hpka

Here's the situation:

1. I'm a NEXUS Card holder and currently a PR in Canada
2. My last i94 has run out and has been returned by post (British passport holder by the way)
3. It's a long weekend (we all know what that does to border lines)
4. I'll need to get a new i94 and pay $6 etc...
5. Can I use the NEXUS lane at Pacific Crossing (or Peace Arch I suppose) knowing I'll have to go inside to get a new i94w?

I was going to call the NEXUS information line but it's Saturday...

Former Lancastrian

IMHO YES.

hpka

I certainly hope so too... but I have to focus on that IMHO (in my humble opinion) bit... do you know if it's allowed for sure by the border guards?

Former Lancastrian

You hold a valid NEXUS card. As you will be speaking to an officer in the NEXUS lane you simply tell him you need to renew your I94 however to be safe I would use a regular lane just in case USCBP deem this to be an infraction as not having a valid I94.
You would be entering the USA and its how they view it. Personally I don't think its an infraction as you have a valid NEXUS card and passport and you just require the I94.

hpka

And here's how it turned out.

Pacific Crossing (otherwise known as the truck stop...) was where I crossed. I used the NEXUS lane without an I94W with no problems. When I got to the US Border Guard booth, he was about to let me go, but I said that I needed a new I94W. He even seemed surprised I had said it, but promptly gave me the orange slip and sent me to the right. Out of the car, in through the doors, straight to the front of the special queue for NEXUS folks. I94 issued. Asked the guy outside (who was busy searching a car) if I could head to the NEXUS office. I94 added to NEXUS card quickly. Out again, in the car, off we go!

I never did get a clear answer on what the policy on this sort of thing was, but I can say that in the situation I described above, no one seemed to mind I used the NEXUS lane when I needed to pick up a new I94W.

Steve_

The policy is as you've described it - NEXUS merely lets you use the NEXUS lane, but you still have to comply with any other requirements. Didn't they explain this to you at the NEXUS office? They're supposed to tell you if you enter in a non-immigrant category where get an I-94 that you can have it entered onto your NEXUS record. There's no real point as a visitor though, lot of hassle for no real benefit.

The point is that I-94s are electronic now and they can't staple them to your NEXUS card, so if you go to the NEXUS office and have it added to your NEXUS record they can see it's been issued without seeing a physical copy.

I have to say I'm getting a bit tired of NEXUS into Canada at land borders, apparently CBSA have become paranoid about people using it to avoid paying taxes, so I keep getting hassled about TDCs. Which is a PDF form you're supposed to fill in and print off before you get to the border. How the f--- are you supposed to print off that form when you've just been shopping in the US, it's crazy. Who carries a portable printer around with them? Are you supposed to know exactly what you're going to buy and print it off at home?

So on the CBSA website it says to partially fill it in, take it with you and then complete the remaining boxes. What a stupid paper chase. What they need to do is have a machine in the NEXUS lane like the ones at the airport. But God no, if they did that it might put an inspector out of a job.

hpka

Honestly, I've worked out that they seem to like the following form of declaration when asked "anything to delare?"

"[amount] in non-grocery, [amount] in grocery"

E.g. $200 non-grocery, $300 grocery
Both are figures that I used last weekend (I've rounded down for anonymity sake), both completely honest (always be honest at the border) and they seem to accept that as an answer. If they want to see them, I have receipts ready.

I've never been hassled for a TDC

EDIT: They did explain that the I94W had to be added to my NEXUS card, but they didn't clearly say I could use the NEXUS lane when I needed it, at the interview.