NEXUS and I-68

I'm thinking about applying for one of the expedited customs programs this year - probably NEXUS, since it lasts for 5 years. Avoiding the queues at Bedwell, Roche, etc, make it pretty tempting.

Anything I should know about it? I understand that everyone aboard has to be a participant for the telephone reporting to work. Does it work as advertised? Is it worth the effort??

My wife and I have the Nexus cards and we have used them from Michigan/Ohio to Canada. You do have to go to a specific location for your face to face interview which took about 15 minutes. After the first use, we were assigned a BR number for reporting in. It has our Nexus plus boat info.

Everyone on your boat has to have a Nexus card in order to clear customs at other than designated POEs. So if you have guests aboard who don't have Nexus cards, you have to go to a designated POE.

We keep intending to get Nexus cards but so far almost all our cruises into BC have been with guests who don't have them so they wouldn't do us any good anyway We'll get them one of these days but it's a hassle to make the appointment if one has a busy schedule like we do.

So far most of our initial destinations in BC have been in the direction of Bedwell or Sidney anyway so it's been no real hassle to swing in, clear, and keep going. Same thing with coming home. Roche has so far been on our way to our first US destination which is usually West Sound. But for the times my wife and I go into BC alone it would be handy to have the cards. It's just an inconvenience to get them.

We had a US PIN number and then I-68s for awhile before and after 9/11 when our Canpass was still good. The Canpass got us into BC and the PIN and later the I-68s got us back into the US. But once our Canpass expired and the program was discontinued there wasn't any point in getting another I-68.

I was disappointed to see that the interview had to be done in Blaine (or a handful of other locations nationwide). I have two buddies with whom that I do a regular week-long trip in late July, so I thought I'd ask them to get the cards. But one lives in the bay area and the other in Orange County, so no luck there.

We have Nexus cards and use them all the time.... wouldn't want to be without them!

Is this similar to the Local Boater Option? We have that, I set it up for my four family members at the Jax customs office, and now just call in when we clear back from the Bahamas. It works great, but yes, it would be useless if we had a guest on board.

Nexus and BR numbers are great for pulling into US ports from Canada. They don't work the same in reverse for some reason on the water whereas when driving through Blaine either way the Nexus cards are perfect. We just pulled into Ketchikan and the BR number allowed Customs clearance via phone, quick and easy. But as Marin says, Nexus and BR#s are needed by all passengers to allow phone in clearance. We did our interviews at Blaine. BTW, the weather is Ketchikan is unusual for this time of the year, mid 80s and sunny (this sentence is a check to see if anyone reads posts to the end).

sunchaser said:

Nexus and BR numbers are great for pulling into US ports from Canada. They don't work the same in reverse for some reason on the water whereas when driving through Blaine either way the Nexus cards are perfect. We just pulled into Ketchikan and the BR number allowed Customs clearance via phone, quick and easy. But as Marin says, Nexus and BR#s are needed by all passengers to allow phone in clearance. We did our interviews at Blaine. BTW, the weather is Ketchikan is unusual for this time of the year, mid 80s and sunny (this sentence is a check to see if anyone reads posts to the end).

Click to expand...

We find nexus works great entering US as you can clear on the phone whereas Canada still wants you to go to a designated poe and wait around in case an officer wants to board.

By the way
Weather for Ketchikan, AK, USA

8°C | °F Tue Wed Thu Fri Light Rain Wind: SE at 23 km/h Humidity: 90% 11° 6° 13° 7° 12° 7° 13° 7°


Bob

You cannot anchor either. Anchoring counts as touching land so you have to have cleared customs if you intend to anchor anywhere in BC. The fishboats run 24 hours a day transiting BC to and from Alaska.