interview is after that do I have to enter the US again for it? Bit confused on this aspect.

Yes, you can print it out. The Nexus application form will give you the instructions on that front.

Yes, it needs to be valid on the date of the interview. If it is not, they will ask you to get a valid I-94

 

[mbaleine]

1. You need to have been resident in the US or Canada for three years. Doesn't need to be PR, just lawful residence. I lived in the US for 8-odd years on a work visa, and then about 18 months in Canada when I applied for the Nexus card.

I'm very much confused by this statement. It directly contradicts what the official Nexus page says about eligibility.

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus/nexus-eligibility


NEXUS Eligibility


Are You Eligible?

U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, Canadian citizens, Canadian lawful permanent residents and Mexican nationals who are members of Mexico’s trusted traveller program, Viajero Confiable are eligible to apply for membership in the U.S./Canada NEXUS program.

 

[21Goose]

I'm very much confused by this statement. It directly contradicts what the official Nexus page says about eligibility.

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus/nexus-eligibility


NEXUS Eligibility


Are You Eligible?

U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, Canadian citizens, Canadian lawful permanent residents and Mexican nationals who are members of Mexico’s trusted traveller program, Viajero Confiable are eligible to apply for membership in the U.S./Canada NEXUS program.

No, it doesn't contradict it.

That is the page for eligibility. You have to be a PR to be eligible to apply.

However, the question that was asked, and what I'm talking about is how long you have to be a PR to apply. And the answer to that is, you have to have been living in Canada or the US with legal status (student, worker etc) for at least three years before you can apply.

Here's an example to help

There are two people:

1. Mattia is an Italian citizen who has never lived in the US or Canada. He becomes a PR of Canada via Express Entry on Jan 1, 2019. Can he apply for Nexus on Jan 2, 2019?

NO - because even though he is a Canadian PR, he has not lived in Canada/US for long enough. He has to live three years in Canada/US before he can apply.

2. Nico is a German citizen, who has been living in Canada for the past 1 year on a work permit. Prior to that, he lived in the US for 3 years on a H1B visa. He becomes a PR on Jan 1 2019. Can Nico apply for Nexus on Jan 2, 2019?

YES - because is a Canadian PR, and has lived in the US/Canada for the requisite three years on legal status (worker). He does not have to wait.

 

[21Goose]

As a direct, real-world example I became a PR in Oct 2017, and got my Nexus card in May 2019, well before 3 years as a PR. I had lived 8-odd years in the US before that, so I met the eligibility + residency criteria. I applied for Nexus on May 5th and got it by May 30th.

 

[mbaleine]

As a direct, real-world example I became a PR in Oct 2017, and got my Nexus card in May 2019, well before 3 years as a PR. I had lived 8-odd years in the US before that, so I met the eligibility + residency criteria. I applied for Nexus on May 5th and got it by May 30th.

Gotcha! Was just wondering about this question right after I posted. Didn't realize that was what you were getting at.

One question -- did you apply from Canada?

I've lived in the US for the last decade and will probably land as Canadian PR sometime next week. But I'm not ready to move yet and will be living in the US for another year. Can I apply from the US as a Canadian PR? It sounds like an awkward situation..

Edit: I realize that this sounds kind of like Nico's situation (one of the examples you gave). But just wanted to clarify since the example did not specify where Nico applied from. Or is that not an issue?

 

[21Goose]

Gotcha! Was just wondering about this question right after I posted. Didn't realize that was what you were getting at.

One question -- did you apply from Canada?

I've lived in the US for the last decade and will probably land as Canadian PR sometime next week. But I'm not ready to move yet and will be living in the US for another year. Can I apply from the US as a Canadian PR? It sounds like an awkward situation..

Edit: I realize that this sounds kind of like Nico's situation (one of the examples you gave). But just wanted to clarify since the example did not specify where Nico applied from. Or is that not an issue?

Not an issue. I applied from Canada, but you can apply from the US.

However - you need to go in person to a Nexus office with US CBP and Canadian CBSA officers. If you live in New England, you can go to Vermont/Maine.

If you're far away from a Nexus office, you'll have to make a long trip for the actual interview.

You can check on office locations here - https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus/enrollment-centers

Most US states do NOT have Nexus enrollment centers. Vermont and Maine do.

 

[mbaleine]

Not an issue. I applied from Canada, but you can apply from the US.

However - you need to go in person to a Nexus office with US CBP and Canadian CBSA officers. If you live in New England, you can go to Vermont/Maine.

If you're far away from a Nexus office, you'll have to make a long trip for the actual interview.

You can check on office locations here - https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus/enrollment-centers

Most US states do NOT have Nexus enrollment centers. Vermont and Maine do.

Thanks!

One last question -- it's probably a long shot and I totally understand if you don't know the answer -- with Nexus and going through Global Entry kiosks, can those kiosks handle the situation where a valid US visa is on an expired passport (i.e. traveling with a valid new passport + an expired passport with valid US visa in it)?

 

[21Goose]

Yes, I asked about this and the CBP officer said it wasn't an issue. I have no personal experience with this, but everything I read indicates that this won't be an issue.

Maybe someone else can chime in with personal experience.

 

[actntrl]

Yes, I asked about this and the CBP officer said it wasn't an issue. I have no personal experience with this, but everything I read indicates that this won't be an issue.

Maybe someone else can chime in with personal experience.

Yes you can. My dad has global entry and enters with his valid visa on an expired passport. No worries there as long as the VISA is valid